She sits in silence, constantly thinking. The world spins in her galaxy of a mind, creating a slew of phrases and ideas. She composes a symphony of powerful thoughts to be held by accepting pages and a few lucky people in the world. Behind closed doors, her voice compares to that of a professional singer. She is unimaginably talented, yet many people don’t even know of her existence.

Sophomore Savannah Kennedy fits the definition of what many people may deem a “wallflower,” mostly because no one is really looking, but you’d be surprised what you find when you look into the crowd.

Like every other wide-eyed child entering the world, Savannah had big dreams at a young age. She was determined to become a singer, and this dream was set into action at her school.

“When I was little, it was all I aspired to be. When I went to Trinity I had to lead worship there, and when we would take mission trips in Arkansas, I would lead the worship,” Kennedy said. “The people who I worked with at Trinity, and the people who would help me lead worship always encouraged me. Brother Jim Turley always got me going before I would get on stage to perform when I was feeling awful about my singing.”

The idea of becoming a singer had become more than just an idea, her dream was finally becoming her reality. Through singing in her church, she was able to truly find her love for performing live.

“I loved the excitement of singing for people, and every time I was up there singing, it was like the crowd and I were the same,” Kennedy said. “There was a really apparent sense of unity, and I always loved that. Stage fright didn’t stand a chance.”

She quickly fell in love with every aspect of singing on the stage. The experience became a home of sorts. The people she sang to, the music that filled the room, the overall atmosphere of the building, it was all beautiful to her.

“I couldn’t help but smile when I sang. I caught myself getting lost in what I was singing, and it was the best feeling,” Kennedy said. “It’s just different from listening to music in the way that when you listen to music, you’re listening to the artist. But, once you’re up there, and the words are leaving your mouth, it’s you. They’re listening to you. It feels like spoken words are easier to sing sometimes. it’s deeper than any form of conversation.”

However, high school began to change her mentality from finding a job that she loved to finding a job that will support her in life.

“I realized the music industry is a pretty difficult business to make a career in,” Kennedy said. “I either want to be an interior designer, or I want to write music or become some kind of writer.”

With a busy schedule and no time to practice songs to sing for worship, she had to make the decision to stop singing at her church. However, her passion for music did not diminish. She chose to channel her love for music in another way. She transformed her thoughts into lyrics to hide away in a notebook of songs.

“I have notebooks full of songs I’ve written and plenty on my phone,” Kennedy said. “When I write music, I basically just try to copy exactly what’s going through my mind.”

Music is capable of bringing tears to eyes and goosebumps to arms, and Kennedy can have this same effect through her music and with her voice. She filled herself with music, and the music filled her mind with the feelings she loved the most.

“I think music is one of the most intense and powerful things in the world. Without music, I wouldn’t be who I am,” Kennedy said. “The world wouldn’t be the way it is. Music changes lives, and through it, people are saved. That is why I hold it so dearly to me, it saved my life.”