Ambitious is the perfect word to describe junior Olivia Pierce. In September 2017, Pierce released an album titled “Acoustic Ambitions” on Spotify and Apple Music which perfectly described this young artist’s persona and goals. The young Edina High School student, now 16, is headed for a successful career in music; her album is an important first step towards that.

Pierce attempts to convey honesty in the album, which features five tracks. Among them, “A House Divided” is meant to capture what a fractured home looks like. Pierce drew on the experiences of those around her who had or were experiencing divorced families. Her album also features tracks like “Daisy,” which is a lighthearted song written for her little sister.

When writing and creating music Pierce likes to let the music speak for itself, “There is something special about acoustic guitars. I think you can portray a message deeper if there is not a lot going on in the background,” she said.

Pierce draws inspiration from Alicia Keys, who is unequivocally willing to be herself, a major goal of Pierce’s album. Her raw and meaningful music is exactly what Pierce hopes to communicate in her own work. “I really look up to her and her music; my mom [and I] watched one of her concerts…she was just really open and honest… she didn’t want anything to get in the way of her music,” Pierce said.

Along with Keys, one of Pierce’s main muses is her dad. “My dad is a musician, so he always sings around the house. He taught me how to play piano, and he would play the saxophone before breakfast,” Pierce said.

Pierce’s connection with her dad and her childhood surrounded by music gave her inspiration to embrace her own musical path. “In a lot of ways, [my music] allows me to connect with my dad, so I think that’s a reason [why] I love music,” she said.