JULY 13, 2017 – Having first burst onto the music scene in 1994 with the platinum-selling single “Stay (I Missed You),” Lisa Loeb has continued to find success through her independent spirit and natural talent.

Loeb will appear at The Center for the Arts in Natick on July 13 and at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on July 14. Both concerts are at 8 p.m.

Loeb has loved music since she was a little girl, and recalled growing up in Dallas, where her Jewish parents often played radio tunes in their house. “My family really valued music and also took us to see bands play, musicals, and a lot of recitals, too,” she said.

Though her younger siblings also are involved in the music industry – Debbie is a musician, Benjamin is a conductor, and Philip is a sound engineer – Lisa has strived to make her own way in the music business and to craft her own sound in a way that is both personal and universal.

“I find that if people in countries that don’t speak English as a primary language can sing along, then there’s something good going on there,” she said.

In recent years, the Grammy nominee has made a special effort to reach out to younger listeners with such award-winning, family-friendly albums as “No Fairy Tale” and “Nursery Rhyme Parade!;” such books as “Lisa Loeb’s Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs,” and Lisa Loeb’s “Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’: The Air Band Song and Other Toe-Tapping Tunes.”

Her latest album, “Feel What U Feel,” is geared toward adults and deals with issues related to parenting; she has two children, Lyla and Emet, with husband Roey Hershkovitz. “As an independent artist, it’s wonderful to find new ways of sharing my music,” said Loeb, who released the album with help from Amazon.
Loeb credits her cultural upbringing with a lot of the strength that has allowed her to persevere and grow as an independent artist.

“I give back because it feels like the right thing to do,” Loeb said, noting how her Jewish culture and traditions have consistently informed her work and her passions.
Loeb said Judaism has taught her about deep thinking and questioning.

“I learned to appreciate the arts, crafts, [and] functional art,” she said, citing the beauty of a Torah cover as an example, “as well as the focus on people and how they feel, how they act with one another, and being introspective in my day-to-day life.  All of these things contribute to a creative practice full of intent and connecting with others.”

Loeb also is an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. In 2010, she began an eyewear brand inspired by her own signature frames, aiming to send a message to women it’s OK to wear glasses. Each type of frame is named for one of her songs. Her organic, fair-trade coffee, Wake Up! Brew, helps fund the Camp Lisa Foundation, which helps underprivileged kids go to summer camp.

“Summer camp was a huge part of my childhood,” Loeb recalled. “[It] had a tremendous positive impact on my life and career as well … I really care about kids and hope they can have as deep an experience at summer camp that I got to have.”