Testing The Limits Of The Human Voice

By The ShowBuzz's Melissa Castellanos

Not only has singer-actress Emmy Rossum taken her vocal range to another level, she has stepped out of her comfort zone to show the world what's she's all about. No longer hiding behind a movie script, Rossum decided that it was time to take her first love --music -- and create her own verse.

On Oct. 23, Rossum will release her debut album "Inside Out," which has 11 tracks featuring "Slow Me Down," "The Great Divide" and "Inside Out."

" 'Inside Out' has kind of become my motto," Rossum told The ShowBuzz. "It's about turning yourself inside out to show people who you really are with all your history and your scars and flaws. It's ambient pop, because of the lush and vocal layering and because lyrically it's so much more open and kind of sensual."

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Known for her Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Christine in the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" and major roles in Hollywood films such as "Mystic River," "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Poseidon," some may not be aware that Rossum considers herself as "a musician -- first and foremost."

"It was so fun to be able to delve into myself whereas I spent six years of my life or more playing characters," she said.

After "The Phantom of the Opera," Rossum received several offers to do "Popera crossover, Josh Groban-type records." However, she didn't want to go in that direction because she said it didn't fully express herself as an artist.

Without any prior publicity, Rossum wanted to expose her music to the digital world first before releasing a full-length album. On July 31, Internet users got a taste of Rossum's music when she released three EPs and a 15-minute documentary on iTunes, which was the fourth most purchased song and second in the pop genre category, according to Rossum.

In her first single, "Slow Me Down," Rossum sings all 150 harmonies including percussion -- a musical compilation she created herself. The track, which encourages people to take a minute to slow down and embrace life, took three days to sing every part. On Sept. 24, AOL featured the video premiere of "Slow Me Down," which entered the AOL Top 40 Videos Chart at #15.

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Video: "Slow Me Down" Video

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"I wanted to test the limits of the human voice and see how much you can do just with voice. The voice is so amenable and adaptable, and you can make percussive noises and different harmonies," Rossum said. "I chose that musical direction, or vocal direction, for 'Slow Me Down' because it was the best fit for the lyrics."

The album's lyrics expose Rossum's soft and vulnerable side, touching upon her childhood raised by a single parent, enduring the trials and tribulations of relationships, and letting your guard down when it comes to love.

"Life isn't as rosy as it is looks on the red carpet," Rossum said. "Lyrically I want to write for a contemporary woman who is strong, vulnerable, loving, smart and independent -- all at the same time. I don't hear that a lot when I turn on the radio, but I see that kind of woman everywhere in society."

Since childhood, Rossum has been mesmerized by the complexities of music and captivated by many genres.

Captivated by Rossum's voice, her second grade teacher acknowledged that Rossum had a gift that needed to be embraced. At age 7, Rossum joined the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus and performed in 20 separate productions in six different languages at Lincoln Center alongside opera legends Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.

Although she was trained to professionally sing classical music, she never felt robbed of a childhood. She would run throughout the halls, stage sets and costumes with her friends.

"I would sit on the edge of the stage with my feet dangling into the orchestra pit," Rossum said. "Placido Domingo was a great singer to me, who would pinch my cheeks and call me 'bella.' "

From a vocal standpoint, Rossum said it wasn't hard to make the transition from being classically trained to singing contemporary music.

"I left the opera when I was 12 years old. They really trained our ears so well that we could to adapt our voices and pick up different styles very easily," Rossum said. "They trained our anatomy to be able to make different kinds sounds and to use different languages. That helped my ability to pick up dialects on set."

Although Rossum worked with various producers, such as Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard and Moby, she found her match with producer Stuart Brawley from Geffen Records. She said he possessed "the same music inclination."

"The hardest part was finding my sound," Rossum said.

Rossum has been inspired by a cappella choirs, such as Take 6 and Swingle Singers, as well as musicians Elliot Smith, Gem, David Grey, Janice Joplin and Sigur-Ros, an Icelandic group that sings in an "angelic falsetto."

In 2000, Rossum branched out of the realm of classical music by starring alongside country star Dolly Parton in the indie hit "Songcatcher," where she learned to sing folk and bluegrass music. Playing the role of an Appalachian orphan, Rossum received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance, which also led to a recording with Parton in Nashville.

On Sept. 30, Rossum was asked to perform at "Perez Hilton Presents," a concert held by the popular celebrity gossiper at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.

"It was really fun. It was the first time that I performed with my band. The second the curtains opened all my nervousness was gone," Rossum said. "I looked down and a few people knew the words to my songs when I hadn't even done a show yet! It was pretty amazing."

Rossum stays grounded by spending time with longtime friends and family and keeps herself far removed from the crazy Hollywood scene that too many young celebrities get caught up in.

"The whole Hollywood scene is silly and catty. It's like high school," Rossum laughed.

Future plans for Rossum include a tour and the release of three films, which she is not allowed to reveal at this time. She will release a Christmas song on iTunes this year and may explore the possibility of doing a multi-lingual Christmas album in the future.

"I am not abandoning my film career at all. I love making films," Rossum said.

As for collaborating with other singers or actors, she said she would love to sing with Sinead O'Connor or act alongside Denzel Washington or Clive Owen someday.

"I am still an actress and a singer," she said. "I took six years off of singing for acting and I took a year off of acting for singing. I kind of go where the road takes me -- while trying to survive the turns."

By Melissa Castellanos