Sophomore Anna Barton to sing at Cabaret Night

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Photo Credit: Hailey Nirenberg

Sharing her talent with others, this will be sophomore Anna Barton’s fourth public performance.

A breakout star that captures the hearts of people with her music. Or an idol topping the charts with hit after hit.  Could we have a future star walking the halls of a small high school in Glen Rock, NJ?

Anna Barton is currently a sophomore at Glen Rock High School, and she has been singing ever since she could talk.

“I used to just write songs in my head when I was little, just sing whatever I wanted to sing,” said Anna.

Singing has been shown to let people express their emotions and break away from the stress of their everyday lives. “I sang because it was a way to let out what I was feeling,” said Anna. “Even at a young age, singing was a way to let off my emotions.”

Anna has been singing for a very long time, but she didn’t start singing in front of a crowd until the 7th grade, just three years ago. “Rock Idol was the first time I sang in front of people, in 7th grade,” said Barton. ”I was scared to death. And even though I was really nervous, it was really cool, and I realized how much I loved to do it [sing].”

Anna has only sung in front of an audience three times, once in 7th grade at the Glen Rock Middle School’s Rock Idol event, once in 8th grade in Show Choir at a Glen Rock Middle School spring concert, and once in 9th grade at a fundraiser at the High School for the Christopher Barron Live Life Foundation.

“I started to realize I had a special talent, and I started to realize how much it had an impact on my life, and how much I needed to sing in order to be happy,” said Anna.

“I’m so proud of Anna for finally realizing her talent and overcoming her fear of singing in front of an audience,” said fellow Glen Rock High School sophomore student Sydney Struble.

On October 23rd, the high school will host a “Cabaret Night.” Students will display their musical talents in front of an audience. “Cabaret Night” will be Anna’s 4th performance in front of a crowd, and she is singing Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae, accompanied by Glen Rock High School junior Blythe Owen on guitar.

“I’m not nervous at all actually,” said Anna. “I get nervous a few minutes before I go on, but once I start to sing it’s like the crowd isn’t even there.”

Anna would love to pursue a career in singing, but for now she is mainly focused on her schoolwork.

As a new artist that’s starting to break out of her shell, Anna has one piece of advice for people like her who only sang to themselves in the shower, “Don’t let your fears stop you, there’s nothing in the world that should stop you. If you really want to do something, then do it.”