Neyla Pekarek

Pekarek was born and raised in Denver, Colorado.
She grew up in a household with her parents and one sibling, an older sister.
She began playing the cello at age nine, performing in her school's orchestra.
She chose the cello because the school's policy was that only fifth-graders could play woodwind instruments, while fourth-graders could play stringed instruments.
Explaining her thinking, she said, "...I went with cello because I wanted to get started sooner."
Growing up, she enjoyed listening to powerful vocalists such as Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding.
Her parents introduced her to American folk music via vinyl records of Bob Dylan, Carole King, and Emmylou Harris.
She attended college at the University of Northern Colorado, where she initially majored in vocal performance and musical theatre.
She changed majors, however, graduating with a degree in m…