How Do I Fly

Celeste Astara's debut album, How Do I Fly, released in 2010 is an honest representation of a young woman coming into herself. Her music is deeply emotive and soul-bearing, as reflected in her songwriting choices as well as the way she uses her voice. Her lyrics are engaging, honest, and often humorous in their candid self-reflection. Largely self-taught, she has spent her time cultivating her own unique and fluid sound. She is most frequently compared to Jewel and Alanis Morissette, and they have each influenced her style. Jewel's first album helped Celeste realize why pursuing her music mattered so much to her: she wanted to create music that touched and helped people in the way that Jewel's songs helped her through the grief of losing her grandfather when she was 15. Celeste has been singing and writing songs as far back as her earliest memories. She was born in southern California and was raised in Minnesota where she was active in choir and theater until the end of her sophomore year when she successfully auditioned for the Perpich Center for Arts Education. That same year she received a guitar for her birthday and taught herself to play. In 2005 she moved back to California where she continued writing music and performing in Ridgecrest and San Diego--featuring in the San Diego Independent Music Festival in 2008. In 2009 she spent several months in Hawaii where she recorded a three-song demo of her original songs with Tom Visser. When she came back to the mainland she attended Ohlone College where she took a songwriting class and a jazz-rock performance class with Tim Roberts. In July of 2010 she and Tim went into the studio to produce her debut album, including nine more original songs. Celeste has lived in various parts of the US including Washington state where she was active in the music scene in both Vancouver WA and Portland OR, where she appeared as a musical guest on KBOO radio. She has also lived and performed in Montgomery AL, and both Southern and Central California.