Rebecca Correia began playing the piano in kindergarten, wrote her first song in the first grade at Rochester Memorial School, picked up the guitar in the sixth grade, and sang in the
choir at Old Rochester junior and senior high schools.

Now in her twenties, she spends her summers touring the country, her winters trying to break into the big time in Nashville, and year-round writing songs.

“I would classify my music as singer- songwriter pop,” Correia said. “I love pop
music. Anything easily accessible to the masses. It can be rap, Britney Spears, Sheryl Crow, and everything in between.”

So far, Correia has expressed her brand of pop music with over 200 songs written and five albums released.

Correia has been the opening act for artists such as Natasha Bedingfield, Tracy Bonham, Shawn Colvin, the Black Eyed Peas, Ryan Cabrera, Reel Big Fish and Brian McKnight.

She decided to make the move to Nashville following the advice of her musician friend, and winner of the 2011 NBC talent show ‘The Voice,” Javier Colon.

Colon and Correia met while she was a student at the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. The two became close friends.

Five years ago, Colon played one of Correia’s demos for a Nashville producer and insisted she make the move.

Since then, Correia has spent each year, from October to May, writing and performing for the Nashville music crowd.

Correia said she spends as much time as possible with Nashville producers and singer-songwriters because she learns something new each time.

“I think I learned it a lot quicker because I was immersed in it,” she said. “You pick up the information you need to become an artist, like songwriting and publishing, because it’s all around you. [In Nashville] you understand a lot of it because it’s people seriously pursuing music.”

Her New England background, she said, comes into play during the writing process. Her childhood in Rochester is also a big component.

“You’ll hear local references like Route 6, Mattapoisett and some ocean metaphors in my music,” she said. “They just come up in conversation a lot because of those experiences growing up here.”

During the summer months, Correia spends her time performing around New England with a few stops across the country. Those stops include Miami, Los Angeles and a few shows each month in New York City.

“I try to pick places that have an appreciation for music, art and good food,” she said. “It all goes together. The clientele want to have a good experience.”

It’s her New England tours, she said, that help finance her “Nashville education.”

“The local places welcome me with open arms, thankfully, and give me a platform for playing gigs,” she said.

“The gigs help fund my time in Nashville so that I can meet people, work on demos and do back-up work. It really frees up my time so I can put myself out there.”

Another source of support comes from her family and friends.

“Everyone makes it to about 75 percent of my shows,” she said. “If they can get there, they do.”

Ultimately, Correia said, her goal is to keep working the music scene wherever opportunities are presented.

“Music comes first,” she said. “I need to go wherever the opportunities take me, but my goal is staying connected here to my family and friends. It’s tough to break in and get your foot in the door with this business but they’re the ones who don’t falter.”