Celebration of Music - Talent Search

I was born here in Tallahassee, Florida but I actually grew up in a town that’s south of Tallahassee that goes by the name of Crawfordville, Florida or better known as Wakulla County. I was raised in a family where everyone could sing whether it was to sing the lead vocals or even sing background vocals and a family that worked so hard in the church, still to this very day. When I was a child, I was terribly shy and I avoided being in the spotlight , but by the help of a family member, that quickly changed. The family member that took me out of my shell and had a huge hand in making me the proud performer that I am to today happens to be mother’s sister, Geneva Manning. My aunt Geneva taught me how to sing; she had the best voice in our family, and she had this incredible gift of seeing gifts in others; I remember as a child hearing her sing and just being in awe, and I remember how she would love to teach me things about singing and those teaching moments would become bonding moments. She took me everywhere with her and she would play music in the car, the genres that she played were mainly gospel and rhythm and blues (RnB). She noticed that I could keep pitch, stay on rhythm and even sing the soprano, alto or tenor part correctly; and from those experiences she saw that I could sing and from then on it was history, I know if she was here today, she would be my second biggest cheerleader alongside the first being my mom.

As the years went on, I entered high school and sophomore year I took a chorus class. I remember my first day in chorus and meeting someone who also has had such a big influence on me as a vocalist and that person was my chorus teacher, Mrs. Kate Zrust, or as I called her Mrs. Z. Mrs. Z taught me so much on the important factors of singing such as having good breath support, good oral spacing, and having good pitch etc. Mrs. Kate Zrust also has had a big hand in making me a well-recognized vocalist in the community where I reside today by having me sing at different events such as parties, weddings, church services etc.

From being raised in a great family and being taught by a superb teacher, I have had so many doors opened for me such as being in different concerts, plays, musicals, and services around the cities, Tallahassee and Crawfordville, Florida. I am more than grateful for those great moments but I’m excited for what’s in store for me in this musical journey.