Stephanie Grace’s dedicated work ethic has her up and down the east coast, making trips to Nashville throughout the year to record with the best of the country music western stars. Grace, 17, is a junior in online cyber school, but already is paving the way for her singing success.
A resident of Douglassville, Grace’s strong vocals have been heard across the county; promoting her single on a radio tour. She has traveled as far as Texas to show the world what she’s got.
Grace started singing when she was seven and began performing by age 11. She was 15-years-old when she took her act to the center of the country music world. The young talent knows her niche. When she was offered ‘a really bad deal’ on a well-known pop label, Grace knew performing solely ‘pop’ hits was not her cup of tea. Once she started recording country songs, it proved to be a genre that she was not only comfortable with but could really succeed. Now, the young star is a Nashville recording artist, with two EP albums under her belt.
Describing her music as country-pop, Grace incorporates both country and pop styles in her songs and if that’s not enough, she writes her own lyrics, too.
Grace said she is often asked about where her inspiration could possibly come from, being introduced to the limelight as a young adult.
‘I write about people I meet, my feelings and thoughts, things I’m going through, things my family and friends are going through,’ Grace said.
‘Anything could inspire a song,’ she says, even something as simple as being in line behind someone in the grocery checkout line having difficulties can spark a song. As a musical artist, Grace focuses on providing fans and listeners with a positive message. ‘I write about loving yourself… there are so many songs that are sad,’ Grace said. The message of not holding back who you are or being afraid of what people think shines through her music. Writing about ‘everything [she’s] feeling and thinking’ shoots directly to the core of who Grace is as a person. In her song, ‘Loser,’ she promotes staying true to you.
Lyrics of the song read, ‘Call me a loser if you want to/ but I know who I am’ and then comes the punch… ‘sometimes losers turn into winners in the end.’ Grace has teamed up with and promoted Boyertown’s anti-bullying efforts by filming parts of her music video for her song ‘Loser’ during The Boyertown Unity Walk. The video can be found on the Stephanie Grace YouTube channel.
With her fresh insights on teenage life experiences, writing lyrics for songs that will resonate with listeners and relate to people marks high priority. ‘Maybe my song makes them say ‘Oh, hey, I’ve felt that way before,’ she said, her goal to touch as many people as possible with her music. Her songs relay messages broadcast to not just one specific age group, but with everyone. ‘Young people and teenagers can relate to the songs, and older people can connect to the message,’ she said.
Grace has numerous influences and musical interests, and while she sings country, her ears crave a different sound. On her iPod you can find genres from Disney artists to Nirvana, My Chemical Romance to Rihanna, she has an appreciation for older rock music, as well as the simple catchy pop hits.
Being a cyber student provides Grace with a flexible schedule that allows her to travel, record and perform. ‘I’ve made sacrifices to keep up with [my music].’ With her high school graduation coming up next spring, Grace is looking forward to being able to fully commit herself to her craft. Grace plans on ‘working harder on music after school.’
Until she dedicates herself completely to the music, she plans to continue performing at schools, carnivals, and local community fairs.
Stephanie Grace will be bringing her tunes to the Boyertown Fun Days 7 p.m. May 30.
She will also be pairing up with Nashville artist John Karl for a Father’s Day Guitar-B-Q with John Karl, 2 to 6 p.m. Knights of Columbus, Stowe, Pa. contact Tom Grace 484-366-710 for tickets.