00:00I would spread, you know, a bathroom towel on the floor as my stage and I'd take either a bottle of shampoo or like my mom's, it was actually my mom's old twirling baton whenever she was in high school. And I would use that, I would call it my Icaphone before I could even say microphone.
00:30I was fortunate to have the support of my parents who really, you know, they knew that I wanted to do it. And, you know, I just started around like singing at age six or seven at local block parties and pool parties and things, mayor's conventions.
00:43I guess you just look for anything locally to do, you know, I mean, just because I'm from Pittsburgh.
00:51Well, I auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club. There was an open audition in Pittsburgh, actually. It was like in the paper or something.
01:00We went to audition when I was nine years old. I didn't hear like anything back for a couple of years. And at age 12, they called me back and they said, oh, well, we've hung on to your tape.
01:11And, you know, you've been too young to do the Mickey Mouse Club. And they called me in for a second audition whenever I was older, 12.
01:19And that's when I was cast along with, you know, Britney Spears and Justin from NSYNC and a bunch of us.
01:28MMC was probably the first place where I found other kids who totally enjoyed performing and who, you know, were so passionate about, you know, singing and dancing and doing what I love to do as well.
01:41You know what I mean? And it was, it was sort of a great energy to be around all that.
01:46What a girl wants, what a girl needs. Whatever makes me happy sets you free. And I'm thanking you for knowing exactly what a girl wants, what a girl needs. Whatever keeps me in your arms. And I'm thanking you.
02:05I was saying like, you know, Whitney Houston songs. Like my first great talent show, I was saying, I want to dance with somebody. Mariah Carey. And she was huge influence on me. She's amazing.
02:15I had no really real vocal training. It was all basically from listening to records and really like loving what I listened to and picking up all sorts of different, you know, sounds and techniques and things.
02:26And, um, you know, I created my own sounds. So it was cool like that.
02:31My now A&R guy Ron Fair gives me a call one day and he's just like,
02:59Can you hit the high E above middle C? Can you belt it? And I was like, I don't know.
03:05And I'm quick on the spot. I had to go over to the piano, find the key, you know, hit it and just be like, oh, okay, well, it needs some work, but yeah, I can hit it.
03:12The next thing I know, he's telling me, well, make a demo, do it in your living room, just quick on a like 20 buck tape recorder, FedEx it out to me and, you know, we'll see what happens.
03:22Because obviously he wanted me to audition for Mulan because they were looking for someone who could, you know, sing that.
03:28I get a call the next day. They're like, okay, they want you to fly to LA and audition in person. I'm like, oh my God.
03:34So the next day I'm like on a plane. I'm standing in Matthew Wilder, the producer's living room. And he, he had me singing with this little piano and everything.
03:43And I sang it on the spot. And the next day I know, he puts his hand out. He's like, congratulations. You got the job. And I was like, oh my God.
