?It?s music that runs through my veins?, says Stephanie, speaking on the life-blood role of music in her life. And it?s quite literally the case since a passion for singing and performing was handed down to her through her musical family. ?There was hardly a moment, let alone a day, where music couldn?t be heard in my family?s house when I was growing up? in small-town western Pennsylvania. ?I?m really lucky that my family has always supported me. Pursuing music was just natural. I?ve basically been doing it all my life?. Starting in the church then to ?lots and lots? of musical theatre, Stephanie ended up with a lot of experiences as a performer that ended up serving her after a traumatic turn of events while Stephanie was in college in Texas when vocal nodes from allergies disabled her singing voice completely. ?For quite a while, there were lots of people who didn?t even know I sang. I could hardly let myself think about it a lot of the time. Singing is such a personal experience - you are the instrument. There was a huge void in my life without it.? Acting and modeling filled in the gap for a few years when Stephanie moved to New York City. A slow, successful recovery from two vocal surgeries opened the door to getting back in touch with music, and then there was no turning back. Sold-out performances and award nominations for her successful Off-Broadway review containing her own arrangements of obscure standards and pop songs, produced with musical director Scott Barnes (manager of the late Nancy LaMott), led Stephanie to Nashville to focus on recording and writing. Stephanie spent time building her songwriting catalog while continuing to work as a singer for demos and commercials. ?I didn?t realize until I got to Nashville, but I guess I had been writing songs in my head for a long time. Things just started coming out when I finally put pen to paper.? Co-writing songs for the upcoming film Angola Blue with legendary songwriter/producer, Gary Nicholson, led to recording and writing appointments in Los Angeles for film, commercials, and other new artists. Reconnecting with L.A.-based composer/producer Brian Arbuckle, who first hired Stephanie as a singer for a television commercial, has created a partnership that has led to the self-titled debut CD, available at CDBaby.com where it was "editor's pick" in both the rock and pop categories, (a full list of online retail and download sites can be found at Stephanie's website, www.stephanierichards.com). The CD is also among the first independents available at iTunes. In the fall of 2003, the single "Get Used To It" made it all the way to #40 on R&R's CHR/Pop Top 50 Indicator Chart - a notable feat for an indie release.