Even though her first solo on a big stage terrified her, Rachael Remlinger is now a singing veteran at age 14. Photo by Phil Houseal
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To contact the Remlingers, call 992-3007.
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Rachael Remlinger
by Phil Houseal
July 11, 2007
The first time she officially sang solo in public she was "terrified."
It was the big Country Showdown competition at the Gillespie County Fair, and little Rachael Remlinger was all of 11 years old.
"I'm not going to lie... I was terrified," she said. "It was my first time to perform in front of a big crowd. I did not know how they would react, I had never done that before, and then, I was being judged."
Rachael sang Martina McBride's "Broken Wings." While she didn't win the competition, on that day she won her confidence and conviction that singing was something she wanted to pursue.
Bruce and Kim Remlinger's little girl had been singing since she was 4 years old. One day, as her daughter piped up in the back seat of the car, Kim wondered if little Rachael's voice might be something special.
"I always felt she had a really good voice," Kim said. "But I wondered, am I just a mom that thinks my child can sing?"
Kim decided to take her to Jeryl Hoover, Artistic Director of the Fredericksburg Theater Company, for a second, honest opinion.
"He said, she does have the ability to sing, if that's what she wants to do. But it has to be her decision."
Her decision was to try out for a part in the musical Annie.
Her mom remembers 9-year-old Rachael clinging to her leg at the auditions.
"I told her that she would have to go out there by herself - she couldn't hang on me," Kim recalled. Rachael did just that, winning a part as an orphan, and "from that moment, she was a totally different person."
"She just blossomed," Kim said. "She came out of her shell. She loved the applause, and the theater part of it."
From that start, people kept coming up to the family urging them to let more people hear her sing.
That led to the annual country singing competition, where she didn't win, but sang well enough to solicit an offer from a manager.
For now, Rachael is content performing locally. All of age 14, she has performed at Hondo's, and sang with the Sentimental Journey orchestra at several public functions.
The shy girl who clung to her mother's skirts is now a confident stage performer.
"Right now I'm thinking it's really something I want to pursue," Rachael said. "I guess I like the attention. I like pleasing people with my singing. When I get applause and acceptance from them, it feels nice and I enjoy it."
Rachael's confidence on stage still bewilders the person who first recognized her talent.
"It still amazes me that she will get up and sing for 600, 1000 people," said her mother, shaking her head.
"Is that a problem?" Rachael asked.
Apparently, not any more.
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