From Youtube videos to TikToks to writing her own songs, freshman Bella Grounin expresses herself through her singing endeavors.

Ever since the petite age of three years old, Bella has taken a liking to singing and songwriting. Around this time, her newfound talent, partially inspired by other singers and school events, blossomed into a complex hobby that entailed a more formal knowledge base in terms of music.

“I always liked the talent show and stuff,” Bella said. “When I was younger, my parents always signed me up for voice lessons, so probably around second grade [is when] I realized my talent.”

Aside from the technicalities of singing, Bella is in it for creativity and self-expression. She has even written her very own songs to fully portray her musical aesthetic.

“I usually write about love and stuff,” Bella said.  “I don’t have that much experience, so it’s what I think the concept of love would be.” 

Bella has even found her way on social media platforms to showcase her talent. On both TikTok and Youtube, she has posted videos of her singing to express this artistic trait of hers. Additionally, at the beginning of last year, Bella was at an all-time high in her songwriting and would even collaborate with her friend to produce their melodies. But as the months passed by and COVID-19 made its rounds, it put a temporary damper on Bella’s passion for singing.

“With COVID-19 and everything, it’s been harder,” Bella said. “My passion with making it my career has kind of gone downhill, but I think that I still have a chance of making it somewhat my career.”

Because of Bella’s musical love, she has considered it to be part of her future—possibly even her career. But since this is a time period that twisted into a void of inspiration for many, it can make turning a passion into something larger seem far-out. For Bella, it has caused her to decline her activity on posting her singing videos on Youtube and TikTok. So in the meantime, she is just taking it at her own, nonchalant pace.

“I used to post a lot on my YouTube channel, but I kind of stopped,” Bella said.  “So now I just think I’m going to sing casually.”

Even though the morale has been low lately, Bella continues to express herself through this art form. For her, singing is her outlet. It enables her to be her truest self and allows for her deepest emotions to flow into figurative tangibility. She has morphed her songs and her voice into a familiar style and draws hints of inspiration from artists like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande.

“My favorite genre to sing is probably just pop or slow pop,” Bella said. “I’ve always been artistic, and I think my passion is definitely singing and expressing myself through that.”

Being self-expressive and following a passion is a very critical facet of contentment and happiness. Even if that talent or passion is not perfected, that does not mean it should be neglected. Especially in singing, Bella emphasizes not to compare oneself to certain professionals and to continue with it despite the circumstances. Everyone should take their own time to progress in these certain areas. 

Whether she decides to go professional or not, Bella’s singing and songwriting remain constant in her life. She has shown commitment and hard work throughout the years and has continuously improved her musical talents.

“Don’t compare yourself to any big singers because they never started out amazing from the first try,” Bella said. “You need to work on it and put all the time that you have into it. If that’s your passion, just express yourself and let your voice carry.”