By Ian Beabout, Online Editor

West Liberty alumni Elli Garbark has been singing since she was a little girl. Throughout her middle and high school years, Garbark leant her voice to The National Anthem at local sporting events, won the Queen of Queens pageant performing her song “My Everything”, won West Liberty Idol in 2012, and performing with her mom, Loretta, singing at retirement homes, flea markets, charities, fairs, festivals, Jamboree in the Hills, and just about anywhere else they could find.

In 2007, they formed Loretta and Elli – a Mother / Daughter duo who have been to everywhere from Tootsie’s in Nashville, to local events like the Italian Festival, the Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta, and others.

2011 saw the release of their first CD of original material, Country Can Be Funky, all the while Elli has managed to find some time to set aside to answer a few questions since leaving West Liberty University to pursue a degree in nursing at West Virginia Northern.

“I am currently so swamped with school and work that music kind of got pushed to the back burner,” said Garbark. “The events we are doing tend to be small private gigs at the nursing home or whenever a National Anthem needs sung, but when I’m not studying, I’m always jotting down ideas for my next song and working towards time in the studio.”

“My mom and I have always sung together as Loretta and Elli,” said Garbark. “We love singing oldies and country music. Lately, I’ve been trying to get into doing some acoustic gigs as a solo artist and entering into singing competitions just for fun to keep my name in the public’s ear.”

To find out more about Elli and her mom, you can visit their website here. Country Can be Funky is also available on iTunes with CDs available at CD Baby.