By Jaida Jett ’20 and Suie Choi ’20, Staff Writers

Sammi Powell is a current 8th grader at Newark Academy. Since 6th grade, she has shown her incredible singing skills to the whole school. Recently, she sang in the pep rally during Spirit Week, along with Claire Dempsey ‘18. She is also part of the Advanced Choir and Junior Academy Voices. While many people know she has this special talent, we decided to take a closer look.

Q: How old were you when you started singing?

A: I started singing at the age of two.

Q:Where do you sing outside of school?

A: I sing at NJPAC.

Q: What are some recent competitions/concerts have you been in?

A: August 5th, 2014, I went to my first concert ever– One Direction’s Where We Are Tour: Metlife Stadium.

Q: Who is your favorite singer?

A: This is hard. Female: Beyonce. Male: Michael Jackson. Band: One Direction.

Q: What is your favorite song at the moment? Who is it by?

A: My favorite song at the moment is “Through the Dark” by –– who else — One Direction.

Q: What is your favorite thing about singing? Why?

A: My favorite part about singing is harmony. It’s just beautiful when two or more voices can come together to create chords.

Q: Do you have a least favorite thing about singing? If yes, then what?

A: Least favorite: breathing. I know it sounds weird, but knowing when it’s a good time to breathe and when it’s not is hard. Not only is it about being able to BREATHE and not pass out, it’s about how the phrasing sounds when you take a breath in a specific place.

Q: Would you like to be a singer when you get older or are you going to pursue as just a hobby?

A: I’m not sure…I’m about 50%. I want to be a famous singer, performing for millions, but I also want to be a gym teacher, having fun with younger kids and teaching them skills with activities.

Q: If you made your own song, what genre would you write in, and would be the title?

A: I’ve written a couple songs actually. I think I’d either be in the pop genre or R&B. One song is called “Make-up.”

Q: On a scale of 1-10, (1 being the worst and 10 being the best) how would you rate your singing skills?

A: A strong 7.