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<p><span class="epktxt">Singer-songwriter Leslie Berry is often described as &ldquo;progressive pop.&rdquo; But upon closer listen, you hear many influences in her music. Atlanta's Creative Loafing describes her music as &ldquo;modern songwriting with elements of classical and folk that simmers with an understated unrest.&rdquo;&nbsp; Greenville&rsquo;s Metrobeat says, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s refreshing to hear an artist capable of creating accessible music without sacrificing integrity and inventiveness. Upstate pianist Leslie Berry is such an artist.&rdquo; Southeast Performer calls her debut CD &ldquo;a well produced adult contemporary showcase.&rdquo; The Hickory News says that Leslie &ldquo;drives a mean piano.&rdquo; All of these ingredients are what have made Leslie Berry a promising new artist on the Southeast music scene.<br /><br />Originally from the metro Atlanta area, Leslie has been playing and singing in ensembles for over twenty years. She holds a degree in music performance and has appeared with symphony orchestras, the Spartanburg Repertory Company, Theatre Converse, and at the Brevard Music Center. Training to be a concert pianist, it wasn&rsquo;t until after graduating college that Leslie&rsquo;s love for pop music convinced her to change her direction and begin writing her own songs.&nbsp; Leslie&rsquo;s original songs and those of songwriting partner and producer David Berry are characterized by &ldquo;layers and textures in both the music and the meaning of the songs,&rdquo; according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.&nbsp; David&rsquo;s writing has received national recognition and was described by Billboard as &ldquo;well crafted&rdquo; and &ldquo;solid.&rdquo; <br /><br />Leslie Berry has appeared at such notable venues as The Handlebar, Coffee Underground, The Cotton Club, Red Light Cafe and Eddie's Attic, and was a featured artist on Oprah Winfrey&rsquo;s Oxygen Network Tank Tour. She has performed at many festivals and conferences across the Southeast as well, such as Cape Fear Folk Fest, First Night Asheville, MumFest in New Bern, Riverplace Festival in Greenville, Spring Fling in Spartanburg, and Brown Bag Lunch in downtown Marietta, GA. She is a performing member of Indiegrrl, Just Plain Folks, Songsalive!, and GoGirls, organizations founded to promote independent artists. Leslie was also selected to showcase at both the Midwestern Entertainment Industry Conference and the IMC2004. She was a finalist in the 2004 UK Songwriting Competition and received an honorable mention for her song "Cinderella" in the IK Multimedia 2004 Summer Music Challenge. She received an honorable mention for her CD, "No Cinderella", at the 2004 DIY Music Festival.&nbsp; You might also have heard her performing with the NC-based newgrass band, Candlewyck.<br /></span></p>