St. Francis College Alum, Valerie Lombardi '11, will be releasing her first single "Miss You Most At Christmas Time", her cover of the Mariah Carey song on December 1, 2011.
 Valerie has been singing since the age of three. There are two genres of music in which Valerie like to sing to, they are Pop and Oldies. Valerie said, "pop because I grew up listening to it and oldies because I like to put a new spin on the music when I sing it."

When she was in grammar school, she was part of the choir and she has been doing musical theater since the age of nine. Some of these musicals include "Gospel", "Seussical" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie". She has been in over 10 musical theater productions.

The artist that inspires Valerie is Lady Gaga. "Lady Gaga has to be my biggest inspiration. She inspires me to be different and go toward an unconventional route that others might not take. Her lyrics tell a story. Plus she makes you feel personable in her music" said Lombardi.

Valerie is currently working with Clean Line Studios, which was created by her boyfriend and St. Francis College Alum Steven Olsen '11.

"My boyfriend created the studio because he has a passion for music just as i do. He is well versed in the art of creating music and knew how much I wanted to start producing songs. He suggested I start recording at his studio. It's like a meeting of the minds. He's so good at what he does and I'm good with lyrics and singing; it's a perfect match" said Lombardi.

When she was asked to work with Clean Line Studios, she was excited. "Recording is something I've been wanting to do since I was a teen. To see that it's actually happening is like a dream come true for me" said Lombardi.

The lyrics that she writes are based on personal experiences. Lombardi said, "the lyrics flow more organically and don't have to be forced or imagined. If it really happened and I was truly affected by it, I'm able to write a great song."

When Valerie is not in the studio recording, she is either working, writing lyrics or writing for her blog. Lombardi's blog is called "Femme Elle". "I have a huge passion for cosmetics and I love to write about them too. My blog deals with beauty and fashion. I do reviews on products and hold interviews with companies and up and coming designers" Lombardi said. Her blog will be relaunching in November 2011.

While at SFC Valerie majored in Communications with a concentration in English. She graduated in May 2011. Since then, she has been working at the Columbus Citizens Foundations. "We are in charge of the Columbus Day Parade which is this Monday. I am assistant to the Parade Coordinator" said Lombardi.

Valerie's biggest inspiration are her grandparents. "They came from nothing and they made the life that people can only dream of. They are the prime example that anything can be done if you set your mind to it" said Lombardi.

Valerie's first single "Miss You Most At Christmas Time", her cover of the Mariah Carey song, is one that she has been wanting to do for a long time. Valerie will be releasing her own single in early 2012. It is a song she has written called "This Time". "Its basically about a girl who has been through the ringer with a former love and she is standing up for herself saying that this time around things are finally looking up and she doesn't need the former love", said Lombardi.

Lombardi's advice to students who aspire to become singers and/or artists is,"never listen to what anyone else has to say and to believe in yourself because no one can tell you what you can and cannot do. And practice makes perfect. Always practice. Be modest in your talents and always remember who you are and where you come from"

Valerie plans to sing in the future. "That is a huge part of who I am" said Lombardi.

To read Valerie's Blog "Femme Elle" log onto http://femmeelle.blogspot.com/ and to watch her videos log on to http://www.youtube.com/valerieellesquared