Born in 1966 in Manhattan, Elder was surrounded by the musical talent of his parents - his father being a classical pianist and his mother a singer and big fan of Bob Dylan. His own talent for piano started at the early age of five and grew with his interest in playing rock music such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors and Yes. Elder's interest moved to jazz in his twenties where he started listening to Hancock, Chick and Keith Jarrett, eventually joining a Washington, D.C. band as the pianist. Furthermore, he took this even further when he successfully auditioned for the Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.

After graduating and performing in various Jazz clubs Elder decided to take his career to the next level and studied at the University of Miami where he graduated in 2001 with a master's in jazz piano.

From his accumulation of a broad width of knowledge Elder has created his own personal flair within the music industry, generating a delightfully infectious sound. The development of his harmonic vocabulary was assisted by sessions with respected Miami vocal coach Beth Cohen, who helped Elder unlocked the powerful, emotive voice that we hear on the album Surrounded.

Filling seats at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club in Miami Beach, the Van Dyke Café on Lincoln Road and other top clubs, Elder's music has touch the souls of not only America but also those in Europe and Japan. Owner of Jazziz Bistro in Fort Lauderdal, where Elder often plays, was blown away by his talent stating, "Like Sting, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder, Laurence has the ability to go beyond jazz's traditional boundaries". A statement that is clearly reflected in the audience's reactions to his performances.

His friendship with drummer Carlomagno Araya lead to the two coproducing his debut album, Surrounded (2005), which also features the contributions of drummer Peter Erskine and Paquito D'Rivera (saxophone). The ingenious musical arrangements and fine melodies composed for this album received critical acclaim from heavyweight musicians Al DiMeola, Kenny Warner, and Randy Brecker while others likened Elder to the greats of Steely Dan, Sting, Bruce Hornsby and Elton John.

Elder divides his time between New York City and Charlottesville, Virgina where he finds inspiration to write his stimulating music that amalgamates various genres into his melodies.