It’s difficult to stand out in high school.
This is especially true in a school like Flower Mound High, which has educated wave after wave of fresh talent since 1999. Yet still, some students manage to stand out from all the rest; whether through their outgoing personalities, academic prowess, or pure unadulterated talent. Senior Annalise Bush falls into the latter of those categories.
Talent can spring forth from anywhere, and from any circumstance. Annalise, for example, isn’t that different from your average high school student: she enjoys spending time with her friends, playing the acoustic guitar, and listening to a variety of music. But unlike many of her peers, Annalise Bush can state that she was one of the select few considered for a place in NBC’s open-audition reality TV show, The Voice.
Annalise traveled to Burbank, California, in early October, where she participated in late-stage auditions for the show: quite a remarkable feat considering only 168 of the initial 20,000 participants were able to continue. For the next couple of days, Annalise traveled back and forth from her hotel to the NBC production lot.
“We were on the NBC lot almost every day doing wardrobe, interviews, and practices,” Annalise said. “The experience was one that I wouldn’t trade for the world: a memory I’ll cherish for many years to come.”
Although Annalise had not originally intended to make it as far as she did, she continued to advance in the auditions, all the way up to the stage before the final judges. However, faced with fierce competition, Annalise was finally dropped from the listings.
“Although I was a bit disappointed at first, I left the audition feeling more encouraged than anything,” Annalise said. “One of the reasons I didn’t continue was due to the reality TV appeal; I’ve been blessed with an incredible family, live in a great community, and go to an amazing school. A lot of the other competitors there had very touching stories to share. It really opens your eyes and reminds you to count your blessings.”
Regardless of the audition results, Annalise continues to pursue her dream of becoming a successful musician by constantly working on her music project—aprilemade.
More of a stage name than an actual band, aprilemade is primarily composed of Annalise, although she does receive help from various talented musicians occasionally. The musical project itself is managed jointly by both the talented teenager and Valley Road Entertainment, a management firm out of Dallas that takes on two clients each year. With the help of a successful kick-starter amassing over $3,200 and Valley Road Entertainment, Annalise was able to release her first EP (Extended Play album) named “BRIGHT,” along with her two singles, “What If” and “Before We Start.”
“The kick-starter was very stressful, but it gave me a lot of faith and confidence to know how many people supported me,” Annalise said. “In the end, we were actually able to raise over the original goal.”
With the help and support of her teachers, family and friends, Annalise aspires to make her mark on the musical industry, striving to express herself through music that influences and inspires others.
“I never could have made it this far if my friends and family hadn’t been behind me 100% of the way,” Annalise said. “But I’m not the only one. Anybody can achieve their goals. The important thing is to stay motivated and be yourself; don’t be afraid to take risks—you never know what could happen.”
Annalise is currently recording a Christmas EP with Dallas native, Cameron Mitchell (Glee Project) that is set to release December 4th, 2012. You can learn more information about the Christmas release or show Annalise your support by liking aprilemade on Facebook, following her on Twitter, or by purchasing “BRIGHT”, “What If” or “Before We Start” on iTunes.
