MONTVALE—As usual, Olivia Sullivan came to her private keyboard lesson expecting to test her vocals with her teacher, Brianna Musco. But instead, after hearing lyrics that Livy strung together, Musco knew it was time to bring it to life.
“There’s a personal pleasure you get from your own creations, so I always try to show that to my students,” she said. “I’m doing something similar to what my uncle, who was my guitar instructor, did for me. He taught me that if you’re going to learn the basics, create your own stuff — there’s only so much time we have here.”
And when presented with the opportunity, Musco said Livy “crushed it”.
“Livy’s the type of person that if somebody says you can’t do it, she’s going to do it and it’s going to be 10 times better than you ever expected,” she said. “She’s very hard working and just an absolute pleasure.”
Together, the two produced Livy’s first song, “I Would,” in Musco’s basement studio. Since its release on Feb. 5, 2021, it has reached more than 30,000 streams on Spotify.
“Recently, I had this magical twist of fate,” said Livy, a Montvale resident pursuing theater arts as a rising Fairleigh Dickinson University sophomore. “When I was 8 years old, I always dreamed that one day, I would have a song of mine.”
Livy first began writing the lyrics to “I Would” in February 2019 about a crush she had on a boy. After its release, she produced an accompanying music video in March 2021, garnering more than 14,000 views on YouTube.
But her passion for music did not begin recently with her first released single — it has been present since she was 6 years old, listening to pop musicians such as Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift.
Livy’s mom, Doreen Sullivan, recalled that her daughter, then 7, and her friends put on a Taylor Swift concert in their basement — and invited neighbors and sold tickets for the performance.
“Music is in her soul,” Doreen said. “She has the biggest heart on the planet, she is always happy and she tries to make everybody feel good — that’s what she wants her music to do to people.”
Along with Livy, music had always been a part of the Sullivan family, as both of Livy’s maternal grandparents were musicians and her mom took piano lessons and sang in a church choir. Livy’s later father sang to Doreen’s belly before Livy was born as well. (Sadly, he passed away after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.)
When facing a difficult situation or questioning herself, Livy considers herself a spiritual person and feels at peace knowing that she will overcome it. Being born with health complications, she believes God has rewarded her with a strong mindset to make an impact on the world.
“Knowing that has made my life easier — having that faith,” Livy said. “Growing up, I was taught to never give up and work for what you’re passionate for. Whatever ends up happening, it’s important to go for what you love, and all the rest will fall into place.”
While figuring out the lines to “I Would,” Livy said she had a “light-bulb of inspiration” and heard a melody in her head. Her favorite line became “If I could be your girl, I would,” which sums up the entire song.
“I’m telling this person that if I could date them, if I could be all theirs and they can be mine, I would totally be all into it — it’s up to them to reciprocate those feelings,” Livy said.
Now, Livy is working on her second single, “Don’t Come Around,” forthcoming in August. She started writing the lyrics to the song in eighth grade at Fieldstone Middle School — and it is the first song she composed.
Livy said the inspiration behind the single was Swift’s song “All Too Well” when she was watching a video from her Red album. Similar to her own single, Swift’s album came about from an unhealthy romance she was experiencing.
“My mom and I said that we had to get this song out there, even though it has been a while since I wrote it and still relate to it just as much,” Livy said. “Everyone can relate to being almost discarded by someone they trusted or loved, or thought they would never do that to them — that’s what the song is about.”
And mastering the technical aspects of her career is a work in progress. Livy has to re-record her singing of “Don’t Come Around” to fit the volume of the song. However, she sees it as a humbling experience and hopes to produce the highest quality song she can.
“Now was the time to release my very first song, and if it could inspire or resonate with one person, that’s really all I care about,” Livy said. “I feel no matter what, I’m living my dream because I get to do music some way and somehow. I’m blessed for that.”
For more information: Instagram: livsullivan_music.