Brother-and-sister duo Chelsea and Elisha Phillip have spent most of their lives showing off their musical talent. From living room concerts for their parents at pre-school age to more serious performances for the St. Thomas community, the siblings have always shared their love of music with others.
“We’d put on these mini concerts for our parents,” Chelsea, a senior, said. “We’d tell them like, ‘The show is at seven,’ and we’d make the flyer and give them fake money, and they’d come down and we’d sing and dance.”
Chelsea began singing and seriously pursuing music at the age of 12; Elisha, currently a sophomore, began playing piano at the same age.
The siblings have since moved on from their living room concerts. During their time at St. Thomas, the duo has performed at a PULSE show last spring and St. Thomas’ Black Excellence Gala this past April. Chelsea said they also performed for Delta Airlines during an event honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Chelsea and Elisha’s friends recognize the work it takes to put on a show.
“I think they’re really great at what they do, and they’re very passionate,” said sophomore Lian Gordon, who has seen the two perform multiple times. “I think they can have a future in what they’re doing.”
The siblings performed at Scooter’s for Thursday Night Live April 28. To prepare, they spent a total of 50 hours practicing. As the performance drew closer, they added more practice days to their schedule. Elisha said their father encouraged them to put in the hard work.
“My dad would tell us to put in your 10,000 hours; you practice and practice and practice,” Elisha said. “It’s like Michael Jordan — he used to shoot a lot at the free-throw line, and it all pays off when you make it to the game. In the long run, I’d say that it was really helpful for me to be disciplined in my craft.”
Chelsea and Elisha perform a variety of styles ranging from blues to hip-hop. But while the two are open to trying different kinds of music, they pick their songs carefully. The duo chooses songs based on venue, theme of the event and the meaning behind the music.
“A lot of the songs that we are going to be singing (at Thursday Night Live) mean something to us,” Chelsea said. “We just want to be able to share that with other people and kind of tell a story.”
Junior Maria Silva Olvera watched the duo perform for the first time at the Thursday Night Live event and was impressed by both their music and their bond.
“I think they were phenomenal; they were so talented and inspirational,” Silva Olvera said. “I wish I could do that with my brother.”
Elisha and Chelsea have built a reputation at St. Thomas. Junior Cory Kemp, the vice president of the Black Empowerment Student Alliance, asked the siblings to perform at their Black Excellence Gala.
“We asked them to perform … because they’re the best musicians here at St. Thomas, in my opinion,” Kemp said. “They have a great chemistry, and you can tell they like doing music together.”
Chelsea makes sure to acknowledge Elisha’s work. She feels that many people do not recognize him for his talents because he is always behind the piano.
“A lot of times Elisha doesn’t get much credit because you’re not really hearing him — you’re only hearing him play the piano — but I think he is very talented as well,” Kemp said. “He is very important to their duo dynamic.”
Though Chelsea is graduating in May, the duo plans to stick together, whether at St. Thomas or elsewhere.
“We want to start an entertainment company together,” Elisha said. “We’re in it for the long haul.”
Samantha Yang can be reached at yang6578@stthomas.edu.