Thanks Hilary Duff.

"Someone's watching over me"...

You probably already guessed who I'm writing about based on the title and photo at the top of this blog post. But if you haven't, let me tell you who this is about. Hilary Duff.

Yes. The same girl who starred as "Lizzie McGuire" on the Disney Channel. The same girl who sang "So Yesterday", "My Lips Are Sealed", and "Fly". Hilary Duff is the woman who inspired me to work towards who I want to be, and who I am today. I could have chosen to write about my mom, or my aunt, or another strong female family member. But I thought that idea was too cliche and overdone. I genuinely chose to write about Hilary Duff because she is the first recording artist I have ever seen in concert, and she is the first female artist I've looked up to throughout my whole childhood. She is the artist of the one song that turned my whole life around back in elementary school. You wanna know more? Here's the story...

Picture this. A 12-year-old, sweet, gentle girl with thick, wavy brown hair down to her shoulders and big brown eyes. She is shy around others but when she's home with her family she loves singing out loud and listening to her favourite pop artists like Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, and... you guessed it... Hilary Duff.

Everyday she would walk down the hallways of her elementary school to go to class. Within those halls were kids who would make fun of her for being quiet. When she did speak up, they would call her stupid. So she stayed silent for the majority of her time at school. She would always be left out of conversations and recess games. Even when she tried to fit in, she couldn't. She would always come home crying to her mother about why she couldn't be like the other kids and why they didn't like her. At one point, this sweet girl told her mom that she didn't want to exist anymore. Dealing with bullies and alienation on a daily basis since she was 7 years old was emotionally traumatic and overwhelming for her. She never found the strength to stand up to the other kids, until one day.

She signed up to sing in the school's Talent Show, open for students in grades 6 to 8 to perform any talent they may have like, singing, dancing, juggling, playing an instrument... you know, the usual. Anyways, this girl thought to herself, "no one here like's my anyways. I've got nothing to lose".

Fast forward to the day of the talent show. When it was her turn to perform, she stepped up on stage in a white a-line dress that went down to her knees, and was lined with a pastel pink floral patter around the hem. She took the microphone, waited for the instrumental music to play through the gym speakers, and she started to sing. She was terrified but calm. She was nervous but excited. Singing always made her happy, and that's what she decided to focus on in that moment. Moreover, the song she chose to sing at the talent show always made her feel safe, so she chose to perform it that night. Can you guess what song it was? No? Well okay, fine, I'll tell you. She sang, "Someone's Watching Over Me" by Hilary Duff. And if you haven't caught on by now, that little girl was me.

My intentions to perform in the talent show was to finally make myself happy, and to prove to myself that I don't care what other people think or say about me. This was my time to shine. That night was definitely a turning point in my life, for the better. All the kids started to act nice towards me. All the kids who used to bully me were suddenly chasing after my friendship. All of these kids started including me in their conversations and recess games. Some of the boys would walk with me to class and carry my textbooks. Some of the girls would ask me to hang out with them after school. I was finally treated the way I've always dreamed of being treated by my peers. I never thought this was going to be the result that came after performing in the talent show, but it was.

You may ask, how is Hilary Duff mixed up in all of this? Well, remember when I said she was the first artist I ever went to see in concert? Since that night, I imagined myself on stage performing for the world and singing my heart out. I've always loved to sing but had no idea I could make a career out of it. Since attending Hilary Duff's concert, I was determined to be on stage for the rest of my life.

And I did it... for the most part.

I played in many musicals when I was in high school, through a private musical theatre company called Marquee Productions. I played Rusty in Footloose, I played Adelaide in Guys & Dolls, and I played the baker's daughter, one of the wolves, and the pepper shaker in Beauty & the Beast. Alongside that, I competed and won two local singing competitions for the Jewish Community in Toronto, two years apart.

Unfortunately, I took a break when it came to post-secondary school because my parents wanted me to get a degree in something other than music as a "back-up plan". So fast forward to the present day and I am a university graduate from a BBA (Bachelor's of Business Administration) program. BUT... now I am getting back into the music and entertainment industry in full force. People say my singing resembles Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson, and Christina Aguilera because of my vocal range and powerhouse of a voice. Nevertheless, I will always remember the first artist who inspired me, who made me realize who I am and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The one artist who indirectly cracked me out of my shell and made me believe that being different is a good thing, and I should love myself for every thing that I am, and who I will become...

... Thanks Hilary Duff.