Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Girl, 14, gets song aired on radio, published on iTunes
NEW GARDEN >> When Felicia Berrier started singing at a talent show when she was in first grade at Greenwood Elementary School, she knew her voice was something special.
Now in eighth grade at Kennett Middle School, Felicia Berrier has written and produced a single for iTunes, and that single, “Figure It Out,” aired this week on 93.7 WSTW.
“I’ve been writing (music) since I was 12,” said Felicia, 14, who has mastered the piano. “I think I have a very musical-oriented head. I always get my emotions out with the piano. It makes me feel better.”
Felicia said she got the idea for the hit single when she was at class in Kennett Middle School and heard other students spread rumors about her.
“They twisted everything I said,” she said. “It got me mad. The song is a collection of my emotion toward it. Picking up the pieces is the first line. The chorus says how you can figure it out. And some aspects of (the song) are about getting into a fight with my mom.”
One verse of the song is especially telling:
“How’d the words get out my mouth, how did they get around?
Was it your fault or the ground, that breaks between us?
Once it got to your mouth, did you hear an unheard sound?
How did you figure it out? How did you figure it out?
How did you figure it out?”
Earlier this year, Andrew Miller, managing director at the Kennett Flash, learned about Berrier’s talent and invited her to perform. The show was a huge success and she has been invited to perform and headline at the Flash in June.
Felicia Berrier began playing piano in kindergarten, and although she took piano lessons, she proudly claims to be self-taught. When her hands touch the keys, there is no hesitation, and she emits a brave confidence. She says she is comfortable in front of crowds.
“I can compose music with the help of technology, but this song was created from piano and paper and my voice,” she said.
Melissa Berrier, Felicia’s mother, is her biggest fan.
“This past summer, she did Karaoke Night, and she blew them away,” she said. “They were screaming and yelling. I think that’s what gave her the inspiration to realize she could really do this.”
Felicia Berrier recorded the song at a Wilmington, Delaware studio over four days.
She played piano and sang the lyrics, and it was put into a computer which added keyboards, drums and percussion.
In early May, the song was released on iTunes, and the next day it went on Spotify. Because she is underage, her mother is her publisher, but she will be paid royalties on the song in perpetuity.
Felicia Berrier has written hundreds of songs, and she says they just pop into her head most of the time. With the help of a songwriting app, she is able to get words to rhyme.
“Melodies come to my head naturally,” she said. “A song pops into my head and I just work with it.”
Felicia was in orchestra at Kennett Middle School, but had to quit to focus on her music.
“My plan is to become a recording artist, but I know sometimes you can’t make much money off it, so my backup plan is to be a music teacher,” she said.
Before the end of the year, Felicia plans to record an entire album. In the meantime, she said many people, even three of her teachers, have purchased her song off iTunes.