I have always known that music is how I will help people. When I was younger, my mom would bring me to Barnes and Noble and I would sing and dance on the children's stage, attracting a crowd of curious parents whom I was more than happy to entertain. All this being said, helping people through music is something that was inspired by my siblings. I have been writing music since the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to express my feelings and connect with others. I have found that my music has allowed me to connect with people in a way that I had never experienced before. I will touch on this in more detail later, but this connection, making people feel understood, is what keeps me on my path.
I partake in many extracurricular activities, I am part of the Songwriters Tour Group which traveled to LA and played at Hotel Cafe and Tiny Room Studios. I am part of a Sketch Comedy group, I organize gigs for the songwriters at Interlochen, I volunteer as a contemporary music assistant, and I volunteer as an instructor/music director at Broadway Bounds summer theater camp every year to teach the next generation of creatives. I also attended GRAMMYCamplast summer, run by the Grammy Foundation, where we learned all about the business and how to co-write, run a band, and negotiate fair deals. These experiences have brought me the opportunity to connect with so many wonderful people and hear their stories.
As an artist, work is interesting but very fulfilling. One of the best parts of my job as an artist is being able to talk to so many different people about their lives. I love being able to connect on such a personal level with people through my music. I often work gigs that I book myself, such as performing at bars and restaurants for a fair of about $150 each. I also volunteer at many different places, including MSVMA (for choir festivals), Interlochen Arts Academy (Managing gigs for singer-songwriters, organizing community events for contemporary musicians, and running peer-to-peer songwriting sessions), and my dad's bar (for larger events with music), as well as volunteering during the summer at Imlay City High School teaching acting, singing, dance, and songwriting to the next generation of artists in the local area.
As I mentioned before, helping people feel seen and heard through my music is my calling, I know it. After I played one of my songs “Ugly Dress” at Kresge Auditorium in our show with Grammy Winning Artist Patrice Rushen, a young girl came up to me teary-eyed and said that she felt the same way. She felt like she wouldn’t be enough no matter how she tried, but when I sang the heartfelt lyrics about feeling ugly and similar sentiments, she could feel heard. She felt less alone and she said that if everybody felt ugly and insufficient then at least we all have something in common. That stuck with me and I use it as motivation for every song and every performance I do now. Reaching people and helping them process, helping them feel less alone is what I have to do for the rest of my life. This scholarship would provide me with the funding that I need to achieve my dreams and continue my mission of helping people heal through music.
Music has been everything to me.
When I was thirteen I decided to pick up guitar, something that would change my life forever.
Soon after, I joined the program "The School of Rock," in Michigan. On top of taking three weekly lessons there I became a part of two ensembles, that place quickly became my second home.
I struggled throughout my life to have a sense of belonging and a community I felt apart of. I always felt lost or out place when searching for that, and it took a toll on me. The moment I joined School of Rock, I finally found it. It was a safe place for me that was full of smiles, laughter and lots of love!
Everyone was unique and had their differences, as well their own struggles. However, no matter how different we were from each other, we all loved music with all of our heart. It was music that brought us together and made us a family. We would spend our days playing hours upon hours of music together, gigging all across Metro Detroit. When we weren't playing music, we were talking about it or watching it. We enjoyed and played anything from John Coltrane to Stevie Wonder to Led Zeppelin and more.
As I progressed through The School of Rock, I decided I wanted to give back to the music community, because I was so grateful for what it gave me. When The School of Rock was going through financial hardships, I stepped up and volunteered to teach nine summer camps, two weekly private lessons, and two weekly youth programs. One with ages ranging three-to-seven and one with the ages ranging seven-to-thirteen.
Teaching the kids the wonders of music and watching them grow and fall in love with it was one of the biggest joys in the world. It was such a gift getting to see these kids find their place in the music just as I did. I was fulfilling when parents came up to me saying things like, their kid has never been so passionate about anything before. Then kids would tell me that I was inspiring them and that their favorite time of the week is when they get to play music.
My teachers turned mentors at the The School of Rock had a tremendous impact on me, leading me to where I am today. They inspired and showed me to how to become a better musician and person every day. To know that I was continuing their impact to my students is something I will always cherish.
In 2022, The School of Rock sadly closed down due to the lack of funds to repair the weather damage on the historic building. Even with the physical school gone, the community and family it built stayed together. The values and lessons we learned from our mentors and each other will stick with us for a life time.
As for my future, I plan on obtaining my degree from Wayne State University in Jazz Studies to become a professional musician. I also will continue to give back to the music community through volunteering, mentoring, and working with programs, such as "Music Will," to help underserved children have access to music education and instruments.
Inspired by Frank Vail's story, I will continue to make it my mission to spread joy through music. While our times on earth are temporary, our impacts will last for an eternity.
