Shropshire Star

Listen: From Bridgnorth schoolgirl to pop princess in US

She taught herself how to sing and play music as a child, wrote her first musical aged 10 – and now Maisy-Kay Kendrick is hoping to take the American charts by storm.

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The teenage singer, songwriter and pianist has just released her first single, working with writers who have helped the likes of Michael Jackson and Celine Dion.

The 16-year-old grew up in Claverley near Bridgnorth but moved to America with her parents three years ago and immediately began pursuing a career in music.

Her new life is a world away from the sleepy village where she was raised, but she has taken every opportunity the sprawling Southern California city of Los Angeles has thrown her way.

"I have sung all my life and I really fell in love with it after seeing a production of Phantom of the Opera in London," she said.

Maisy-Kay wrote a musical aged 10

"When I came to LA aged 13 with my father I was introduced to a few music executives, including Jeff Norskog, who has worked with the likes of Mariah Carey and J-Lo.

"He heard me sing one day and we discussed the possibility of releasing an album."

Maisy-Kay, who grew up idolising the powerful voice of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury, admits she had no idea what her favourite genre of music was.

She moved to Culver City, which is on the edge of LA, with her family and was home-schooled so she could concentrate on her first album.

It took three years for her to eventually choose her style but now she has released a her first single, Blood Filled Tears, with help from Stuart Bramley, who has written songs for superstars Celine Dion and Michael Jackson.

The management team are in the process of making a video to accompany the release and a full album is due to be finished by the end of the year.

The song was officially launched to the world and now her second single, Enough, has premiered on Yahoo Music.

She said: "Blood Filled Tears is an extremely personal and emotional song for me.

"It came from an experience I went through with a friend and my purpose for writing it, for almost everything I write, is in the hope that it could possibly reach someone else in need of help.

"The songs are for someone in need of a message to get them through life, through a day or through an hour."

Maisy-Kay, who sings mezzo-soprano, attended the former Dower House School in Quatt, near Bridgnorth, and then moved on to Tettenhall College in Wolverhampton.

When she was just 10 years old she wrote her first musical, The Dragon of Mazura Mist, which was performed as a one-off show at the Dower House as part of the school's annual summer production.

She was also a member of Bridgnorth Theatre's Youth on the Steps and took her first LAMDA examination following her lead role in the group's 2008 production of Olivia.

She completed a West End stage course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, gaining a distinction, which culminated in a performance at Her Majesty's Theatre.

"I still love musical theatre and it's definitely something I want to get into in the future," she said.

"My teacher was definitely impressed with my first musical, especially as I wrote it all myself," she added.

"My single has received a good review in Vanity Fair and going forward I would like to sing more live.

"Touring the US would be great, and I still love coming back to England."

Los Angeles maybe a long way from the quaint, quiet and peaceful place in Shropshire she grew up in, but Maisy-Kay holds both places close to her heart.

She visits her friends and family in Claverley once every two months and enjoys the change of scenery.

"Claverley is such a small, quiet and peaceful place," she said.

"Coming to Beverly Hills was a huge change, especially the traffic, which is mad in LA.

"I have settled in America and I really enjoy it here but it's also great to come home to see everyone."

Blood Filled Tears is available for download via iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud.

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