Student Spotlight

Meet NEHA KUMAR

How old are you?

I am 13 years old
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What is your favorite thing about playing/singing?

Before I started singing, I had, and still do, a passion for theatre. I was performing in musicals over the summer but I wasn't getting lead roles. Musicals have a lot of singing in them and I wasn't the best singer at the time. When I realized that I loved performing in musicals, we signed up for singing lessons. Ms. Radina helped me with lots of things. Not just singing. Because of Ms. Radina, I learned about many different music genres that I didn't know about before and she helped me with public speaking. She helped me break out of my shell. And now I perform in all the showcases. She even helped me open up parts of my voice I didn't even know existed. And it only got better when I started playing the piano. We started off with easy songs that had easy notes to play. As we went on I started playing songs that I can play AND sing. Sometimes, I even surprise myself when I find songs on the internet and just play them.

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What is your favorite thing about being in lessons?

Every week, I always look forward to my lessons. Whether it's in class or on zoom, I love working with a professional. Ms. Radina is a true professional. She knows what fits my voice. She recommends songs that work for my voice at the moment and also know my areas of struggles. That's why the feedback I get from her is really important to me. I come out of every lesson excited about the progression I've made.

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What would you like others to know about music?

I like how music lets me express my feelings in many different ways. When I’m feeling sad or mad I would play a song in a different way than when I’m happy. Then I can focus on perfection and not making any mistakes.
I also enjoy how music lets me put a lot of feeling into playing and it does not have to be the same way as someone else would play it. It allows me to be unique and creative.

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Who inspires you?

- John Legend: he is an inspiration to me because he is part of the reason why I started playing piano. Singing is its own thing, but when you put a piano in it, it takes it to a whole new level. After listening to many songs by John Legend, I realized he can play so well with his lyrics and I want to be more like him.

- Whitney Houston: she is an inspiration to me because of her energy. Whitney Houston had upbeat songs that make you want to get up and dance. She can really get a crowd going and that's what I want to be able to do. I want to entertain people like how she did.

- Beyonce: she is an inspiration to me because she can do it all. She can sing, rap, dance, and entertain the crowd. When she performs in front of a crowd, she never disappoints. Beyonce is an overall performer and that's what I want to be.