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Amariah Banks

795

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

My name is Amariah Banks and I enjoy music. I've always had a plan to lead my life with music. All my life, I have been singing and dancing. Until, I started rapping, songwriting and making beats. My plans have changed a bit because I now understand that things will not happen within a snap. I've looked into much music schools and am ready to display my talents. My dream is to also connect with different type of music, since I audition for many K-pop entertainments. I have many opportunity coming up and Im ready to share it.

Education

Bartlett High School

High School
2023 - 2025

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Associate's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Music
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Music

    • Dream career goals:

      My goal is to start publishing my music and connecting with other influencer in the music area.

      Sports

      Volleyball

      Club
      2022 – 20231 year

      Awards

      • Player of the Week

      Arts

      • School Musical

        Theatre
        The Little Mermaid
        2024 – 2024

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Botanical Garden — I picked up trash around the park and help paint the dog in the sandbox.
        2025 – 2025

      Future Interests

      Volunteering

      Entrepreneurship

      WCEJ Thornton Foundation Music & Art Scholarship
      What is the most powerful impact you can have on someone? I would say the words you say or just even say, “I understand”. That's what type of impact I want to have on the world. Every lyric, every beat, and every meaning I want to share with the person who listens to my music. I am a very empathic person; I can feel when someone is down or happy. I am a singer, dancer, rapper, songwriter, composer, and so many other things. With every song I write I say how I feel, think, and what I believe. We, as people, all feel and have beliefs. My goal is to connect with everyone. I recently composed a song and am now producing, called "S-T-A-R." It features four languages—English, Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin. The song is about becoming the star you aspire to be and having the belief to achieve it. This was my first fully completed song, created entirely by me. It carries a message to the world: you can become the star you dream of being. I'm still waiting for my moment to shine, but no matter what, I will never give up. I want everyone to truly hear what I’m saying while also feeling the beat. Vibing is important—it's about that deep internal understanding of where you're headed. I know I'm going to be a big star one day, even though the journey may be unpredictable.  It’s important to connect with people, regardless of language barriers or differences. I want to be the messenger—to make sure no one feels alone.
      WoodaWorx Music Scholarship
      Selin Alexandra Legacy Scholarship for the Arts
      My music, my art, is the symbol of my life. I love a song where I can dance and be free, while, on the other hand, I can cry and hope for a better day. I love to find a sensational beat and write a story for it. The songs I write and the beats I make are the meaning of my life. I express how I feel, how I think, and what I believe in my songs. The song is not just a musical rhythm; it’s a part of me and my story. Being able to express my life and my thoughts gives me the confidence to keep being me.  From the beginning, if I’m being honest about myself, the first song I ever wrote was about me being depressed. I was about 11 years old, feeling all these big emotions and trying to figure out what was going on with me. This type of art, writing a song and rhyming, is a way for me to feel relief. Then my next song was about trying to find myself and how I wasn’t feeling like myself in my own body. Now, thinking of that at this age, it makes me think how an 11-year-old could go through this. The song she wrote was a way of her expressing herself and trying to figure out what mentally going on. I started to write more songs about wanting to become something and having the hopes and dreams of being someone. Yes, I was still trying to figure out who I was, but this hope was helpful. Writing these songs was my way of coping. I didn’t really know what mental health was and how serious it was until now. With every song I write to boost my confidence and boost my way of thinking. I, now know who I want to be, but I’m not sure how I’m going to get there. Personally, my art is music. To the rhythm of the beat, to the melody of the lyrics, and lastly, the meaning behind the lyrics. This is communication. So many people listen to music every day. Do they like the beat? Are they actually listening to the lyrics? Or is this just a song to feel? When it comes to my songs, I think about how I can connect with other people. I truly understand that everyone goes through a similar phase. Yes, we all have different lives, but we truly go through the same thing sometimes. What I wanted to say I could say through my songs and people can understand. No one has to be alone. The works that I am submitting today are truly a vision of me. These words that I have written are from my heart and display my passion for music. The first song is called S-T-A-R. It’s not just the word star like saying it full, you have to spell it out. This song shows what I see myself being in a few years. The second song is called "Our story". This song shares the struggles of black individuals in the world today. As a young person, I fear so many things because I am black. I know there are other young individuals who may feel that way too. Lastly, this is a poem I wrote when I first realized that I could actually make my dreams come true, and it’s called, "The Email that start My Identity Card".
      Empower Her Scholarship
      In the video, I discovered what empowerment is truly about to me. It is not just about being tough or competent; it is about claiming my voice, my aspirations, and my potential. I talked about the moments in my life that built my definition of empowerment—whether it was through struggle, triumph, or moments that revealed my own inner power. By sharing these thoughts, I offered others the chance to reflect upon their own journeys and be encouraged to chase their dreams. I related this powerful message to my dream in the music industry, an industry where passion and drive are essential. Music can reach out and touch others, create emotions, and leave a lasting impact. My dream isn't all about making music or gaining fame; it's about doing something worthwhile—something that helps motivate like music has done to me. Whether I envision myself as a singer, songwriter, producer, or performer, the industry is one in which empowerment matters. I expressed how music has made me feel productive and how I want to use it to empower others. By creating this video, I took a significant step towards fulfilling my dream. I did not simply talk about empowerment; I embodied it. By expressing my vision of empowerment and my aspirations as an artist, I allow others to appreciate my dedication. It invites them to stand behind me and even get inspired by my cause. A video like this is not just a personal endeavor—it's a form of artistic narrative, a declaration of intent, and a way of connecting with others who perhaps have the same aspirations or issues. Ultimately, this video is worth more than my words—it's worth action. I risked and exposed myself, speaking from what matters to me and showing my passion. It demonstrates that empowerment is not just a word—it's something I live, and something I wish to share through music. I will keep moving forward, because my voice, my vision, and my passion have the power to inspire. No matter what I face or encounter; I will truly embrace the person I'm meant to be. I believe there is a better future for myself. I can't wait to start school in September at The Los Angeles Film School. To be able to accomplish my dream in majoring in music production. I'm ready to become the best music artist there could be. I'm ready for the world to meet Amariah.
      Marshall and Dorothy Smith Music Scholarship
      I started singing and dancing at a young age. Family events, school performances, and just doing it for fun was the start of my dream. At that age, I wanted to become a music artist, but didn’t know how I was going to get there. That’s when I started to grow up and started writing songs. I was able to learn not only singing and dancing, but songwriting. Songwriting is a big thing for music artists. You can’t have a song without words. Around 2019, I got into K-pop and that expanded my way of thinking. With this new knowledge, my music tastes became diverse. I started to learn more about what I wanted. Then, I wanted to become a K-pop Idol, and I knew it sounded crazy, but I liked it. I am now a senior in high school still trying new things for myself. In my future, I want to become a successful music artist. I would like to major in music production, so I will be able to complete a song on my own. After getting this degree, I would like to continue making exceptional music. I want to be able to work with other popular music artists and help them produce a great melody. Hopefully, the music I make will be admired by several individuals and boost my musical status. I don’t want to just produce one type of genre; I want to be diverse. I want to dip my toes into K-Pop, Latin music, Country, Gospel, and others. I would like to be known as that artist who isn’t afraid of trying something new. I have 3 essential goals for myself and my future. I want to continue making music no matter what. I want to expand my communications with others in the industry, and when I do become the person I want to be; I don’t want her to her go. Life is a big challenge, and it comes with hard times. My songs, my lyrics, share a piece of myself and what I believe and feel. Every step of my life will be a song. My plan is always to bring others up also. We may be different people, but we all share something in common. Communication is key if you want to become diverse in the music world. I want to be able to know people from different countries and different backgrounds; I want to share my story for us to make something beautiful. Lastly, with the confidence I have now, I know it will strive to become even stronger. I will experience great opportunities; the person I am now will be ready for it.
      Ultimate K-Pop Stan Scholarship
      Honestly, as a K-pop Stan, that question is quite hard to answer because I enjoy a variety of groups. If I had to narrow it down, my favorites are Stray Kids and NCT (all units). These are my top favorites because not only does their music show a lot of character, but they also add color in a way that expands my musical horizons. The flow of the music combined with the lyrics awakened my passion for singing and dancing in a way I have never felt before. Even if I cannot understand Korean that well, the rhythm of their songs makes me sing along, dance, or even cry while smiling. I believe it is not just the music that pulls me towards them, it's the members. They have great leaders, and everyone has a remarkable part of the group that makes everything come together. These two have impacted my life and global culture by enlightening me about my future and teaching me new things I can share with others. Unsure how I would get there, as a little girl, I always wanted to be a musical artist. When I got into K-pop, I was astonished by their performances, the fans cheering with light sticks, and the hard work they put into their career. Watching them helped me realize the true artist I want to be. I want to become a K-pop Idol. Though I am black and not fluent in Korean, many people did not believe in me, and that started to make me not believe in myself. No matter what people thought, I kept accepting the person I wanted to be. I made a plan, which included auditioning for various K-pop entertainment. I applied to many K-pop companies over and over. I have tried BeLift Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and other businesses. With each failed attempt I made, I flourished in my talents. At times failure occurred, but I would listen to Stray Kids, NCT, and other groups, and it empowered me to feel that my dream was coming soon. Stray Kids has many songs that tell you not to give up. One of the songs that spoke to me is called 0325. The lyrics that I felt connected to the most were, "You know we go up, up, yeah, we don't stop…Until I can touch my dream with my hand…You know we go up, up, 'till we touch the sky…Even if I can't see it, I'll go, 'till the end”( “Genius English Translations – Stray Kids - 0325 (English Translation). Also, watching NCT music videos and their everyday videos made me smile, and I would tell myself I could do what they do. My global culture has changed ever since I got into K-pop groups. I started to learn Korean because I wanted to understand them better and be able to speak the same language as them. I know a bit of Korean, so I like to teach my family and friends how to say something. In conclusion, this change in my life opened my eyes to different perspectives on how I can learn more about the world and myself. When I become a K-pop Idol remember me, because I will not give up on this dream no matter where go.
      Amariah Banks Student Profile | Bold.org