About Melinda Ortner

Melinda brings a jazzy, soulful voice to the rock/pop world while incorporating electronica. Often compared to the likes of Fiona Apple, Alicia Keys, Muse, and Radiohead, she grew up in a very musical setting. Her dad being a music teacher, she learned from the timeless pioneers, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and crossing to the opposite spectrum, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, to the Beatles. From the beginning, she knew the stage would be her landing ground.

Melinda began as a dancer, where she was introduced to classical music. Soon, composers like Bach and Beethoven sparked an interest in the piano, and soon found her way to some piano lessons. Today, she fuses her classical training and influences into her own songwriting to create a very unique and mesmerizing sound.

Melinda is constantly proving herself as both an artist and a survivor. After recovering from vocal nodules which she was told would be permanent, she was given a scare that caused a complete turnaround and only gave her the strength to charge head on to her dreams. She is currently pursuing her music career in Los Angeles, CA, while attending Musician’s Institute and Santa Monica College, where she put together a band.

Since then, she has been playing various venues, including BBKing’s, Highland Grounds, The Wilshire Grand Hotel, and The Cat Club. Recently, Melinda performed as a featured guest for the established hip-hop group “Tree Woods” in Mammoth Lakes.

As her skills continue to grow, Melinda is setting her next goal on larger venues in the months to come. More importantly, she has created the mind set to go all the way while staying true to herself and to her music. Afterall, this is about the music. Period.