“I dare you to be original, I dare you to be remarkable.”
These are the words of Dare to Be, a song by young Alberta musician Tenille who recently performed for students at Ecole Lacombe Junior High School as part of her Play it Forward tour.
Tenille said that the tour name is a play off the idea of paying it forward and is about a little more than just music.
“Play it Forward is about encouraging kids to do whatever they love and then take that and play it forward and help other people.”
Like many musicians, Tenille was introduced to music at a very young age. Growing up in Grande Prairie, she started singing when she was five and has been playing guitar and writing songs since she was 14.
“Music has been a huge part of my life.”
Throughout her life, Tenille has always been attracted to music. She said that, now, she uses music as a way to express herself, reach out and connect with others.
Tenille also said that it is her deep passion for music that has allowed her to make a career out of it, even at the young age of 19.
“This has been such a huge goal and vision for me,” she said.
“I feel like there has been a lot of focus towards growing this, even at a young age, into a career.”
Following one’s passion is part of the message that Tenille was sharing with the students of Ecole Lacombe Junior High School. She encouraged students to be themselves and find some way to be original.
She added that she hopes doing this will inspire the students and help instill confidence in them to realize themselves to their fullest potential.
“It’s so important to be able to find something that you love to do whether that is a sport or music or art,” said Tenille.
“It’s so important to set goals for yourself and work towards something.”
Tenille also said that she enjoys working with children because of the great potential that they have. She added that she loves being able to perform for and work with kids to encourage that kind of growth, which she said is important to have all through life.
Presenting an important message to students, rather than just performing for entertainment’s sake, is something new for Tenille and it is the focus of her Canada-wide tour.
While it may be a new experience, the pairing is one that Tenille is clearly comfortable with and she said can only help her in her career.
“I feel that garnering experience in music while carrying a message with it definitely goes hand in hand.”