Teen to perform in Anderson

Down home:
Summer Schappell, 15, of Redding relaxes behind the chutes at the Bobby Jones Arena.

Shasta County's own, 15-year-old Summer Schappell, will be sharing her talent with attendees the Home and Garden Show this weekend, March 28-29, at the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson. She is sponsored at this event by T.A. Schmidt Photography of Redding.

Schappell, who was born and raised in Redding, recently opened a local concert for country singer Josh Turner in February.

She is currently a sophomore at Enterprise High School where she is a second-year member of the show group Enterprise Starship. Normally, freshmen don't make it into the group. Fortunately, Schappell was accepted and has now been with the group for nearly two years. She is the first back-up singer.

Although she could have had a lead spot, Schappell said she did not want to try out for the solo parts. Instead, she wanted to give other students the chance to experience her passion in life. She is very dedicated to the Enterprise Starship and travels with the group to various events.

As a young child, Schappell can remember always wanting to sing and entertain. Her first stage was a coffee table in the home of her grandparents, Bill and Kay Schappell of Redding.

She would stand on top of the table, singing into a plastic microphone with a cord that was endless. That endless microphone cord has led Schappell to where she is now and pointed her to where she wants to go in the future.

Her first big performance was at Bethel Christian School during a Christmas program. Schappell attended the school from preschool through sixth grade. Schappell then attended University Preparatory school for two years while participating in the choir programs and dance programs taught respectively by Brad Flower and James Santos.

When Schappell was 9, she began singing and dancing with the group Kids Unlimited. She took part in that group's annual summer music and dance extravaganza as well as in various after-school programs. She has been with the group for six years.

Taking part in Kids Unlimited has been an invaluable experience for Schappell as it has made her more comfortable up on stage and helped to build her confidence. Besides performing with the group, Schappell is a student teacher and choreographer for the group.

When deciding which high school to attend, she made a deal with her grandparents. The deal was that if she did not make it into the Enterprise Starship group, she would stay at University Preparatory High School in Redding.

Schappell began the recording process of her first album in March 2008 when she received her sheet music from Nashville. In April, Schappell recorded the instrumentals and, in May, she recorded her master vocals, a process that took only two days of intense studio work.

She received the final master recording in September 2008 and the final album came out in January.

None of the vocals on the project were enhanced, she said. "They are all original."

The album is a Limited Edition, Signature Series, dedicated to her first fans of 2008-09.

Schappell was asked to open for Josh Turner in February when she let a friend listen to her new album. Her friend passed it on to Mesa Productions and they liked what they heard.

"When Mesa Productions called and asked if I would be willing to open for Josh Turner, I was shocked," Schappell said. "It was the greatest thing ever! It was surreal."

"I spent a lot of time working on my songs and stage work. I wasn't real sure how the audience would react," the young performer stated. "The audience was great! They were warm, welcoming and all-around wonderful."

For Schappell, her biggest fans and supporters have always been her family and friends. On a professional level, Schappell's biggest inspiration has always been Taylor Swift.

"Not because of her voice," Schappell explained, "but because her songs are so relateable and she is down to earth. I admire that in a person."

Schappell practices singing for approximately an hour each day, but is often caught by her grandparents singing while she is doing other things at home.

Her favorite subjects in school are choir and history. In her spare time, while not performing or practicing, Schappell enjoys spending time with her best friend Brooke, going shopping and texting messages.

"I am starting to realized that the work I have ahead of me has barely begun," said Schappell, "Recording is a big process. I want everything to be just right."

In the future, Schappell would like to become a household name in the Country music industry, being able to travel and perform and still be able to come back to the North State knowing that people will treat her the same as they would anyone else.

Schappell's producer is Ron Cornelius of Nashville and her manager is Cindy Rutenschroer of Oroville. This past weekend, Schappell did a show in Oroville along with spending time talking to fans before and after the event.

After graduating high school in 2011, Schappell would like to attend Vanderbuilt University in Nashville, majoring in music.

On June 27, Schappell will be joined by her band from Nashville for a special home-town performance at the Cascade Theatre in Redding to kick off her inaugural album's summer concert tour of five dates.

At some point down the road, Schappell would like to be able to sing with her favorite recording artists including Keith Urban and Taylor Swift, among others.

Another goal that Schappell would like to pursue is being able to perform for U.S. troops serving in Iraq with other recording artists.

"I totally support our troops, I would go over and sing for them in a heartbeat if someone asked me to," said Schappell.