Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music student and Blue Tom Records artist Kelsey Taylor released her first EP, titled “silencer.”

Taylor, a 20-year-old singer/songwriter and music business major with a penchant for piano, released the five-song EP on April 10. From an early start in middle school choirs and high school piano recitals, Taylor began writing song just a few years ago.

“I really got started doing more classical type things,” she said. “But it’s been so good to get more into writing on my own, I really enjoy it a lot. It’s given me a real sense of purpose”

Taylor credits fellow UofM musician Compton McMurry for encouraging her to push her boundaries and branch out into songwriting. McMurry, who also plays guitar and sings on “silencer,” joins several other UofM students throughout the EP on collaborative pieces.

Vibrant storytelling passages form the backbone of Taylor’s latest work, which is especially apparent among the moody, piano-driven and lyrically complex “Vincent,” a story about Vincent Van Gogh.

“I’m really drawn to old stories and I like to rework them in my music,” Taylor said.

Last month, Taylor released a music video for the song “Siren” featuring dance choreography created and performed by UofM’s Department of Theatre & Dance.

“When I first got picked as a Blue Tom Artist this year, I decided that I really wanted to a music video for one of my songs that collaborated with the dance department because I have a background in dance, as well,” she said. “I’m really drawn to music videos that have a focus on dance, and I got to spend a lot of time working with Jill Guyton Nee and the dancers. We shot all of the dance scenes in one night and all the piano scenes the night after that.”

“silencer” is currently available for purchase on Soundcloud, Spotify and Apple Music. For more information on Kelsey Taylor, visit bluetomrecords.com/kelsey-taylor or kelseytmusic.com.