Few things are more daunting to the middle school psyche than being perceived by your peers. The consequences of showing too much interest in one particular subject and garnering the label of “cringe” can sometimes keep students from reaching their fullest potential. Songwriter and Jackson Hole Middle School music teacher Melissa Elliott’s wants to educate kids on the joys of music-making and not let them run away from their true, authentic selves.
Missy Jo recorded a four-song EP, “Talk to Me Baby,” at Three Hearted Recording Studio in Hoback, WY by local songwriter and producer, Aaron Davis. In addition to Elliott’s vocal stylings and signature acoustic guitar, the four songs feature Jackson musicians Ed Domer on drums, Clay Humphrey and Jack Eidemiller on guitar, and Leif Routman on bass.
Elliott, a Jackson native, has been recording and releasing music under the moniker “Missy Jo” since 2020.
Her music explores themes of the human experience, romance, thrift shopping, and the consequences of love and small-town life.
Instead of trying to make it in a larger music scene like Los Angeles or Nashville after music education at University of Denver, she has woven herself back into the musical fabric of her hometown. That doesn’t mean she’s settling down vibe-wise.
“There’s the Missy Jo Americana vibe, the musical theater side of me, the choir side of me, the pop music side of me. There’s people that I feel supported to make that music within this community, which is unique and really special,” she said.
As a music teacher, Elliott gets to watch her students grow in confidence and skill. But she is also challenged by the ever-evolving personalities of young people.
“You never know who’s showing up in the classroom and there are kids there that really like music but it could be just the whole dynamic of who’s in the room that they feel embarrassed or they’re feeling a certain way,” she added.
As her two personalities, performing professionally as Missy Jo and teaching as Miss Melissa, her goal remains the same: bring people out of their inhibitions.
“When you’re little, you just like to sing without any thought of it,” she said. ”It’s such an innate human thing, just like walking and talking and breathing.”
Despite seeing the challenges that young people face in the world today, Elliott feels optimistic about the next generation.
“As much as I see the dark underbelly of the world of adolescence in middle school, there are some incredible, smart, loving people in this younger generation that make me feel like we’re gonna be okay,” she said.
