Born and raised near Buckhannon, West Virginia, Skyla Spencer was taught some valuable lessons at an early age. She was encouraged to believe that love is the food for all who wish to grow, family is the foundation for all who aspire to be, and music is the medicine for all who desire to express their hearts. This philosophy has continued to drive her in following her dream of sharing her music with the world.
As a young child, she would spend countless summer evenings by fire light, surrounded by her family, including her parents, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins, singing to the sounds of guitars, banjos, and mandolins. Skyla indicated that “I will never forget how powerful the music was on those hot nights. It was almost like a bonding agent among my family members, strumming our hearts, stirring our emotions, and warming our souls. The more we sang together, the more we embraced each other. For this reason, I continue to rely on my family’s love and support to guide me as I write and perform, even though, today, we are separated by many miles”.
By age five, Skyla was also performing for the congregation at her local church on Sunday mornings in addition to her summer campouts, and, at age 13, was singing with her cousin’s band at local festivals, weddings, and other social events. The stage immediately befriended her, permitting Skyla to develop her own style of writing and performing that would inevitably lead her to follow the path to Nashville in 2002. Growing up listening to many different genres of music, she always came back to her country roots. For this talented young singer, there was something special about the incredible artists who inspired, which include Patsy Cline, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Martina McBride, helping shape her musically in to who she is today.
Prior to her move to Tennessee, Skyla earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Dance and Psychology from West Virginia University. It was while in college that she began to take voice lessons and acting classes, along with becoming involved in dance companies including Mountain Jazz and Orchesis (Modern). At this point, she started writing her own music and choreographing dance routines for her appearances at State Fairs and Festivals.
Having experienced great success with her music at various events, Skyla made the decision in 2000 to record her first CD at a local studio. The album, titled All I Want, contained 14 original compositions. The first release off of this debut project, titled “Hero”, reached #1 on “Indie Tracker”; her follow-up single, “Caught Me Lookin’”, climbed to #1 on “Inside Country”. Her third release, “All I Want”, reached #3 on the “IndieWorld” chart, while "Chuga Choo Choo” reached #1 on the “IndieWorld” chart in 2002.
In June of 2001, Skyla was named “New Female Vocalist of the Year” at the Golden Music Awards held in Nashville. At the same time, she was also maintaining her role as owner and operator of Kelly’s Academy of Dance in her hometown where she taught Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Cheerleading, and Gymnastics. To ensure her spare time was kept to a minimum, the hometown girl also hosted her own local Country/Gospel TV show. “Hosting and performing on my own show not only taught me how to perform, but it taught me how to speak comfortably in front of a camera”, says Skyla. “While I truly loved being a dance instructor, and having my own TV show, I realized that if I really intended to pursue a career as a country music artist, I would have to make a conscious decision to move, not only whole-heartedly, but also geographically, toward it”.
It was only in Nashville where Skyla would realize that she could immerse herself totally in the country music scene, and go after the passion that exuded from her…MUSIC! She believed that if a person has a strong drive and is really passionate about one’s dreams, things will happen. With that, Skyla believed that the key to success was to believe in herself and have faith.
Upon arriving in Music City in her bright yellow car with 2 cats in tow, she landed a job coaching gymnastics for the next 3 years, all the while meeting numerous people in the music business. However, Skyla was determined to hone her craft as a songwriter, singer, and musician. She enrolled in guitar lessons, received vocal coaching from Mandy Barnett, and took dance classes (including Hip Hop), to help her become a better performer. She also attended songwriter workshops, seminars, and artist workshops.
Her current CD, titled You Said You’d Call Me, was released in the summer of 2005. This album features songs that she wrote, many reflecting real life experiences. Skyla indicates that this album “is dedicated to all the people I have lost in my life, and to all the troops who have died fighting for our country”. The song "If I Were Rain" off of this album is featured in the documentary, “Beyond 911.”
www.SkylaSpencer.com |
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