Singing is her passion, but could it be more? Katelyn James has been dreaming of becoming a famous singer since she can remember. She is now a sophomore here at State High and takes part in three different choirs: State High Master Singers, Nittany Valley Children’s Choir’s Concordia, and Blue Choir. This past spring, James also participated in the Happy Valley’s Got Talent competition. James can be found performing at Otto’s Pub and Brewery in State College on Monday nights.

She has been singing since she was a little girl and her love for it just continues to grow. “There has never been a point in my life where I wouldn’t have even thought about entering a singing competition because I love singing so much,”  James said, “and I am very fortunate because I have never had stage fright.” Stage fright is a common hurdle that many people have to overcome, and yet James feels more comfortable on a stage than presenting in front of one of her classes. She says that the stage is a safe place for her.

Recently, Katelyn James has entered a music contest known as the 19th annual NSAI song contest. In this contest, anyone 13 years or older can enter as long as they are a legal resident of the fifty United States, (excluding Maryland, Colorado, and Connecticut), Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The competition includes song and lyric categories, and prizes are awarded to a total of 23 winners. The grand prize is $5000 in cash and a mentoring session with some famous musicians. James has submitted one of her original songs for the contest. The results should be in by January.

“Music makes me feel like no other thing on earth. Words can’t even begin to describe my relationship with music,”  James said. Katelyn James is an aspiring, passionate music artist who is taking chances while putting herself out there for the world to see. Keep an eye on her, this contest could be the start of her singing career!