Bari Koral performs for UMSL audience

The petite Bari Koral's voice carried across the University's quad as she sang for an intimate audience and passersby on Wednesday.

In the corner of the quad near the Social Sciences & Business Building, Koral shared songs from her albums "Joy" and "Cloudwalking," as well as songs from her upcoming album.

Koral said that she just finished "a whole summer of writing at Woodstock" for the newly recorded disc which comes out in October. The album consists of "stories from the road," and for now, the album is tentatively titled "Confessions of an Indie Girl," according to the artist, but she is still deciding on the final result.

While artists such as Van Morrison, The Beatles, and Ani Difranco influenced Koral's music, so did other "great singers and great songs," as the artist said.

During the entire concert, Koral connected with her audience. She told colorful stories and decided what songs to play on the spot. Koral expressively played her song "Adam" after learning that someone in the crowd had that name. She inquired what song the audience wanted to hear her cover and due to popular demand, she chose Jewel's "Who Will Save Your Soul," and sang it beautifully.

Before Koral began to sing "Hairdresser," she shared an anecdote connecting this song with her life in New York as the daughter of an appliance salesman. In a nightclub, she had the chance to meet a music professional through a friend of her father's and she was able to impress him with this particular song, when he handed her a guitar and said, "Play."

Live, Koral sounds exactly as she does on her CD, proving that she has an outstanding voice and really knows her way around a guitar. In addition, she sings sharp creative lyrics, evident in her song "Perfect." Koral explained to her listeners that this song is for boyfriends or ex-boyfriends, and that "'Perfect' really means, "I'm not perfect. So get over it!"

As Koral sang, the wind blew her hair in her face. Still, the talented musician never lost a beat. Her voice attracted more and more people as the concert came to an end. Koral can sing like Jewel and is reminiscent of Sarah McLachlan but when listening to her sing, all one hears is Bari Koral's uniquely charming and clear vocals.

Koral's songs carry a great deal of emotion. On her first album, "Joy," the song that meant the most to her was "When I'm Gone" which refers to "a big relationship" in her life, Koral revealed. As she sang "When I'm Gone," the emotion filled the air with the music. The same occurred during endearing songs, such as, "One Room Castle." Koral disclosed that "living in New York, you get used to living in small places. For a lot of money," but the song revealed how the small space can be a haven for someone in love.

Koral ended the concert on a high note with her rendition of "The First Cut is The Deepest" and left the audience wanting more. In the next five years, Bari said that she hopes to "do big shows" and "play big venues" and with her talent, she probably will.