Redmond singer soars into National YoungArts Week

Published 11:55 am Friday, December 11, 2015

For Paris Williams, music isn’t just a hobby — it’s a passion.

Ever since she was a small child, it has been a part of her life.

“I could hum before I could talk,” the 17-year-old Redmond resident said.

According to Williams family lore, not only did she catch the music bug early, she also caught the performance bug at an early age.

Her mother, Alonda Williams, said when Paris was around 4 or 5 years old, the family had gone out to eat and while they were standing around at the front of the restaurant, her daughter began singing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye. Paris was singing to herself, but eventually, a crowd formed and she was performing for an audience.

“It doesn’t come from her parents,” Alonda said with a laugh. “We don’t have that gift.”

She said musical talent skipped a few generations in their family as Paris’s great-grandmother Faye Adams was a recording artist in the 1950s.

Paris wrote her first songs at age 9. She hasn’t stopped since and plans to pursue singing and songwriting as a career.

For many few years, the Sammamish High School senior has been taking steps to help her achieve her goals: She has performed in various competitions and shows in Redmond and throughout the area, recorded and released a CD and participated in a number of music camps — including GRAMMY Camp and a music camp at Berklee College of Music in Boston — Paris’s “dream school.”

And come next month, Paris will travel to Miami to participate in National YoungArts Week, where she was selected as a finalist in the voice category. The program aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and community while offering guidance to participants as they prepare for the next stage of their careers in the arts.

Lisa Leone, vice president of artistic programs for the National YoungArts Foundation, said the organization was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify and support the next generation of artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts, and to assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development.

“In recent years, there have been approximately 11,000 applications to YoungArts, and in 2015, the organization received a record breaking number of more than 12,000 applications from 15-18-year-old (or grades 10-12) artists, and from these, approximately 800 winners are selected,” Leone said.

She said YoungArts winners such as Paris work with mentors and receive cash awards of up to $10,000. In addition, they gain access to significant scholarships and become eligible for nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Leone continued, saying winners get the opportunity to “perform and exhibit their work at some of the nation’s leading cultural institutions, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The Museum of Modern Art (New York) and New World Center (Miami).”

“YoungArts Winners also become part of the strong YoungArts alumni network artists, which offers them additional opportunities throughout their careers,” she said.

Paris first learned about YoungArts after her mother saw a flier about it. The flier mentioned scholarship opportunities and Paris thought it would be good for her to apply. Since she wants to attend Berklee, she welcomes any and all financial assistance.

On Oct. 15, Paris sent in her application, which included recordings of her performing three songs and copies of her lyrics. There was also a video interview portion, during which Paris was sick and admittedly wanted to give up. Paris said she learned she was a finalist a few weeks ago, receiving the call while she was at the mall.

Paris describes her music as “a little bit of everything,” incorporating all genres. For her, it’s all about the music, and the camps she has attended over the years has exposed her to peers with various backgrounds and specialties, which she greatly appreciates.

“I love being around music people,” she said.