Extended Bio:

When I was five years old, my parents got me a black, three-quarter size, Oscar Schmidt acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, I lost that guitar when Super Storm Sandy wrecked the first floor of our house. Fast forward two years later, my parents got me a PINK, three-quarter size, Oscar Schmidt acoustic guitar. That’s when I actually learned how to play.

When my guitar teacher, Charlie Ruggirello, asked me why I wanted to learn how to play guitar, my seven-year-old self replied:

“So I can accompany myself when I sing!”

My mom was so surprised that I knew the word ‘accompany’.

So picture me playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on my little pink Oscar Schmidt, with a footstool underneath my feet because I couldn’t touch the ground.

That was the beginning.

I kept playing songs like that for about a year until I learned how to play the Darth Vader theme song for my brother’s birthday (you know the one). I turned a corner there, reading and playing harder music! I also started working on jazz music. Learning those songs and techniques made me the guitar player I am. When I was eight, I upgraded to a Guild M75 Aristocrat and a Fender Tube Amp. I picked that particular guitar because I loved the tone of it, and it was one of the guitars eight-year-old me could hold comfortably. I still play, love, and treasure this guitar. I started taking voice lessons around this time. I also started playing with bands in a local music school. That gave me my first performing experience: on the Count Basie Stage! From then on, I was hooked!

I stayed at that music school for a couple years until I decided I wanted more. I kept up my jazz studies with my guitar teacher and had my first paying gig during that time. I played a gig with Charlie at a local library. I was paid $10 by my beloved guitar teacher. It was great!

I joined another music school soon after. I performed at great venues all over Asbury Park, New Jersey in multiple bands. At one point, I was in four bands at the same time! I also started gigging out more by myself at open mic nights and bars.

Once, I ended up being on a local college radio station (90.5 The Night FM Radio, Brookdale Community College) to promote a gig! The gig was a benefit at the Keansburg Amusement Park for Super Storm Sandy victims. I was the first person to ever play at the Keansburg Amusement Park! How cool is that?!

I kept gigging as much as I could, all while balancing guitar lessons, voice lessons, and school along with it.

And then Covid-19 happened.

Like every other musician, I stopped gigging. I used this time to work on my technique, solo projects, and virtual group projects. I did a couple live streams. I performed at the Monmouth University 2020 Summer Music and Arts Festival (virtually, of course). I also entered three contests during the pandemic. One of them was run by Guild Guitars. In 2020, Guild Guitars had a three-week contest where you put up a video of yourself playing a song. The winners got a guitar of Guild’s choice. One of the weeks, the prize was a 12-string guitar. Naturally, I entered multiple times (that was allowed). I ended up winning! Someone in the comments of the Instagram post announcing my win mentioned that I was supposed to be over eighteen to win. Guild responded that they decided to amend the rules to permit my entry and so I could win! So, I got the 12-string, and it sounded (and still sounds) great!

After the pandemic lessened, I left the second music school to pursue other opportunities, like the increasing number of solo gigs I was getting. During this time, I played for organizations like the Asbury Park Music Foundation, the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation, and the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce and at venues like the Chubby Pickle and Springwood Park.

Now, I mostly play solo sets by myself, but I often play with a full band.

Through the recommendation of a family friend, Joe Riggio, I was hired by Sandy Mack, an amazing Jersey based harmonica player and singer, to play a half hour opening set for his band, the Sandy Mack Band, at the Asbury Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey in September of 2021. Since that gig, I have played at the Asbury Hotel once or twice a month. Those gigs have brought me so much happiness and growth. The audience is always so appreciative, and I’ve had the great fortune to play with such wonderful musicians.

Sometimes, I play with an ensemble though, like I did in late July of 2022. I was lucky enough to be part of an ensemble, put together by the Jazz Arts Project, that opened for the Grammy nominated, jazz legend Jon Faddis for two nights at the Two Rivers Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. On the first night during our set, Mr. Faddis surprised everyone there, including us in the ensemble, and played “A Night in Tunisia” with us. Then during his own set, Mr. Faddis unexpectedly called me up to the stage and had me sing and play with his band! This happened both nights! It was so amazing!

For the rest of 2022, I gigged a lot and worked on writing and arranging music for my first album, which I recorded in early 2023. After working on it for nearly two years, I released my first album, Carlotta Schmidt, on April 28th, 2023. It’s available on every streaming service imaginable, CD, and vinyl. It’s been well received by critics and my listeners! I’ve had people from all over the world listen to it (the Spotify stats have been fascinating to look at), and I’ve even been able to give my CD to Grammy winners Brandi Carlile (see below for that story!), Amy Ray (of the Indigo Girls), and Melissa Etheridge!

The rest of 2023 has included promoting the album, gigging, and more. But I had other things on my mind. A couple of years ago, I learned about Lilith Fair, which was a music festival in the late 1990s that had a lineup consisting of all women-led bands. From the minute I learned about it, I was hooked! I wished that I could’ve gone to it and started to dream about having my own Lilith Fair. In August of 2023, I decided to finally make my dreams become a reality and start Fourth Wave Fest, a women-led music festival, which took place on March 3rd, 2024, at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ. It was a massive success! It was so successful, that I plan to make it an annual event! You can learn more about it here.

After Fourth Wave Fest, I kept gigging and writing music, and started focusing on getting ready for another BIG gig: singing with 10-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter, Brandi Carlile. Last year, Brandi started a music festival called Mothership Weekend. At Mothership Weekend, there are three days of music from really cool bands, including her own, and a bunch of other fun events. One of them is called Brandioke. Brandioke is an event where people get to sing WITH Brandi and her awesome band! Naturally, being a big fan and a musician, I REALLY wanted to get this opportunity! So, I submitted my audition via Instagram (which you can find on the Video page here on my website) and hoped I would get picked.

I did!!!

So in May 2024, my family and I traveled to Miramar Beach, FL, and I sang Brandi’s song Dreams WITH Brandi and her band! As you can imagine, it was AMAZING!!! Afterwards, I was able to talk with Brandi (who is really nice, by the way) and gave her a copy of my album!!!

It was such an honor to be able to perform with her and the band! I will NEVER forget it!

I’m still at the beginning of my journey as a musician. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!