When Sarah Kessler sings the song she wrote about her grandmother, she doesn’t think about the emotion and thoughts behind it, but lets the audience become tranfixed into the song.
After singing ‘Never Gone,? she never expected to win the Flint Metro League Talent Show held April 23 at the Oxford High School Performing Arts Center.
Her thoughts began to change when members of the audience kept coming up to her and commenting her on her song and performance.
‘I thought it was possible just because how powerful the song seemed to be on people,? said Kessler.
Her grandmother died when she was 8 years old and her family continued to have a memorial service every year.
While visiting her grandmother’s favorite spot, Inspiration Point by Frankfort, Mich., Kessler sat down in a little area and began writing the song.
She was 13 when she started writing it. Last year, she took it to her choir teacher, Christopher Card, for a choir variety show. She tweaked it and Card wrote a piano piece to go with it.
‘I can still feel her with me. My mom said that night she knew she was there in the room,? said Kessler. ‘It’s just one of those deep things I can feel her. When I am there, I can feel that she’s there.?
She can’t remember much about her grandmother because she was young. What she can remember is her face and the love her grandmother had.
‘She loved all of her grandchildren and all of her children and that got passed on to me through my dad,? said Kessler. ‘It taught me how to love.?
She has made CDs of the song for her family.
‘My dad started playing it up there (Inspiration Point) and I just started crying,? she said. ‘I can’t think about it while performing or I will just choke up.?
She admitted the song does empower her. When her voice is tired after cheering and shouting during a softball game, she expects her voice to crack. Her voice comes out flawless when she sings ‘Never Gone.?
Kessler has been singing since she was a little girl and was part of Lake Orion’s choir program for young singers when she was in second grade.
‘My grandfather always called me his little Leann Rimes,? she smiled.
‘Because that’s what I always sang.?
She enjoys singing a little bit of everything and is ready to enter the next competition she hears about.
‘I encourage anyone who is afraid to do it, do it anyway. Do what you love,? she added.
‘I had a friend (who) I had been trying to get to sing for so long. She sings beautifully. I pushed her and pushed her. Then, finally she did it this year. As soon as she got off the stage she said how much fun it was.?
The OHS Student Council hosted the Flint Metro League Talent Show. Each of the league’s 10 schools sent two acts to compete.