Musician grounded by deep Missouri roots

by Hilary Vanater, posted Nov. 8, 2011

“My roots run deep, four generations of people like me, workin’ hard and proud of where we come from ….”

These are lyrics from Liz Moriondo’s favorite song she has written to date, Down a Backroad. The song hits close to home for her with a lot of family and hometown history in it.

“I just love being able to incorporate real places and experiences into my music, because I feel like it connects the listener so much more deeply with the artist,” Moriondo said.

Moriondo grew up in Mount Vernon a small town in southwest Missouri. Moriondo grew up on her family’s farm and went to a small high school with about 100 in each class. She considers herself to be a “home-grown country girl.”  

After high school Moriondo played one season of basketball for Drury University in Springfield, Mo. Following her freshman year she decided to pursue her passion for music, and moved to Nashville, Tenn., to start her music career. Moriondo has always loved singing. She first performed at 4 years of age at her Grandma’s church.  

Now, as a 22 year old, Moriondo has already recorded more than 40 songs. She aspires to be Entertainer of the Year, and even has her eyes set on the Oscars. Moriondo knows that however far her success takes her, she will always keep singing and writing music.

“My ultimate goal is to dabble in everything and be successful,” Moriondo said. “I want to sing first, but I also want to act and even do some Broadway.”

She describes herself as a diverse person; she wants to explore and share all that she has to offer in different avenues. Moriondo admires Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High On That Mountain” and hopes one day to have an impact on the world through her music, just as he has.

“Like anything in life, success can only be reached through such passion and desire that you will stop at almost nothing to achieve your dream,” Moriondo said. 

She knows to be successful with this dream it will take hard work and determination, but it’s most important that she absolutely loves what she does. Moriondo is strong in her faith and says that with God’s help she can achieve anything she sets her mind to.

“I am proud of her accomplishments and all the hard work she has put in to get to where she is,” said Mark, Moriondo’s younger brother.

In the music industry there are so many artists to look up to. Moriondo has always considered Britney Spears as an idol, and admires her for her talent and how she isn’t afraid to push the limits. Kenny Chesney is another artist on Moriondo’s list of favorites for his work ethic; she loves Eric Church’s risk-taking, and Johnny Cash’s rebel attitude. 

Moriondo knows that even though she is 500 miles away, her family is always supporting her. She feels very lucky and blessed to have such a close family as well as a strong relationship with God.

“Liz has a beautiful soulful voice,” Amber Tiller, a fan of Moriondo, said, “She is an inspiration to me to follow my dreams.”       

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