Live music is in a strange state, given the global pandemic — but the paradigm change hasn’t slowed down 2021 Country Showcase winner Grace Blosser one bit.
This win was a long time coming for the senior singer-songwriter from Naperville, Illinois, saying she’s been a fan of Belmont’s showcase series since her first year at the school.
“My first experience was being a fan in the audience,” she said. “I saw Anna Vaus up there and thought, ‘this is something I will never get to do, but that’s incredible.’”
A year later, she was given the opportunity to perform at Best of the Best as an individual songwriter after winning the ASCAP Writer’s Round — and it was her first behind-the-scenes glimpse of the showcase series.
She auditioned for Country Showcase her junior year, but was not selected to perform. But when her senior year came around, she was handpicked as one of the top four, allowing her to finally see her goal through.
Blosser took that opportunity to perform two original songs, the first of which was a ballad called “Old Mistakes.” It’s a heartfelt slow-burner about old wounds and how we might learn from them, Blosser explained.
And while that theme is timeless, Blosser wanted a more era-appropriate song to follow it up. That song was “Dancing Next To a Stranger, ” which is an intimate and exciting song about sharing affection on a dance floor.
“Right now we can’t do that,” Blosser said. “I thought it was a good reminder of what we’re all fighting for.”
Blosser said Nashville’s craving for live music to come back, and she wanted to remind people of the good times, so they might remain hopeful and retain a sense of community, albeit remote.
“We’re losing that community right now, so we just have to dance in our living rooms and pretend that we’re all together.”
And even with no live audience, Blosser said she was grateful for the opportunity to perform on a stage.
As her Belmont days are coming to a close, Blosser said she hopes to get a publishing deal and continue writing songs for a living. She hopes to see the day when she writes a hit song and can hear it on the radio — and to top it all off, she wants to win a Grammy.
“Of course, those are what everybody in this line of business wants and I’m no different,” she said. “That’s what I want!”
You can see Grace Blosser perform again in the Best of the Best showcase – dates for which have not been announced.
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This article written by Lilly Owens.