Hill Teen Pascale Smith Releases Album

At 18 years old, Chestnut Hill teen Pascale Smith has reached accomplishments in more than one artistic field.  In September 2011, .

And now, this weekend, Smith will celebrate the release of her album “Safety Net” with a release party at Tin Angel.

“Safety Net” was released recently, and is available on iTunes and on CD. The remarkable thing about Smith’s musical ability is that she picked up guitar, her instrument of choice on the album, only three years ago.

“I was a classical violist for many years before that,” Smith said. “It was always classical, not very much room for creative freedom.”

Smith was teaching herself guitar, but decided to find a teacher on Craigslist. Once she did, the ball started rolling for her to take her music to the next level.

“At the end of the first lesson, my teacher asked what kind of music I was interested in, and I had songs I had just written and was excited about,” Smith said. “Since then, I’ve been playing my music for him and getting his advice… He often makes me leave my comfort zone.”

Smith’s teacher, Judah Salem Kim, also aided in the process of getting the album released. Now, the seven-track album, listed by iTunes as Indie Rock, is out. And Smith plans on playing as often as she can before leaving for Fordham University in the fall to study acting and playwriting.

While her passions lay both in music and theater, Smith said that performing music makes her a bit more nervous.

“Music is so personal. With acting, it’s someone else’s work. But my music, that’s me: my work, my voice, my instrument. It’s all me. I can’t blame anyone else if it’s bad,” Smith said.

Her words and her voice, however, have taken her around the area, performing at venues like The Fire and The Mermaid Inn. And while playing at venues that mostly have age restrictions due to alcohol sales, Smith still manages.

“I have to have a guardian with me to go into the room where the bar is, or to get in at all,” Smith said.

Fortunately for Smith, and for anyone else under the age of 21, her CD release party is an all ages show at Tin Angel, 20 South 2nd St. in Philadelphia on June 16, 10:30 p.m. For more information on Smith, her album and her performances, visit her website at www.pascalesmith.com.