A huge, dark theater stage lit up with colored lights, the crowd going crazy. This is the kind of scene sophomore Kenedy Harris imagines rocking out to when she becomes a professional musician.

Harris has been singing for seven years, playing guitar, piano and bass guitar for four years and is currently a member of the McNeil band program. She got started on her dream of playing music when she was a young girl and now knows she wants to do it as a career.

“When I was little I wasn’t good at anything but singing, so that’s when I decided to pursue music,” Harris said.

Harris sings at her church and sometimes performs there with a collaborative group. She also does gigs at coffee houses on the weekends from time to time. Sometimes she goes solo, other times she has someone back her up on an instrument. Harris gets paid for some of her work but what really draws her into singing is how much she loves to perform.

“I like being on stage because I get a lot of energy and I feel like I can do what I want,” Harris said. “I like to rock and I get so excited that I jump up and down a lot.”

Enjoying performing and being passionate about her music, it makes sense that Harris is influenced by classic musicians who have been successful.

“Grace Potter is an inspiration of mine because she’s really beautiful, and has a rocky voice. You don’t expect much from her but she gets up there and kills it. I admire Joan Jett because she was the first girl rock band. I also draw inspiration from Heart because they’re unorthodox.”

Harris knows that this kind of career takes a lot of effort and is already working on getting her name out there. She takes a humble approach and even writes original songs.

“I make friends with the right people and work on songwriting. I learn from older people who do what I want to do.”