Northwestern Middle School student Kaylin McClure has been signing and humming her whole life but only recently began taking signing lessons and thinking about a career in music.

Last month the 11-year-old made a name for herself when she won in the 18 and under division after singing Heart’s “Barracuda” at the KenneSong state-wide singing contest.

“I grew up listening to classic rock with my parents, and I love it,” Kaylin said. “I love music and singing because there are so many possibilities with it.”

The songstress said her favorite musicians are Carrie Underwood, Patsy Cline, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin.

Kaylin’s parents, Jim and Karen, and her older sister Ashleigh all say they are supportive of Kaylin’s hopes to make it big.

“She’s always been really musically inclined,” Jim said. “This is her thing, and it’s our job to expose Kaylin and Ashleigh to as much as we can. She’s really grasped onto this.”

The sixth grader, who is a cheerleader for the Milton Junior Eagles, has recently performed at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Florida and at Swallow at the Hollow in Roswell.

“We took her to sing karaoke to build her confidence, and she got a large following of people who fell in love with her,” Karen said. “She’s really started to build a fan base.”
Kaylin started a YouTube page for her music, and her videos have already had more than 1,500 views.
Visit www.youtube.com/user/kaylinmccluremusic to see her videos. She also has a following on her “Kaylin McClure’s Music” page at www.facebook.com.

As a prize for winning the contest, the Kaylin received free studio time with a professional producer.

Kaylin, who has recently begun teaching herself to play guitar, plans to use her studio time to record a new song from local artist and songwriter Derek Toomey.

The Milton resident plans to record an EP with four or five songs in the next few weeks, and she said she hopes to have a career in music.

Kaylin will also be performing at this year’s Milton Roundup on Oct. 23 at Birmingham United Methodist Church.