CALVERT COUNTY, Md. — Elena Barrett grew up on a farm in Upper Marlboro and never dreamed that she’d be singing professionally one day. That all changed just over a year ago when Barrett’s friend dragged her to an open mic. Three songs later, Barrett found herself thrust into a spotlight she hadn’t yet dared to imagine.
Now, she’s writing music, recording and booking live performances around Southern Maryland, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., as well as balancing her family and full-time job. Southern Maryland residents may have seen her perform at popular spots like Running Hare Vineyard or Rod ‘N’ Reel.
“I had always liked to sing, but I didn’t know other people wanted to hear it,” Barrett said. She had participated in school and church choirs “not in a serious way” and never soloed. The friend who took her to the open mic only heard her sing by chance, in a video Barrett had sent of her daughter where she was singing in the background.
Barrett was unsure about attending the open mic at Stan & Joe’s in Annapolis — she’d never sung in public before, and definitely not solo. She still wasn’t sold on how serious the friend was about her talents. But she thought she’d feel even worse if she didn’t go through with it.
Barrett’s three songs were “Angel From Montgomery” by Bonnie Raitt, “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton and “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King.
Afterward, people came up to her to ask how long she’d been singing and where they could hear more of her music (which didn’t yet exist). She was invited to other open mics, which led to real gigs, where Barrett partnered with other musicians.
“I couldn’t believe what was happening,” Barrett said about the open mic. “I was like dude, I’m in my sweatpants!”
It took a long time for Barrett to lean into the possibility of a music career. She’s a mom of two young kids and a full-time hair stylist, so not only did she have to balance a busy life with her new ambitions, but also had to get past substantial imposter syndrome.
Barrett battled anxiety during her early performances and was initially resistant to the offers of open mics and gigs. “Then I realized that all these people were saying the same thing. They couldn’t ALL be lying, right?” The more she sang, the easier it became, and she felt her fears melt away into the music she loved to perform.
“I loved it right away,” she said. “The feeling of sharing that energy on stage, of being able to connect with people through music. It’s amazing to see an audience connect with you like that.”
Barrett performs a mix of blues, country, jazz and pop, but doesn’t limit herself by genre, especially as she finds her voice in songwriting. She aims to stay true to her personality on stage so audiences can get to know her.
Barrett also had to get past major imposter syndrome to start writing her own music. She felt silly talking about her emotional experiences, but friends pushed her to keep writing and focus on the emotional connection in her songs.
Barrett admits that staying creative can be challenging in the midst of her busy life, but performing “fills her cup” in a way nothing else does. She’s grateful for every opportunity to sing to people and plans to take this journey one day at a time.
In fact, “grateful” was a word that came up often — Barrett felt thrown into the local professional music scene “head first” and explained that she feels incredibly grateful every day just for the chance to create and share music. Getting famous would be “cool,” she says, but her goal is just to put her music out there, to continue to love singing, playing, reaching people and connecting in the way that only music can do.
“Whatever happens is going to happen and I will put my faith and trust in that. I loved the life I had before and I love the life I have now. I’m just so grateful for it all. I’m grateful for the people who show up, the friends and family who come to the shows, the people who told me it was possible. I never want to leave a conversation or a show without people knowing how much it means to me.”
You can see Elena Barrett’s upcoming show schedule on her Facebook and Instagram.
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