Grad Spotlight: Future Music Star Shines at Visions
Last month, 2023 grad Daniela B. stood on the same stage as The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and Led Zeppelin and performed Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” to over 1,000 people. Her voice, clear and melodic, echoed through Memorial Auditorium and blanketed the crowd of friends, family and fellow graduates. With such a stunning performance, it was clear that Daniela was used to the spotlight.
A student at Visions since her sophomore year, Daniela wanted a school where she could work at her own pace, maintain a full time job and pursue her music. She also knew she needed a school that was supportive of her dreams.
“I wanted to be supported by staff who were attentive to my goals,” shares Daniela. “I also wanted more time to pursue studying music, doing gigs in the Sacramento area and touring.”
Being in the Independent Study program turned out to be the perfect fit for Daniela and allowed her the freedom to manage her own schedule and learn about topics that aligned to her career goals. At one point, Daniela had a plan for her future that she later decided to change, and it was Visions’ flexibility and incredible support staff that allowed her to redirect.
“I originally was going to attend Sierra College, but going to a four year university sounded more appealing to me,” shares Daniela. “My teacher, Tim Avila, and my counselor, Stacy Callman, supported me so much throughout that decision. Mr. Avila was supportive of me emotionally and academically and was very empathetic to my needs. He taught me to take care of myself and my well-being before anything else. Then, when I made the decision to apply to almost fifteen universities, Mrs. Callman was by my side every step of the way. I told her my dream school was Berklee College of Music and with her help, I got in!”
From Berklee to Belmont
Although Daniela did get into her dream school, she instead decided to attend Belmont University in Nashville due to its location.
“Who can beat going to school in the number one music capital of the world?” says Daniela.
A future Commercial Voice major with an emphasis in Performance, Daniela hopes to record original music and work with other students to perform on Broadway and in iconic Nashville venues. As surreal as it was to perform at her own high school graduation, it was just the beginning of a rock star future for Daniela.
