Since moving to Manhattan in June of 2002,
Amy Hills has self-released two CD's, "Things
To Say" and "Amy Hills LIVE", completed the
recording for her full length demo, founded
what has become one of the largest open
mic's for songwriters in Manhattan, and
developed a loyal group of fans and friends.
She can be seen weekly, playing gigs at music
venues in Manhattan and the surrounding
areas. She is a trained pianist, guitarist and
vocalist and although she has been performing
since she was a child, it has only been in the
last year that this teacher, theatrical
technician, engineer, and musician has made
the decision to become a full time
singer/songwriter. It is no coincidence that in
the last year, Amy Hills has entered into this business with confidence and determination and has been incredibly well received. She has recently launched her newly self-designed web site complete with video, audio, and an on-line diary. She is planning a national tour for the summer of 2004, and she is looking forward to the road ahead.
Amy was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Her music career began at age 4, when her parents enrolled her in Suzuki Method piano lessons and she began to perform with the South Carolina Opera Company and the Charleston Stage Company. Throughout her early years she performed in numerous award-winning choirs and was classically trained as a vocalist. As a teenager, she picked up her mother's guitar and began to put the lyrics she had been writing for years to music. During her college years at the University of Richmond, Amy continued her career in musical theatre and performance, but she was still not performing publicly as a singer/songwriter. After completing her BA at Richmond, Amy moved back to Charleston, South Carolina and for three years served successfully as Technical Director for the Charleston Stage Company. At the end of her third year as Technical Director, Amy decided to pursue a master's degree in technical design and production and was one of six students accepted to the master's program at the Yale School of Drama.
While at Yale, Amy was fortunate enough to have access to incredible sound studios and professors that could teach her audio engineering. With the help of some fellow students, she recorded more than fifteen songs over a period of three months, including, "Savannah" and "Daydreams and Prospects", both on her first self-released CD. After successfully completing her first year of graduate study at Yale, Amy made the difficult decision to leave her career as a technical director and concentrate on songwriting and performance. In June of 2002, Amy moved to New York City, and although the transition has not been easy, she is happier than she has ever been in her life.
