Raise Our Voices: Lauren Howard

Striving to be a better advocate, Starlight wants to use our theatre platform to share diverse voices. We recently offered students with a connection to Starlight’s community engagement programs the opportunity to share what they are feeling through a filmed performance at Starlight. In our first “Raise Our Voices” video, 2017 Vincent Legacy Scholar Lauren Howard of Lee’s Summit, Mo., chose to share a powerful song by British singer/songwriter Emeli Sandé, “Read All About It (pt. III).”

“The Black Lives Matter protests have become very crucial in our stand against racial discrimination,” Lauren said. “I chose ‘Read All About It’ to remind Black people to speak out and to not get discouraged.”

Lauren found the power of music when she was young. Since winning the Vincent Legacy Scholarship in 2017, she’s continued vocal training and attends the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She’s a hard worker but acknowledges that it’s best to find a healthy balance between work and time for yourself. Lauren loves both writing and performing and hopes that she can continue to bring smiles and tears to others through her music.

“I want the world to be nice and love each other,” Lauren said. “Let people express themselves without judgment. Start listening to people and learn about them.”

The first step to a better world? Communication. Lauren knows that taking a second to sit down and have a conversation with someone could make a huge difference. She said that, in the last few weeks, she’s learned to be proud of herself. We’re proud of you, too, Lauren, and can’t wait to see what your future holds.

See Lauren’s full performance here:

Stay tuned for more from Lauren soon—she’s currently working on a new EP to be released next year! We can’t wait to hear it.