Erez and the Pearlz make their musical debut

Soul singer and new band to bring originals, cover on stage

Image supplied by: Photo provided by Erez Zobary
Zobary

Erez Zobary almost lost her singing voice once—but she won’t let it happen again.

For Zobary, ConEd ‘19, losing her voice left her with a distinctive, sultry sound that became the foundation to her performances on campus. A regular in the local Kingston music scene, Zobary is shaking things up with a new band in their debut performance at The Mansion on Jan. 26. 

Zobary, Adam Eisen, Nicholas Ashmore, and David Lipson make up the singer’s new band, Erez and the Pearlz.  

From a fear of singing in public to growing vocal nodules that impaired her voice, Zobary’s come a long way in her music career. 

In high school, she developed growths on her vocal chords and couldn’t sing for over a year. 

Before this, though, she was a constant soundtrack in her family home, performing Broadway showtunes for her parent’s enjoyment. 

After a year and a half of vocal therapy, Zobary lost her high singing register, leaving her with a gruffer, sultry sound. She moved onto what she felt was the natural next step: R&B and soul. 

“Once I got my voice back, I thought, ‘Now you have to actually use it, because who knows when it might go? You’re just lucky to have it back,’” Zobary said. 

She began singing in her high school talent shows and when she arrived at Queen’s, her confidence and love of performing only grew.

This was when Zobary started performing around Kingston with her friends. She still does—and loves it even more than when she first started. 

On a typical concert setlist, you can find a mix of Zobary’s originals, Destiny’s Child mashups, and a selection of classic throwbacks like, “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” and “I Want You Back.” 

The song selection, coupled with Zobary’s stunning voice, keeps people coming to her concerts. With 100 tickets already sold, Erez and the Pearlz’s upcoming show at The Mansion is no exception. 

The first time she knew she could attract a crowd of this size was last year, when more and more people began attending her shows. 

“In fourth year, we had a few big concerts, one at the beginning of the year, [and] that was the first time we realized we can rent out our own space and get upwards of 150 people to come and just have a good time,” Zobary told The Journal. 

After four years of booking and hosting her own shows, Zobary  developed an affinity for themed concerts. At the end of the year, a Christmas show saw a huge crowd turnout, but the following April’s goodbye concert evoked an emotional outpouring from everyone in attendance. 

“We did another one for the last Friday of our undergrad and it was such a surreal moment, people were crying from the beginning,” Zobary said. “Everyone that we loved was in one room saying goodbye to that chapter of our lives and hugging each other.” 

Remembering the end of her undergrad brought back plenty of memories—Zobary’s sentimental, and moments like these are close to her heart. 

Wanting to express this sentimentality and her love for her friends sparked an idea. 

A Thank You concert, dedicated to her friends, would be a fitting capstone to their four years of undergrad together. 

She decorated a room in the Isabel with plants, fairy lights and even set up paint stations. Once her friends arrived, Zobary sang a song to each of her friends, letting them know how much they meant to her.  

She ties music in closely to each aspect of her life. Being in her last year of teacher’s college, she’ll combine her passions—teaching and music—in the coming years.

“I think I’ve just come to the conclusion that music and education are always going to be part of my life.” 

Tags

student music, The Mansion

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