Congenital Heart Disease Survivors, Giselle & Erik, Find 'Healing' With Release of New EP
Giselle & Erik also released the official music video for "Full Glass of Life," which was the song the couple danced to at their wedding in April 2023.
By: Michael Major Nov. 17, 2023
After experiencing a life-or-death medical surgery, Folk/Jazz duo Giselle and Erik found comfort in music with the release of their new EP, fittingly called "Healing."
Born with a congenital heart condition called Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis, Erik has endured two open-heart surgeries; one in 2006 at the age of ten and another in 2021 at age 25 - atUF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.
"Healing" features a cathartic collection of songs, showcasing the range of emotions both patients and caregivers feel while battling health issues.
“This EP is a vulnerable documentation of us trying to grapple with life and death and the fear of the unknown," the duo shares. "We find ourselves trying to focus on being present and cherishing life. We hope that sharing our story can help others heal, too.”
Giselle & Erik also released the official music video for "Full Glass of Life," which was the song the couple danced to at their wedding in April 2023.
"We hope that 'Full Glass of Life' encourages listeners to take the extra moment to appreciate life. For us, we had a big moment that forced us to really look around and savor the small moments - but, this experience also reinforced that the small moments are always there and always worth admiring."
The 2-year anniversary of Erik's most recent surgery is on December 14, 2023.
About Giselle & Erik:
Originally from Orlando and Gainesville, FL and currently based in Nashville, TN, Giselle and Erik are a husband-and-wife duo. Their genre-crossing style melds their roots in folk and jazz. Each of them songwriters, Giselle and Erik offer their audiences a collection of original music that pairs Giselle's warm, lyrical voice and mellow piano with the sweet sounds of Erik's jazz and classical guitar.
The Disney Dream cruise ship was the most recent venue to host Giselle and Erik, where they spent nearly five months entertaining for the Walt Disney Company. In back-to-back years, the duo was recognized by the international DownBeat Student Music Awards for their work in the Vocal Arrangement and Latin Group performance categories at the graduate level.
Giselle Felice is a vocalist, songwriter, and creative entrepreneur from Orlando, Florida. As a child, Giselle sang for the TV show, Barney & Friends, then worked with John Marsden while in high school to produce her first singer/songwriter album, “A Passing By.”
Giselle was selected as a composer for The Canales Project's Hear Her Song 2021-22 season. She was also featured at TEDxUF as both a speaker and singer/songwriter for her talk, “I Challenge the Patriarchal Norm One Song at a Time” (2021).
Erik Abernathy is a guitarist and bassist from Gainesville, Florida. He studied extensively under Brazilian guitarist, Ulisses Rocha, and his unique style is inspired by genres including Brazilian music, Hot Club Jazz, classical guitar, Bebop, Rock, and Blues.
Erik was a jazz finalist for the Wilson Center Guitar Competition and Festival (2020). His original big band composition was recently recorded by the University of Florida Jazz Band.
Comments
Videos