By Jada Orr
When I was younger I had a lot of unorthodox idols in the music industry. I enjoyed singers with dark and gritty sounds and also people who hit these really high notes that gave me goosebumps. Not everybody likes opera singers or rockers. I always have. My voice has such a wide range—a like the variety of the artists and music I’ve liked.
I was always searching for a sound that was mine. I always listened to other people and hated myself because the talent that I had wasn’t the talent other people wanted.
As I grew older I realized that it’s okay to be fluent in multiple things and still have one main thing you are exceptionally good at. For me that is opera. I have worked so hard to get the range that I have now and I wouldn’t want to trade genres. Without having a voice or a way of expression I wouldn’t have been able to get to where I am now. I wouldn’t have had friends that love music as much as I do, or been able to harmonize with them.
I’m glad my strength is having a wide range, musically and emotionally. My voice has always been a reflection of how I’m feeling. If I’m sick, you can tell that in my voice. I sound vulnerable and raspy and that’s exactly how I feel. It will always be that way.
Jaden Orr is a student at the Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP) of the School District of Philadelphia.