Pop-country singer and songwriter Courtney Rau developed a passion for writing and music early, taking piano, guitar, and voice lessons as a young girl, frustrating her Russian piano teacher because she preferred to play by ear. Rau's father was an engineering executive, and the family lived for a time abroad in India and England, finally settling back in the States in Washington, D.C., where Rau was active in the school choir and in theater productions. She also began to write poetry, and it wasn't long before she connected poetry and music and began writing songs. Her talent in this direction was obvious by the time she was an eighth grader, and her family took her to Nashville to follow her dream of being a professional singer and songwriter. Working with Nashville songwriters helped hone Rau's writing and singing style, as did working in the recording studio with producer Joe Vulpis, who helped her put together a debut EP. ~ Steve Leggett