玛丽德斯蒙德, 大二学生, brings something to campus that most students don’t: 58,000名推特粉丝.
作为一个年轻的唱片艺术家, 德斯蒙德, 20, appeared on American Idol in 2015-16 和 got the golden ticket to go to Hollywood Week before being axed.
“Auditioning for the celebrity judges was the most nervous I’ve ever been, but it was fun to be with people who have the same strong passion for music that I do,德斯蒙德说. “It was cool to see the process of filming.”
德斯蒙德 comes from a family of strong Christian values—和 music. Her older brother is a worship leader at a Mission Viejo church, 和 her younger brother performs in musical theater, 就像玛丽从小做的那样.
“I was not a shy child at all,她说。. “I worked in musical theater 和 at Legol和 doing shows, singing 和 dancing.”
She grew up around her parents’ non-profit organization—a rehabilitation center for brain-injured people—和 in a Christian school which deepened her faith.
Concordia teaches you how to be successful in the industry 和 make a living in it. 这让我非常兴奋.
“Having a Bible class every day 和 being set in that way really helped me in my walk with God,德斯蒙德说. “From early on I was interested in music 和 singing 和 using that gift in church. A really pure way to worship God 和 connect with God is through music.”
At age 13 she transitioned from playing kid parts in musical theater to writing songs, playing guitar 和 posting her music on YouTube.
“一开始很吓人, but I didn’t know if anybody would watch it anyway, 所以我做是因为我喜欢,她说。.
她的表弟, 婚礼摄影师, 帮她制作了一些视频, 戴斯蒙德开始有了粉丝群, 特别是当, 作为一名高中新生, she made a music video of a popular new song before the original artist did.
“That brought a lot of views 和 YouTube subscribers,她说。. “我们都在为它欢呼. 这是一个很酷的时刻.”
德斯蒙德 kept up with dem和, creating more videos 和 live-streaming herself singing 和 playing. Her American Idol appearance gave her national attention.
说到社交媒体, I try my hardest to be myself 和 not compromise my values to get likes or followers,她说。. “I stick to what I believe 和 how I want to be presented. I’m very public about my faith, so I am careful with the words I use 和 the things I post. I know people are looking who might not know Jesus, 和 they might see something they want to be part of.”
德斯蒙德 chose to enroll 在欧文的康考迪亚大学 because she had heard about the新音乐大楼 和 商业音乐节目, 和 wants to build a lifelong career in the industry.
“Concordia teaches you how to be successful in the industry 和 make a living in it,德斯蒙德说. “这对我来说非常令人兴奋.”
德斯蒙德 is clear-eyed about the shelf life of many pop stars.
“The entertainment industry is short-lived. I don’t know how long performing will last,德斯蒙德说. “There are so many one-hit wonders 和 you never hear of them again. Knowing that, I really think I have gained a more realistic approach to the industry. It’s best to put your work in 和 reach for your goals but also have an underst和ing that if you want this as a life career, you’re going to have to do more than one thing. 这就是现实. If the performing part of my life goes away, I want to be prepared with skills to be a producer, 或者是老师, 和 have different facets of what I can do. That’s why I chose to go to school 和 continue to pursue music on the side as well.”
If the performing part of my life goes away, I want to be prepared with skills to be a producer, 或者是老师, 和 have different facets of what I can do. That’s why I chose to go to school 和 continue to pursue music on the side as well.
除了学习音乐理论, 耳朵训练和音乐制作技巧, 德斯蒙德 sings in 欧文康考迪亚大学’s 商业音乐合奏 和 唱诗班.
“Our concerts have been so much fun because we do so many different types of music, 比如流行音乐和老歌,她说。. “I can’t stop dancing 和 smiling the whole time during rehearsal 和 when performing.”
德斯蒙德’s YouTube videos have drawn millions of views, but she is just as interested in having “a fun college experience.”
“I’ve loved being at Concordia because it’s so Christ-centered,德斯蒙德说. “I’ve met so many wonderful, Jesus-loving people that I will call friends the rest of my life. I’ve gotten the chance to serve on worship team, 和 that’s something I wouldn’t find at a lot of other schools. Concordia is a community where people are really focused on Christ 和 showing God’s love. It’s important especially in our young adult years to have that foundation set. I am really thankful that God worked it out this way.”
This summer 德斯蒙德 will take a break from her typical summer employment— working at her parents’ charity—to sing at the LCMS’ National Youth Gathering in Minneapolis. Then it will be back to school in the fall.
“I’m really excited for what my life looks like right now at Concordia,她说。. “I really do love Concordia so much, 和 I’m excited for my life after graduation, too. I’m not sure exactly what it will look like, 但我会继续追求我的激情, put out my own music 和 see where that takes me.”