Heather Lauren

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Heather was raised in Dallas, Texas by her New York City native mother and Ohio native father. Heather left her Southern roots to head west toward California in the summer of 2000, after a year long post-graduation European backpacking adventure.

Heather worked for a San Francisco based Advertising firm during the Dot-com boom and fall. At which time, she chose to leave her cushy salary, cubicle, and 401K, to roll the sparkling dice toward her teenage dream of becoming a legendary singer and performer. Since then, she has never looked back.

Heather has been performing consistently in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last five years with special appearances in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Austin, TX and Milan, Italy.

*Performance Highlights*

Heather was awarded "2006 Song of The Year" for the West Coast Songwriter's International Song Competition. Her original composition entitled "Sense of Me", won first place and was produced and co-written with legendary songwriter Bonnie Hayes (Bonnie Raitt) and cellist and songwriter, Matthew Schoening.

In the summer of 2006, Heather had the incredible opportunity of opening up for Fiona Apple at The Chronicle Pavilion Side Stage in Concord, California. In addition, Heather was accepted to perform at Austin's world-renowned South By Southwest Music Festival for the 2006 Go Girls Music Showcase.

In December 2005, Heather was showcased as one of San Francisco's up and coming new artists at the San Francisco Recording Academy Grammy Event.

In the fall of 2005, The Heather Lauren Band had the honor of opening for Tori Amos at The Chronicle Pavilion Side Stage in Concord, California.

Heather has co-written with Bonnie Hayes (Bonnie Raitt) and Narada Michael Walden (Jeff Beck, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston). She has opened for The Salvador Santana Band, Ledisi, Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks and performed alongside Jorge Santana.

Heather had the extreme privilege of performing one of her original songs, "Live on Through Me", for the New York Fire Department at Ground Zero in New York on September 11, 2004.

For two years, Heather performed with the World-Renowned, San Francisco Glide Ensemble Gospel Choir, home to Cecil William's Glide Church.

Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in Business and Spanish from The University of Texas at Austin.

**Her Band**

Heather is accompanied by visionary guitarist and musical partner, Matthew Charles Heulitt.

Matthew began playing guitar at the age of thirteen in the Detroit area. He attended the Interlochen Arts Academy to pursue jazz guitar and graduated from University of Miami with a Bachelors degree in Studio Music and Jazz. Matthew moved to the bay area in 1997 to continue his fervid musical adventures.

Throughout 2006, Matthew has been touring alongside Carlos Santana and his son, Salvador Santana, performing up and down the east and west coasts as well as throughout Europe.

He has done session work with Bonnie Hayes (Bonnie Raitt), Narada Michael Walden (Jeff Beck, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston), as well as members of Spearhead. He has been working with Zigaboo Modeliste's New Aahkestra for over five years. In fall 2005, Matthew opened for Alanis Morissette and Switchfoot alongside The Eoin Harrington Band.