Throughout my nineteen years, music has played an incredibly important role in my everyday life. To put it simply: I can’t fathom functioning without it. From the moment I wake up in the morning, to the minute I go to bed — there’s always some genre of music blasting in my ear. But beyond just listening to music, I also love to sing, and have been doing it non-stop since I was five. Once I began school, choir and theater quickly became my lifeline. Music, as cheesy as it may sound, is one of my true loves.Â
I without a doubt would not be the vocalist and music lover I am today without the influence of some incredible female role models in the music industry. In honor of women’s history month, here are four women who have shaped me into who I am as a woman and vocalist.Â
Known for her roles in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, these movies are how I discovered the legend herself. From the moment I first saw her flying down from the sky into London — or belting into the Austrian Alps — her movies became my lifeline. I had the songs memorized, catchphrases ingrained into my 6-year-old brain, and my DVDs (Mary Poppins especially) worn out to no return. As I got older, I fell in love with her again in The Princess Diaries. To me, there’s just something so captivating about her — and from the moment I took interest in acting and musical theater, she quickly became one of my biggest idols. She really is the start of it all.
Admittedly, I discovered Streisand from none other than Rachel Berry from the TV show Glee. However, the minute I discovered her, I knew I wanted to sing just like her. Known for her roles in the iconic musicals Funny Girl and Hello Dolly, Streisand has paved the way for so many women in musical theater, and is one of the main influences in the route I chose to take with my vocal training. Additionally, she’s an actress that helped me embrace my nose — as someone who’s been made fun of for it her entire life. I have yet to play a role of hers, but if that day comes, I’ll know I’ll have made it.Â
Though this one is recent compared to the others, I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today without her influence. Though she’s known for her Tony Award winning performance as Eva PerĂłn in the musical Evita, I had the privilege of playing the role of Reno Sweeney my senior year in the show Anything Goes, a role Patti LuPone famously held herself. As a trained belter like her and Streisand, I looked closely to her portrayal of Reno as inspiration. I watched her performance over and over again, and I had her version of the soundtrack blasting in my ears constantly for over three months. My senior show, and her performance as a whole, taught me so much about who I am as an actress and singer. Forever, there will be a piece of Reno Sweeney in my heart.Â
One of my earliest memories as a little girl is being in the car with my mom. One of our favorite things to do together was go out for a drive to blast music and sing together. Upon its release, we both became obsessed with The Fame Monster album by Lady Gaga, specifically her song Telephone, featuring Beyonce.Â
“Okay mom, you’re gonna be BeyoncĂ© and I’ll be Lady Gaga,” my four-year-old self would tell her. My mom never failed.Â
From then on, Lady Gaga was a fixture in our household. I was constantly singing her music, and begging my mom to play her music any chance I could. In the fourth grade — instead of Eleanor Roosevelt or Jane Gooddall — I chose Gaga as my figure for my Wax Museum project. As I moved into middle school choir, her music became my go-to audition pieces. Beyond my love for her music — I am constantly inspired by her devotion to her craft, her boldness and spunk — I’m inspired by her “born this way” mantra: accepting anyone and everyone regardless of how they identify. There are so many women that have inspired me so much over the years, but Lady Gaga, to me, is definitely one of the greats.Â
I truly wouldn’t be who I am today without the influence of these women. Their passion, talent, stage presence, and grit have always inspired me as an actress and vocalist. And though I don’t see myself pursuing music or acting as a career, because of their influence and my own passion, I know I’ll be singing forever.