What does LVNMUZIQ mean anyway? Well quite simply, Liz loves music and thought it wasn’t catchy enough to spell the band name as lovin’ music. Spelling it differently in a way that would look good as a website or email address was way more attractive and interesting. As a show of commitment to following her musical dream, Liz had the word “MUZIQ” tattooed on her right forearm.
Liz Snavely (guitar, harmonica, vocals), originally from Elkhart, IN, is a graduate of Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids, MI, and has no musical training, other than a year of choir. Liz’s first job out of college was designing international industrial magazine ads. She also worked as a Graphic Designer for a law firm, a photojournalist for the U.S. Air Force, a Technical Support Manager at a telecommunications company, and a Telecommunication Sales Rep for a large telecommunications company.
Liz always knew she’d do something with music full-time, but it wasn’t until 2006 that she decided to turn that dream into reality. “It’s sad to me to see so many people live their entire lives in a job that they absolutely can’t stand. I was that person and I knew I needed to make a radical change. I needed to find my soul”, says Liz. With very little training and even less experience, Liz took her heart, her self-discipline, and her passion in the direction she had always wanted to go but never had the courage to go. Liz had always been a poet but was unable to put her words to music until she began teaching herself how to play guitar.
She actually played in her Non-denominational, church band in Las Vegas playing rhythm guitar and singing background vocals. This was another way Liz was beginning to gain victory over her stage fright and developed more confidence on stage.
Liz created a 6-song solo EP, "26 Weeks", in May of 2005. It was recorded in her dining room using Pro Tools on her computer. The songs were written during a 26-week lay-off from one of her jobs. At this point, Liz still wasn’t confident enough to play out in public. She knew that she had to get over her stage fright in order to go on tour as a solo musician. So she began playing at open mics. During the first two open mics Liz ever played, she broke a string and had to finish her songs using someone else’s guitar. She had never broken a string before that or since then. She kept playing open mics until she felt comfortable enough to start playing gigs. She mostly played at coffeehouses and house concerts. So she decided to start playing local solo gigs and go on tour across the country alone. Having dealt with years of anxiety, this was a huge step for her to take.
Liz didn’t want to be known as a traditional folk singer. So combining the raw edge of heavy metal producer, Lance Eichler, and the earthy tones of Liz’s urban folk style, they created the unique sound of LVNMUZIQ’s Debut CD “Orange Kiss” (released July 2006). This CD manages to keep the fine quality of the acoustic folk sound but laces itself in a non-traditional, edgy way, forming the intense sound Liz strives for. Liz used to refer to LVNMUZIQ as toe-tappin’ urban folk music and can still be seen tapping her bare feet to each song during a performance. The CD was made at Eastown Recording Company in Grand Rapids, MI just 4 blocks from Liz'shouse. Liz remembers, “I always had Wednesday’s off because I had to work Saturday’s. So every Wednesday for about 6 months I’d go record my 1st studio CD. The entire process was life changing for me. I was finally living my dream and had never felt so fulfilled. No matter how hard we worked or how expensive it was, I enjoyed every moment of it."
Liz has been touring nationwide for the past 2 years. Within the last year, LVNMUZIQ has performed at over 100 gigs in 21 states and performed with talented artists such as Ellis, Pamela Means, Jennifer "JJ" Jones, Catie Curtis, and have performed at festivals with folks like Melissa Ferrick, Cris Williamson, and God-des and She.
LVNMUZIQ music is going to also be featured in an upcoming independent film documentary called “Fagbug.” You can read more about Fagbug and it’s creator, Erin Davies, at Fag Bug.
Liz is committed to writing and creating music from her heart, passionately, for herself and for others in the world who are willing to listen. The words are important, the music is bold and emotional, and Liz encourages anyone to follow their dreams, be real, stand up for yourself, and believe in yourself. Liz loves that music can bring many people together and be a beautiful, unique experience. She hopes you know how much she loves what she is doing. She is thankful to anyone who is a part of the musical journey!!
