Cheyenne Leah's Story
Cheyenne Leah discovered her passion for music at a young age. She was only in first grade. At that time, her school was having an assembly. All the students on the honor roll were put into a drawing, those picked received prizes. Cheyenne’s name was drawn. Her prize was a small blue radio with headphones. She didn’t know it then, but that was the start of her passion for music.
Cheyenne Leah grew up with a very strict mother. Music was not allowed if it wasn’t her mother’s church music. So, when Cheyenne received her radio she knew she would have to keep it a secret. She kept that secret for twelve years. After so many years, she can still remember the first time she turned on that radio, sitting in her closet so no one else could hear, that radio played ‘Don’t Speak’ by No Doubt. From that day on, hearing music was what she looked forward to and slowly but surely she began teaching herself to sing in her closet or outside behind the bushes. When she wasn’t playing the radio and singing along, she was daydreaming, coming up with music ideas and lyrics, imagining being on a stage or in a studio performing them.
Growing up Cheyenne always felt like an outcast. She didn’t have many friends, this caused her to feel very much alone and depressed. But after the constant bullying she went through at school she had hope, because she knew she could listen to her radio and sing as soon as she got home. This made her feel she’d be okay. Music saved her. It was a healing for her soul.
After twelve years she finally felt like she could share her secret. Her father was the first person she ever told. At first, he didn’t really think much of it, because at that point, he had never heard her sing. A few days later, she sent him a video. The video was just a black screen but there was singing in the background. Cheyenne’s father thought it was someone else’s voice and that she was just messing with him, but after she sent a second video with her face in it while she sang, he knew it was actually her. He was shocked, all these years he had no idea his daughter could sing, and not only that, but she was really good at it.
Cheyenne’s father became her number one fan, helping her get the music equipment she needed in order to pursue her dream. He encouraged her to start a YouTube channel and begin doing cover songs. While building her Youtube channel, Cheyenne was also taking music and singing courses through Pima Community College and later, Berklee College of Music. She traveled to different cities for open mics, as well as, auditioning for tv shows such as, The Voice and American Idol. After all this, she realized it was finally time to start creating her own original songs. This is the start of that.
Cheyenne Leah’s voice has been described as being similar to that of Lana Del Rey. She hopes to captivate people in her music and to inspire others. ‘It’s not a bad thing to be different, let your uniqueness shine’.