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Carly Rose Sonenclar Talks About Her Singing Adventures

The first time my family discovered singing phenom Carly Rose Sonenclar, we were hanging out in our living room. As die-hard X Factor fans, we were instantly hooked when we learned the soulful 13-year-old from Mamaroneck had landed in the top 10. We also recognized Carly as the star pitcher who played against our daughter’s softball team just the year before.

Each week, we were blown away by Carly’s performances. My daughter faithfully supported her by casting votes and while the coveted title may have eluded her (we demand a recount), we all knew that wouldn’t be the last time we’d be hearing from Carly Rose Sonenclar.

Fast forward one year and Carly is about to burst back on the scene in a very big way. The soft spoken middle-schooler, who just turned 14, is hard at work writing songs as she prepares to head into the studio for her debut album. She is also getting ready to headline her first solo concert when she performs Aug. 10 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City in front of 2,500 devoted fans on behalf of the Starlight Children’s Foundation of NY, NJ and CT.

Did we mention she still plays rec softball?

The Beginning

On a recent Sunday afternoon, my daughter and I got the chance to spend time with Carly and her mom, Terri. We were curious to find out how it is possible for someone so young to possess one of the most dynamic singing voices we have ever heard in our lives.

Carly’s mom Terri says her daughter’s interest in singing started at age 2 and by the time she turned 5, Terri enrolled her daughter in Starkidz, a Westchester-based talent workshop for children.

The team at StarKidz soon introduced Carly to a talent manager, and from there, she began performing professionally. Carly says, “I read a Welch’s grape juice commercial and then I got signed to that management company and from then on, they sent me out on auditions.”

Before long, Carly was cast as young Cosette in Les Miserables on Broadway where she met Anne Runolfsson, a Broadway star herself whose daughter Tess Adams was appearing in Les Miserables with Carly. Runolfsson was also a talented vocal coach who took Carly on as a student by age 7.

“It was apparent that Carly was different than most girls her age,” says Runolfsson. “She had a wisdom about her singing that belied her age. She would also open her mouth on certain notes and the most extraordinary and surprising sound would come out. I remember vividly a lesson where she was singing a song from High School Musical and she hit a note on a key change that caused the accompanist and me to turn to each other with an ‘OMG!’ look. Carly looked at us like, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’”

In addition to voice training, Carly took piano lessons with music teacher Doris Martel Hernacki who was incredibly impressed by her dedication and creativity. “Carly always loved making music and loved making up her own introductions and endings to her piano pieces. She often made the pieces truly her own with dramatic flavor – by playing a piece faster or slower, with her own loud and soft dynamic flourishes,” Hernacki recalls.

By the time she turned 11, Carly landed a principal role in the musical Wonderland where she originated the role of Chloe and returned to Broadway for a second time.

X Factor

With an impressive array of credits already under her belt, Carly decided to audition for Simon Cowell’s hit Fox reality series The X Factor. She recorded a song at a mall kiosk that was sent to the show’s producers for consideration. Somehow, amidst a sea of audition tapes, Carly Rose Sonenclar’s performance rose to the top and made the cut.

One month later, Carly was in the hot seat at a grueling audition in Providence, R.I. where she had to prepare five songs with five backing tracks. “That was the craziest day of my life,” she recalls. “I was singing for my parents in my living room, preparing my song choices. The judges were going to pick what songs you were going to sing.” Thankfully, she says, “I got to sing the song I wanted to sing the most.”

But the audition process didn’t end with her performance. Carly and her parents then spent several hours taking a battery of tests to ensure she was emotionally ready to handle the pressure. Carly says a lot of the contestants have no idea how grueling the process can be. “You see them fall apart on national television. Most of the people who audition don’t know what they are getting themselves into,” she says.  Mature and confident beyond her years, Carly Rose Sonenclar was undeterred and ready to take the stage and America by storm.

Week after week, Carly turned in performances that stunned the judges and thrilled audiences. Her talent literally seemed to course through her veins and her vocal chords. While the rehearsal and “reality” schedule was intense (the crew would interview contestants for hours on end), she learned a tremendous amount about what it takes to become a successful recording artist and was grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with pop sensation Britney Spears. “She was really sweet, quiet and humble and so funny too,” Carly says.

New Endeavors

As Sonenclar prepares for her upcoming concert, she hopes to raise awareness for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which provides programming and entertainment opportunities to improve the life and health of kids and families in hospitals and communities around the globe.  “Carly is just remarkable, she’s got this incredibly big heart. She has really fallen in love with the Starlight children and has cared very much about communicating with them and making them feel like regular kids,” says Elaine Siver, executive director of the Starlight Children’s Foundation of NY, NJ and CT.

These days, Carly has been enjoying her time back home with family and friends and Terri credits their Westchester roots as playing a large part in helping her stay grounded. She says, “The school system has been so good to us and the principal and teachers have gone completely out of their way to do anything they can to get her back up to speed every time she’s out … you don’t just find that anywhere. We’re such a close family and the people in Westchester have been so amazingly supportive.”

While she prepares for a career in the spotlight, the Mamaroneck teen shares her future plans. “I hope to make an album. I’m doing concerts so that’s part of what I hope for and that’s happening. I’d like to do a feature film or TV show. I want to make really good music.”  

Mission accomplished!

Beth Feldman is a writer, a public relations specialist and the founder of www.rolemommy.com.


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