The next order of business were private piano and voice lessons at the Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music (G.E.G.I.S.O.M), under the direction of Joyce Drayton. I believe I learned how to push myself physically and musically. My mom began taking me to acting I began booking acting auditions in New York and I knew that once we decided that I would attend a traditional school (I was at home during this entire time), that I would attend a school that would give me access to a choir, theater, and swim program.
I also experienced racial tension at the school, but luckily my parents had exposed me to a great deal of esteem through programs like African Genesis where we read books, attended lectures and attended trips that helped instill in me a great sense of who I was and where I came from. My experience at the school was less than perfect, but I took advantage of the advanced curriculum, joined and excelled in the swim program, the choir and the theater program, and enhanced my skills in each of them even more. I also lost my Nana after a long illness during my 8th grade year and I took it very, very hard. I watched my mom take care of my Nana before she passed away, and it definitely brought my mom, dad and I closer than we had ever been. My parents relocated to Georgia after my Nana passed, and I began to reignite my passions in music and acting.
During the middle of my second year, I auditioned and was invited to join an all-female, teen singing group. After attending the boarding school for two school years, we decided to fully focus on my music with the group and I left the school, was successful at earning a scholarship to a private cyber school and worked solely on my music. After the group went from 4 members to 2 (myself and another girl), we began performing all over Georgia and released our first single, “Winning”. Sadly, my family and the manager had differing opinions on how the group was progressing, so the management removed me from the group.
Leaving that group left me in a very bad state. I had grown to love my group member, and I truly saw us succeeding. Being removed from the group devastated me so much, that I felt that I should quit music. I felt hurt and let down. I felt almost like someone had lied to me. I explained to my parents how horribly I felt, and I think they knew that deep down that I wasn’t done with music. They encouraged me and told me that I should express what I felt through song.