Kelsea Ballerini isn’t taking the advantages of living in Music City for granted.
At the age of 13, Kelsea started writing songs. She always loved music, she said, and figuring out itwas her true passion was “just the cherry on top.”
Kelsea, a freshman who originally grew up in Knoxville, decided to move to Nashville to pursue singing and songwriting.
Kelsea, currently undecided on a major, is still figuring out what to study at Lipscomb. Though majoring in music is not out of the question, she’s not focused on studying it right now since she’s already successful on her own.
Last year, Kelsea played a show with country artist Emily West, whose song with Keith Urban, “Blue Sky,” recently hit the top 10 list. Kelsea also had a song on hold for Beyonce’s new record, and a song she co-wrote was featured on Nickelodeon’s hit show “Victorious.”
Her music is, by her own definition, “country bluesy poppy soul.”
Kelsea is an open book. She tries to be “as genuine as I can about whatever it is that inspired me to write,” she said.
Kelsea said she doesn’t feel the need to “sugar coat things or beat around the bush.” She said she thinks people value writing that shows who the artist truly is.
Kelsea said she would love to write with Hillary Lindsey of Lady Antebellum. Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars and John Mayer top the list of who she would most love to sing with.
Kelsea said her most memorable moment was meeting of a fan who absolutely adored her. At an airport in Chicago, a young girl approached her to get an autograph. At first, Kelsea thought the girl had mistaken her for someone else, but that wasn’t the case.
“There are little moments along the way that put the pep back in my step,” Kelsea said. “Being asked to perform at benefit shows always gets me excited, and getting to meet people that musically I look up to is always really encouraging.”
Kelsea wants to show people that it is possible to follow your dreams.
“You just have to take what other people say with a grain of salt, bad and good,” she said, explaining the “hardest hit” she’s taken thus far in her career. In that difficult moment, Kelsea was 14 and meeting with the president of a label in Nashville.
“I went in feeling confident and strong about myself as an artist,” she said, “and he tore me down to the ground. I walked out with my tail between my legs and just wanted to pack my bags and go home.
“If I had let that one meeting change my mind about pursuing my passion, I would have missed out on some incredible blessings,” she continued. “For every person that tells you that you are no good, there is someone who will tell you how great you are. You can’t listen to that either. Once you start listening to other people’s opinions of you and your music, you lose your own voice. Just keep on going toward your goal, keep God at the center of it, and enjoy the journey.”
To hear Kelsea’s music, check out her Facebook fan page and click “like” or go to her myspace page. She also posts messages and pictures from her shows at kelseaballerini.com.