The daughter of two music teachers, Elissa was always surrounded by music in many forms and varieties. She’s called herself both a bassoonist and a percussionist, but voice has always been her weapon of choice. Elissa grew up near Cocoa Beach, Florida where she was involved in school and state chorus, local theater, a cappella groups, and her high school’s jazz band. She went on to study marketing and sales at the University of Florida, but she stayed committed to her passion for singing by performing with the University’s Concert Choir her entire college career. Elissa was also involved with an a cappella group and a cover band in college, and she supported local musicians as often as possible by spending countless nights at the small music venues around town.

After graduating college in 2020, Elissa moved to Madison, Wisconsin for an exciting job opportunity. Shortly after, she learned of her cancer diagnosis. While living with cancer has involved many twists and turns, one of the most exciting has been the encouragement from Play It Back to try her hand at writing music of her own for the very first time! She’s excited to share her music with you!