STEPHENVILLE, Texas — It may not be long before music libraries in the vicinity include hits written and performed by full-time Tarleton State University employee and graduate student Courtney Eoff.
Her work, including the award-winning “My Luck,” is already available on music streaming services.
She recently added a Song of the Year selection and Texas Troubadour recognition at the Texas Troubadour Songwriter Classic at the Bosque Arts Center in Clifton to her resume. The second-generation Tarleton State student heard about the annual competition online and decided to enter.
“It sparked my interest, and I knew I wanted to,” she said. “I had some music I was writing, so I went to the studio during the summer and put some songs together. I thought the contest would be a great opportunity to be around people with some of the same interests.”
The judges placed her performance in the top five of the competition, which meant she was invited to perform two songs in person. After earning a spot in the final two, she came back for a third show. Her talent impressed the judges, leading to winning two of the three categories in the contest.
“My Luck,” was tabbed Song of the Year and is to be released this month.
“I was very shocked and very honored,” she said. “It was a great opportunity to network with people and celebrate music.”
Eoff, who works as a technical communications coordinator in Tarleton State’s Division of Enrollment Management while pursuing a master’s degree in management, started playing gigs when she was 16 for gas money.
“I was like, ‘Hey, this is kind of fun. So, I continued doing that through college, working and played gigs all across Texas. In my free time, I write. I just love it.”
Not surprisingly, she comes from a musical family.
“I don’t think there’s ever been silence in the house,” Eoff said, “There’s always been lots of music playing.”
And since she was little, Courtney would add her voice.
“I’d always been singing,” she said. “My parents said I was humming before I could talk. I remember being little bitty and performing for my family. The first true performance I remember was when I was in kindergarten, and I sang ‘Amazing Grace’ with my dad on guitar.”
Gifted as a performer and writer, she leans toward writing because she loves the creative process.
“I like to take experiences from my life like listening to my friends or family and creating stories that people can connect with. Honestly, a lot of times, I’ll come in after work, study a little bit and when I need to take a break, I’ll pick up my guitar.”
She sees her writing as therapeutic, something to give her a break from studying.
“I’ll write songs just sitting at the table during my breaks. Sometimes my best stuff comes up in 15 or 20 minutes. Sometimes I’ll get most of the way through a song and then I’ll get stuck, so I’ll revisit it the next day and try to finish.”
She began composing her own music when she was in elementary school.
“Songs about whatever happened on the playground or whatever you’re feeling at eight years old,” she said. “As you get older, of course, you experience deeper things and have more to write about. I love telling stories. Some are the truth, and some are a little more on the creative side.”
Though she enjoys many genres of music, her heart is with classic country artists like George Jones, Tanya Tucker and John Conlee.
“I’m comfortable with it,” Eoff said. “I grew up with it. I love the classics. That’s what I grew up with, what I love and feel connected to. I really like folk music — bluegrass. There’s something about a mandolin and a fiddle that just gets me going. I love that kind of stuff. At my gigs I’ll play some ‘80s rock like Journey. I really love it all, but country is my roots.”
Though her studies at Tarleton State are intended to augment her skills and help her sustain a career as an entertainer, her passion is writing.
“I think I’ll always love performing at church or gigs,” she said. “It’s a fun thing for me to do on the side, but I love writing those stories that people can hear and relate to.”
Her parents, both Tarleton State grads, are her sounding board when it comes to seeking advice on her musical journey.
“Right now, writing is a solitary thing,” she said. “It’s my peace, my quiet time. If I have something I like, I’ll show it to my parents because I think they’ve got good musical ears. I’d love to eventually co-write, and there’s no telling what kind of opportunities are ahead.”
She knows who she’d like to record “My Luck” should the opportunity present itself.
“I really like Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson. They’re fun. I think the song sounds like something Lainey Wilson would do. It’s upbeat and kind of in that wheelhouse. I also have some songs that people like Miranda might enjoy.
“That would be cool. I couldn’t even imagine that.”
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.