Otieno Terry was the winner at this year’s EMP underage band competition, SoundOFF!, pulling the audience in from his first note to his very last. Of the two rounds he competed in, each began with a silent room accented only by his crystal-clear voice ringing and singing a spoken-word melody out across the space. Soul oozes out of this musician as he moves through each song reaching for the audience with the desire to connect, to communicate hidden and not-so-hidden emotions. While some of the songs lack depth, that will come with time. His true talent lies in his voice, a natural talent that can’t be faked and one he handles with effortless grace. Otieno is definitely an up-and-comer; keep your eyes out for this one.

otienoterry.bandcamp.com

Read all of our picks for Arts & Culture, and explore the rest of this year’s edition of Best of Seattle.