A songwriting technique that singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ava Della Pietra has applied is the art of concise storytelling. “In a song, you don’t really have that much room to say that much,” the 17-year-old tells So Booking Cool. “So, you kind of have to figure out how to make it concise while also not making it feel like it’s concise…also, little things like figuring out where to get rid of the little words like ‘but,’ or ‘and,’ and ‘so,’ the things that come right before the lines because sometimes that makes the songs sound too clustered.”
To date, Pietra has written hundreds of songs, some of which are inspired by her short stories. Just last year, she won the New York State School Music Association’s 2021 Calls for Creators Competition for her songs “Optimist” and “Moon.” Critics have also called her a songwriting powerhouse, songwriter of her generation, and soon-to-be household name. This marks a promising start for the teen who is releasing her debut EP truth or truth August 19.
“It’s beyond an honor,” she says. “My goal was always to just release my music and have people hear it, and kind of tell my story, and hope people relate to it.” Songs like “long way home” are definitely relatable. It is an ode to what she wished she could do during quarantine (you know, going outside and hanging out with friends).
Since she was 4-years-old, Pietra, who plays the piano, violin, ukulele, guitar, and bass guitar, has been sharing her talents with the world. Throughout her childhood she established herself in Broadway as part of the original cast of the School of Rock Musical, White Christmas, and the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary tour. She’s performed at the Tony Awards, Good Morning America, the Sundance Film Festival, and Madison Square Garden twice, just to name a few.
Watch the exclusive interview to learn more about Pietra, the power of lyrics, her songwriting influences, her thoughts on the current state of pop music, if she utilizes any of her theatre singing techniques to her own music, her aspirations, and more about how she approaches her craft such as her view on what makes a cliché love song, and more! For more information, visit Pietra’s official website. Check out the lyric video below for “long way home”!