One Opelika teen has recently taken her dream of becoming a professional musician to the next level with the release of her first original album, “Colorful.”
Abby Miracle, 16, plays ukulele and guitar and has been singing and writing her own songs since she was in elementary school.
Abby said she plans to release an EP record this fall and “write songs until I run out of ideas, then write about other people’s stories.”
“She did her very first solo in church, and when she was in the kindergarten choir, she was hand-selected by the minister of music to sing with the adult choir at Christmas time,” said Carol Ann Miracle, Abby’s mother.
Abby was 6 years old when she first sang at First Baptist Church.
“I sang ‘Happy Birthday, Jesus’ in front of, like, a thousand people,” Abby said.
Carol Ann said she has noticed a richer tone in her daughter’s voice every year, as well as more security in her performances.
“She’s just grown to the point where she knows this is what she’s meant to do forever in some capacity,” Carol Ann said. “It’s just waiting to see exactly how it’s all going to unfold.”
Abby began writing music when she was 7 or 8 years old, and has kept her notes and journals over the years.
Working with a songwriting instructor has also helped Abby to harness and fine-tune her songwriting abilities.
Although ukulele is Abby’s instrument of choice, she picked up guitar in September of 2014 at the prompting of one of her music teachers at Spicer’s Music.
When it comes to creating and producing her first album, Abby described the process as “stressful and amazing.”
Abby said she also enjoyed the ins and outs of physically printing CDs, and having to translate her ideas into songs.
“There are a lot of stories in my head, whether they’re mine or things that I’ve come up with or things that my friends have shared with me that they want to get out there, but they have no way how,” Abby said. “Then you have to record it, and you have to make sure it sounds good, then you have to get CDs printed. It’s just a lot of stuff.”
Abby said one of her favorite songs she has written is the unreleased track, “Same Heart as You,” which is based on an imagined scenario in which a girl with several negative relationships befriends someone who shows her compassion through small acts of kindness.
Abby cites Matthew West, Jeff Slaughter and Drake Bell as some of her biggest musical influences.
“(Drake Bell) is the reason I decided I wanted to play guitar,” Abby said.
Meeting West this March was also an influential moment for Abby.
“I brought him a CD [of mine], and he made me sign it for him,” Abby said.
Abby has been performing at several local venues, including Spicer’s Music and MusicTown Records.
Abby is schedule to play at The Railyard in Opelika Saturday, May 30.
Allie Fox, owner of MusicTown Records, said she met Abby in December 2014.
“She was a babysitter for a friend of mine’s kids, and I drove her home one night,” Fox said. “I met her that way, and she started coming in the record store as soon as we opened. She was here almost every day.”
Abby said her favorite thing about performing is seeing the reactions on people’s faces when she plays a song they know.
Abby said she also engjoys when an audience listens to one of her original songs and trying to grasp the message and story behind it.
“I think she’s a great performer, she’s a great songwriter,” Fox said. “I was overall really impressed with her maturity about her music and everything.”
According to Abby, her friends and family have been supportive of her dream.
Although she began homeschooling this year, her friends from Opelika High School still keep in touch and like to stay updated on her accomplishments.
Her parents have also shown their support and pushed her to pursue her dream.
Carol Ann said she and her husband are excited about their daughter’s gift, and feel strongly about supporting and nurturing a child’s talents.
“We’re very delighted that she’s been gifted like this, so we just want to do whatever we can to support (her dream),” Carol Ann said.
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