Stacy Capers has been a natural performer since childhood. She started singing at her church around the age of three and, by the time she was 12, was writing her own songs. A native of Charleston, SC, it was her goal to become a professional musician that led her to Furman, where she completed her B.A. in music in 2018. During her time at Furman, Capers admitted that she “lived” at Daniel Music Building as a student — a phrase that is sure to resonate with all music majors. And though Capers came to Furman intending to major in Music Composition but, after taking music theory and participating in a variety of other activities, ended up changing her major, the lessons that she learned at Furman stretched beyond any major or field. The one that stuck with her the most? Capers said it is probably the belief that “creating a good musical work takes discipline, practice, and patience;” traits that Capers surely displays to this day.
After graduation, Capers continued to pursue her passion for music and, excitingly, was recently rewarded for such efforts by being selected as a winner in the LG Electronics Life’s Good Music Challenge, a worldwide online competition with pop singer Charlie Puth.
Yet her career was not always marked by good times. Capers admitted that her musical journey has been somewhat tumultuous, but it has been her faith and spiritual connection to singing and songwriting that have helped her through the process. For example, when she auditioned for the LG competition last fall and was not selected as a winner, she said she became “discouraged” with her music and was at a “personal low” in her life. Yet after a phone conversation with her father, in which he “encouraged me and let me know that I needed to keep pushing and doing what I loved,” Capers found a reinvigorated passion for her music. After all, it was her father who had first suggested that she try songwriting as a child, and it was he who had advised her to look for music competitions where could possibly receive recognition for her work. “Funny enough, right after I talked to him LG season 2 pops on my Instagram feed,” she said. “I’m very spiritual and that felt like fate and confirmation to me. So, I went for it.” In winning the competition, Capers got the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles to meet and collaborate with Charlie Puth. She describes the experience as “surreal” and says that she feels “blessed and honored” in achieving this milestone in her career. Additionally, Capers’ success in the competition only confirmed what she already knew — that she had to keep pursuing her dreams.
On August 15th, Capers released a new single, “Talk To You,” on all streaming platforms. She said that inspiration for writing new songs usually “comes from within,” as her emotions have typically been the basis for some of her best work. “Usually the initial idea will come while sitting in traffic, in the shower, lying in bed at night — really anytime where I’m forced to listen to my own thoughts.” Whenever a striking melody or lyric comes to mind, Capers stops, makes a recording of it on her phone, and then sits down at the piano later to create a full song. Artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have largely influenced her work, Capers noted, as she has followed their examples of applying classical vocal training to more contemporary pop, much like the styles of Capers’ own songs.
The next step in Capers’ career will be releasing her EP, which she hopes to do by the end of this year. And though she currently works full time as a payroll operations specialist for an HR software company, she says that “like all aspiring musicians,” her ultimate goal is to eventually pursue music full-time. Finally, when asked about advice for young musicians, Capers stated that “nobody should stop using the gifts that [they’re] were anointed with;” therefore, no matter the situation, you should always find the faith to continue pursuing what you love.
