In today's hyper-technological, increasingly Auto-Tuned, Lady Gaga-dominated music scene, Elizabeth Ann Hutchinson '12-stage name Ellie Ann-stands out. That's not to say that Hutchinson is out of her league or that she has anything in common with the teen queen pop star, but she wants you to know that she's the real deal. Hutchinson, a pop-rock singer/songwriter who transferred to Brandeis this year, is double majoring in Music and Hispanic Studies and has high hopes of becoming a famous musician. The future starlet, who has an athletic build and milk-chocolate-colored hair, boasts a constant smile. Not only does she possess the talent to succeed, but she has the personality to go along with it. Hutchinson hopes to infuse some of her authentic music and fill in some of the gaps in today's radio airwaves.

"I want to be what I believe the music industry is missing right now, and that's real music. If you break down Lady Gaga's songs, they are entirely computer-generated beats paired with altered instruments. There are no real instruments in her songs other than drums. It's artificial," Hutchinson says.

A fan of '90s alternative pop-rock music, Hutchinson says one of her biggest inspirations is Elton John, a fellow pianist. Fans, though, would compare her more to the likes of Taylor Swift and Alanis Morissette-strong female singer/songwriters who possess an I'm-singing-you-pages-ripped-out-of-my-diary feel.

The 21-year-old, who hails from from Concord, Mass., has cultivated a résumé that reads like a classic "before they were stars" music superstar's biography. Hutchinson is a classically trained pianist who took lessons for 10 years. Her mother signed her up for lessons at age 7 in an effort to compensate for Hutchinson's dyslexia. Hutchinson's mom felt that sight-reading sheet music would help Elizabeth develop her reading skills. Though piano did not come naturally at first, over time it helped Hutchinson read, and it became a passion of hers. Singing, however, was innate.

Hutchinson transferred to Brandeis from Graceland University, a much smaller school in Iowa. Hutchinson attanded the Midwest school before she transferred to Brandeis as a junior because she felt Brandeis would be more challenging academically and because it offers a rare Musical Composition major. Being a well-rounded person is important to Hutchinson, whose parents encourage her career but always first and foremost wanted her to have a typical childhood.

"So many teen stars have so many severe problems, and [my parents] were worried that I would lose my childhood and my grasp on reality and modesty," said Hutchinson.

Her family encouraged her to stay within the realm of musical high school extra-curricular activities until she entered college, as opposed to launching full force into a music career and taking time away from a normal upbringing. As a teenager at Concord Carlisle High School, Hutchinson was president of Select Choir, a vocal group (in addition to the school's regular choir) that required auditions to be accepted. In addition to choir and playing piano, Hutchinson took an active role in theater productions in her high school, summer camps and local community. Hutchinson's favorite role, she said, was playing the White Witch from The Chronicles of Narnia.

It wasn't until she was 17 that her parents took her to a music producer to get a taste of real-world expectations. At Blink Music Studios, Hutchinson spoke with an executive who told her that she needed to sing a certain way and become better at the piano. The executive felt she was "talented," Hutchinson recalls, but that she needed "more training."

At the time, as a junior in high school, Hutchinson had a difficult time expressing her wants. "I wasn't able to express who I wanted to be musically so I was easily persuaded to do what he wanted. ... He wanted me to be a really great pianist but I really wanted to be a singer who writes on the piano," Hutchinson wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

However, the meeting left her feeling sure of one thing: that she wasn't ready to dive in to a full-time music career just yet.

Since graduating from high school, Hutchinson has landed herself a music producer named Brian Sargent. She was immediately drawn to him because he "wasn't pushy," said Hutchinson, and "he didn't try to make my music something else that it wasn't."

Hutchinson has two recorded songs-"Hopeless Woman," which was released April 27, 2010, and "One More Time," which became available on iTunes Jan. 11. Through an online service called Tunecore--a digital music distribution service which essentially works as a middleman between artists and iTunes-Hutchinson was able to submit her music to iTunes.

In her experience, her best songs come from the worst situations. Over the years, Hutchinson's music has become more than just melody and lyrics-it's therapy for her. When Hutchinson was 14, her family suffered a major tragedy when her older brother was involved in an accident that left him mentally handicapped. To cope with her feelings about her brother's accident, Hutchinson wrote what she considers her first real song, "Louie's Prayer." In total, Hutchinson has written roughly 25 songs.

Her viral popularity is virtually undeniable; on YouTube, Hutchinson's "Hopeless Woman" has close to 19,000 hits. "Ellie is really good at putting herself out there and connecting with people her age about her music," Stephanie Cohen '11, Hutchinson's fan and friend, says.

In addition to using YouTube, Hutchinson promotes her music on Facebook and Twitter.

"Every day, I go on Twitter and get these messages from these teenage girls from around the world and they tell me how much they love my song and how they feel like I am writing their stories," beamed Hutchinson. "And I love that. That's what fills me up."

Once Hutchinson graduates from Brandeis, she plans on continuing doing what she is doing now and playing for more audiences. On Jan. 17, Hutchinson performed at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. Since she doesn't have a lot of time to rehearse or assemble a band, Hutchinson mostly performs at open mic nights, using just the piano and her voice. She hopes that upon graduation she will get to play more gigs in Boston clubs, which is something she doesn't have a lot of time for while she is enrolled full time in school.

In the past, her only opportunities to perform for an audience have been in high school choir concerts, plays and piano recitals. Hutchinson is eager to get onstage again and start playing her music for her followers. In the meantime, school is a major priority for the singer.

"I'm extremely realistic. Even though I am fully pursuing my passion, I am also double majoring and getting a solid education from a great school."

"I want to be a musician for the rest of my life, but I need to find a way to make it a sustainable living financially. So I'm really just focusing on graduating and being able to do what I want to do and get paid for it," Hutchinson says.

"I don't feel like I am meant to do anything else. Making music and performing is what makes me want to wake up in the morning.