Carrigan Nelson

Carrigan, 17, is from Portsmouth Rhode Island. She is 2016’s Easton’s Beach Idol Vocal Contest Winner and an upcoming vocalist and community performer with a wide vocal range and ability. She sings from many genres of music from upbeat popular music to sophisticated classics and jazz. Carrigan’s sparkling personality shines through even the most soulful notes as she sings to entertain and enchant. She has been performing since she was very young at numerous community events and fund raisers for area community agencies. Her passion, in addition to entertaining, is mentoring and introducing youth to the joy of self-expression through music and she hopes to become a music therapist some day. Carrigan also performs family friendly songs and she often engages children in the audience to perform with her. Her favorite song to perform is the National Anthem.

Carrigan started performing on stage at the age of 3 when she began her long tenure as a dancer with Creative Motion Dance Studio. Carrigan later joined East Coast Performing Arts at the age of 12 where she studied musical theater and dance. Through musical theater she found her love of singing and she has been performing publicly since. Carrigan began her vocal studies in 2013 at One Voice Studios under the direction of Natalia DeRezendes. She continued studying under Portsmouth’s Laurie Spaner and in 2017 she enrolled in the Bristol Music Academy where she currently studies music theory, voice and piano under the direction of Katie Weaver.

At the age of 15 Carrigan produced and starred in, along with other Newport entertainers, Christmas in Newport's, “An Evening with Carrigan & Friends” hosted at the Edward King House to benefit their senior center. A live CD of the event was recorded to benefit the Housing Hotline Housing Board (a local outreach program to provide resources and funding for those less fortunate). Carrigan is an honorary member of the Housing Hotline where she, along with their Board founder and President, her musical mentor and former Newport Police Officer and jazz singer Jimmy Winters, provide entertainment for their fundraisers.

Carrigan earned her Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do in 2016 through Mardo’s Tae Kwon Do Academy where she was awarded 2015's Student Leader of the Year. Carrigan is an 8 time Tae Kwon Do gold medal champion.

Carrigan was a 2017 SMART Leader for the Boys & Girls Club of Newport County where she helped educate children about making health lifestyle choices. Carrigan proudly holds the title of 2017’s Miss Congenitally for Miss Teen USA Rhode Island and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen RI where her platform was Youth Enrichment Opportunities.

2018 is an exciting year for Carrigan. She is thrilled to be performing and recording with several Aquidneck Island musicians on their original works as well as co-writing her own music with her vocal coach . She has has full schedule of wonderful community performances lined up from street fairs to parades, community block parties and farmer’s markets. She once again is competing for the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Rhode Island and will continue her mentorship of youth groups and her 7 year old sidekick and performance partner Pippa!

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