Liz Hopkins is one of the lead vocalists in an American folk rock band Delta Rae. Liz’s beautiful, husky voice combined with her ability to tap into the deepest emotions while singing, make her a very memorable performer.

Although stage entertainment has been a huge part of Hopkins’ life growing up, the idea of singing for living appeared rather unrealistic to her. Thus, she decided to pursue another passions in life — teaching, community work, and youth advocacy — instead. But, it wasn’t long until music found her again.

Drama for Little People

“My father was an incredible musician,” says Liz, who credits her vocal ability and her ear for harmony to her dad. A member of the 1970s American country rock band, Eggs over Easy, Brien Hopkins played numerous instruments alongside his great vocals.

“Although my dad had only lived with us until I was three or four, I still have memories of waking up very early in the morning to the sound of him playing piano and singing,” Liz recalls.

Despite the father’s gift of music, it was in fact Liz’s mother, Priscilla Hopkins, who had the biggest influence on her life. “My mom raised my brothers and I single handedly while working full time. My dad basically wasn’t around,” says Hopkins. “To this day I don’t know how she did it — she is a super hero for pulling off raising three children all by herself!”

As a School Principal, Ms. Hopkins was usually working in at the office long after the bell rang. In order to keep the kids entertained, she needed things for them to do while she worked, so, as Liz remembers, “she signed me up for a musical theater class for five to eight year olds, that took place in the library after school, called ‘Drama for Little People.’”

Although performing at the theater was merely a way of keeping Liz occupied after school, the activity quickly became a lifelong passion which she continued until the end of high school. It was also a hobby through which she met some great friends: siblings Ian, Eric, and Brittany Hölljes, who were later to become members of the same band.

From left: Liz Hopkins and Brittany Hölljes of Delta Rae

The Moment The Stage Called To Her

When Liz was only eight years old, her mom took her on a family trip to New York City. What was so special about the trip? It was a truly magical experience where her dream of becoming a singer was born. As she recalls, “My mom took me to see a Broadway show, “Cats,” and I was so inspired that I wanted to move to New York and perform when I got older.”

And, even though Hopkins eventually moved from The San Francisco Bay Area to New York for college, as she grew older, however, the fantasy of becoming a singer started to slowly fade. “I just didn’t think I could make enough money to support myself singing, so I decided to try and find another meaningful career path instead.”

As the Spanish language and working with children were always Liz’s passions, she decided to focus on a career which would combine the two interests. “I wanted to travel and learn about other cultures and use my Spanish.” Liz considered heading a Non-Profit Organization in Latin America or, alternatively, going back to school to become a social worker or a bilingual teacher one day.

After graduating with a degree in International Studies with Latin American concentration, Hopkins relocated to South America to focus on youth advocacy and community engagement in the region. Having spent about four months traveling all over Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, and two more months living and working with underprivileged children in Lima, Peru, one day she received an unexpected offer she just couldn’t reject. As she explains:

“I had been working in Lima, Peru for two months when I received an email from Eric Hölljes, the piano player and one of the primary writers of Delta Rae, outlining an idea for a band he wanted me to join and it was wild.”

Delta Rae

Joining the band was, undoubtedly, an amazing opportunity to pursue. And, although, there was still a lot more Hopkins wanted to do for those in need, she knew very well this was her only chance to try to make it as a professional singer. So she decided to take the risk.

In September of 2009, after returning to the US, Hopkins and the Hölljes’ siblings moved into a large house in the outskirts of Durham, North Carolina, where they formed Delta Rae and rehearsed their music. The band debuted at the Duke University the same year and it quickly impressed music enthusiasts who were eager to support the band’s fundraising efforts, through its Kickstarter campaign, to record the first album.

In spite of co-creating two extremely well-received records, Carry the Fire and After It All, as well as touring the United States — and the world — with the band, Liz admits that the opportunity to connect with the fans after each show is what fulfills her most. As she says:

“It’s amazing when people come up to me and tell me that after they heard ‘If I loved you’ it helped them get through a divorce or made them realize they were in a wrong relationship, or that they were able to help a friend of theirs out of a situation that was not right for them.”

During the band’s 2015 Summer Tour, Liz was particularly moved by a fan after the band’s performance. As she remembers, “We were playing a show in Wilmington, Delaware and the crowd was great; really engaged and excited. After the show we met with the audience and I noticed a man who was waiting in line to talk to us.” She explains, “It was very clear to me he was in a lot of pain; he was leaning against the wall in order to stand, yet he was acting as if he was OK.” When it came to his turn to talk to the band, the man leaned on the merchandise table, so he could stand up, and said: “I loved your concert so much! I can’t really stand very well but I stood for the whole show because I was so touched by your music!”

Liz admits that seeing people take themselves out of their own comfort zones in order to be there with the band always touches her heart and affirms her decision to join the band.

Look Up From Your Phone

Although finding one’s passion is not always an easy task, Liz points out that participating in activities outside of school — or work — can be really valuable to figuring out your interests. “You have to try things in order to find out if you actually like them or not,” she says. Moreover, she recognizes the value of connecting with people who found their passions in ordered to learn from their experiences. “Look up from your phone and see what makes other people’s eyes light up,” she suggests.

Lastly, she stresses the importance of reading books. “I think that books are overlooked sometimes but they can be really inspiring, especially to young people, as they can find role models in some of those characters which they may not necessarily have in their own lives.” Hopkins highly recommends reading the Harry Potter’s series in particular as, she says, ’they are truly magical’.

The Life You Chose

It is truly remarkable how a course of one’s life can change by something as simple as an email; by someone else including you in their vision. Here, the lyrics of a Jason Isbell song, The Life You Chose, could not have described Liz’s experiences any better: ‘Are you living the life you chose? Are you living the life that chose you?’

“I love those words!” she says. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.” As she explains: “In the example of my life: this is the life I would have chosen, and I do feel that I chose it, but, at the same time, I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for Ian and Eric reaching out to me and choosing me to be part of their vision. So, in a way, I do feel like this life chose me. I feel like I gave up music for a long time and then it found me again.”

And, the truth is, even if music hadn’t found Liz, she would have continued to use her gifts and live a purposeful life making the difference in other people’s lives. Whether through teaching, community work, youth advocacy or social work. But luckily for us, she was able to use her musical gifts and touch even wider audience’s hearts.

Be sure to check out Delta Rae’s YouTube video channel and follow the band’s social media (facebook/instagram/twitter) to catch its next performance near you!

Visit Delta Rae's official website for a full list of shows during the band's 2016 tour.

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