Every year, at least one musician’s ambition of earning a record deal is granted by “American Idol,” the popular singing competition on the Fox network. The dreams of many more performers are dashed when a mediocre performance, a bad day for a judge or a fickle audience can mean the end of their time on the show.
For Rachel Hale, a 2009 graduate of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, that moment of truth came in the spring of 2013. Hale made it to the group of Top 20 women on season 12 of the show, singing, laughing and smiling her way to Las Vegas round, the final round before live competition began.
For many contestants, elimination from the show may be considered a setback. For Hale, it was a moment she could build on, to become the kind of musical artist she desired and to use her experience to inspire others. Her time on the show provided her a wealth of opportunities she may not have had otherwise.
One of those opportunities was to become a motivational speaker. Using her singing talent, her vibrant personality and her speaking skills, Hale developed Fingerprints, a character development program that empowers individuals to embrace their unique purpose, develop their potential and leave their mark on the world. She speaks around the country to schools, churches and other organizations.
Hale came back to Hot Springs on Nov. 19 to share her program with ASMSA’s students, faculty and staff. During the program, Hale shared how her experiences on “American Idol” as well as her ASMSA education helped shape her life today.
“ASMSA is an incredible school and is an incredible opportunity to really understand who you are as a human so you can leave your mark on the world,” Hale said. “Each of you has a unique fingerprint. It’s unlike anyone else’s that has lived or will ever live. And you each have a unique purpose. You are meant to leave this fingerprint as a mark on the world.”
Hale used a large vase of seeds to demonstrate the potential of each person in the audience. She held up an apple seed and discussed how such a tiny thing has the potential to grow into a huge, fruit-bearing tree. Hale compared that seed to the students who — with the right nourishment, dedication and vision — could grow to have a great influence on the world.
“We each have this unique potential that is unlike anyone else’s, but we have to develop that and cultivate that,” she said.
To develop that potential, an individual must focus on several areas — their roots, surrounding themselves with the right influences and having the proper guidance and vision among others, she said.
Hale said her roots were her family, her faith, her hometown and her education, beginning with her time at ASMSA. She chose to attend ASMSA because of the arts and humanities opportunities it offered that her home school in Prescott didn’t such as musical theater, choir, band and Folk Music and Acoustics, a class in which students build their own instruments and learn to perform.
“This education is what I draw from so often in life,” she said. While she was on the show, she was attending Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. She was taking classes online while also preparing for the show. The lessons she learned at ASMSA were valuable in helping her keep organized. “Take every moment of this in, soak it all up. You will draw on this again and again. … You’re education is huge toward feeding your potential and feeding your dreams.”
The people we surround ourselves with, what we’re reading, what we’re watching and what we surround ourselves are critical to our potential, she said. Her first semester at school, she hung out with a group of students who were focused more on being social. Instead of studying, she often spent time in the library watching music videos on the computer. At the end of the semester, her grades reflected her lack of focus.
“It was the first time I had earned a C,” she said. Her parents were not pleased. When she returned for her second semester, she changed her routine — studying more, attending tutoring each night, changing who she sat by in class and who she hung out with after classes. Her grades improved dramatically, reflecting the changes she made.
She said that lesson has carried into her life in the music business. She chooses to associate with people who want to be successful and who are working hard toward that goal.
“Your output is directly related to your input,” she said.
Reaching your potential also relies on having the proper guidance and vision. She cited the faculty and staff members who encouraged her to seek out the opportunities to become a songwriter and attend Belmont for its songwriting program that has led to her success today.
“You need to make sure you have good mentors. [ASMSA] teachers are awesome mentors for you guys. They have a job; they went to college; they have a degree. These are people you need to look up to,” she said.
Staying focused on your vision — your perception of yourself and your goals — are important for developing your full potential as well, she said. She related a story of how music company officials on “American Idol” wanted her to choose between being a country or Christian artist. She decided to stick with her vision and her roots.
Two days after that conversation, she chose to stick with her vision and performed “Nothing But the Water,” an a cappella song by Grace Potter. Hale wrote the arrangement, including backing music, for her performance on the show. It drew raves from the judges and was listed as one of the top performances of the entire season by various media. It was the song that provided many other opportunities outside of the show, she said, but it was because she stuck to her vision.
“That was the song I felt that was me as an artist. That was a song that showcased my identity, my heart,” she said.