At the age of eight, Gianna Russo picked up a guitar for the first time. Not long after, she started writing lyrics to accompany the chords. Now, ten years later, Gianna Russo is a senior with the goal of sharing her music with the world.
Soon after she began playing the guitar, she realized that music was no longer just a fun hobby, but also a way to process her emotions. “My first original song was really special. I wrote it about my dad who had passed away from cancer. I had all of that emotion, and I knew [songwriting] was something I liked to do, so it became an outlet for me,” Russo shared. “I was looking at an old picture of him and was thinking about how much I missed him. The lyrics came to me first, and then I decided to try to put chords with it to make a song.”
Russo follows a pop song setup for her songs, with verses, a chorus, and a bridge. Her inspiration behind her lyrical structure often comes from her favorite artists. “I’d say my style is [similar to] Noah Kahan and The Lumineers.”
However, she feels that her biggest inspiration for her songs comes from within. “Usually what inspires me is my own feelings. Sometimes they can be negative, so my favorite thing to do is to turn them into a positive song,” Russo explained.
Her favorite song she has written is called “I Knew You.” “It’s about a childhood friend that I grew apart from. I felt like she lost herself when she went to high school, so it’s kind of like my message to her,” Russo expressed.
Writing about people who are or have been close to her is a usual occurrence. “I wrote a song for my mom’s wedding and a graduation song for my brother. That’s my love language. If I love somebody, whether they know it or not, I’m writing a song about them,” Russo laughed.
Senior Julia Kover, a close friend of Russo, has been a big supporter from the moment Russo started getting serious about sharing her music around the age of 15. “I’ve watched her start to become more and more comfortable with performing and using her beautiful voice. Watching her improve so much has really made me so proud and happy for her,” Kover shared.
Six months ago, Russo performed publicly for the first time. With the help of her mentor Brad Horan, a professional musician and the owner of Big Brad’s Music Shop, she was able to secure her first gig. “[Horan] hosts these open mics and convinced me to go to one of them. Afterwards, they told me that they’d love it if I could come regularly. Then, he ended up booking me my first ever gig,” Russo exclaimed. “I got paid to play this past August, and that was the first time I really put myself out there. Ever since then, I’ve been playing gigs multiple times a month and just really enjoying and getting used to it,” Russo exclaimed.
Not only has Horan helped with instruments and vocals, but he has also been guiding her through the music world. “I think the most important thing I helped her with is her self confidence…She was very shy about performing in front of other people when I met her. In a short time, she has grown into a real pro and can step on stage, overcome her fears and put on a great show,” Horan remarked.
Kover agreed with Horan, saying, “I have watched her become so much more confident in herself with not only music, but with her own character.”
Above all, Russo’s friends and family enjoy how compassionate she is, not only with her music, but with how she treats others. “She has been there for me through so many hard times. Gianna always cares for me so much. She has the biggest heart, and it is full of love…Gia is a wonderful person and I am truly so lucky to know her,” Kover shared, happily.
“Gia is such an amazing human being! She’s one of those people that completely changes the vibe of the room she walks in. Her personality especially shines when she performs,” Horan smiled.
Through her music, Russo shows her love for her favorite people in the same way that they show love to her. One day, she hopes to publish her music, but until then, keep an eye out at local stages for a girl and her guitar.