Powerhouse singer, Lena Preslar, talks about her singing journey.

Hey everybody welcome back to Local Music Somewhere. I’m Jess with rBeatz and today in the studio I have the one and only Lena Presler. Lena how’s it going??

It’s good!

Good so you guys, I wanted to bring Lena on the show today because she’s a phenomenal singer. She has been, I actually was a vocal coach for a good, good long while. And she’s been with me since she was, I think what, eight or nine, something like that.

Very long time.

But let me tell you, a powerhouse singer, absolutely talented, so fun to work with. And she’s making moves and doing a lot. And I thought it would just be so fun to have a super singer on the show today.

So after we talk for a little bit she’s gonna perform the National Anthem for us. But in the meantime, Lena, just tell me a little bit about yourself.

So I’m Lena Pressler. I’m 16 and I’m also Miss Stanley County’s teen. I actually worked with Jess to go over my song for last year’s competition and this year’s competition. She helped me cut my track this year and make sure everything was perfect. So I’m very very thankful for her. and yeah.  

Yeah, you do a lot too, like you’re also a swimmer, you know, it really helps with the lungs and keeping the singing in shape and all of that stuff.So just, that’s great. So I wanna talk about the act of singing with you. When you, and you’ve been singing probably since you could make noises. Like we, I’m not even gonna ask you, how did you start? ‘Cause it’s gonna be like, I was a baby, singing riffs and whatever. right? But I want to know, you know, what is singing? It’s a gift, right? What does it mean to you to maybe have that? Like music in general or just, you know, singing?

It means everything. Music is a very, very big part of my life. If I’m going anywhere, I have to have the music on. I have to be listening to a song every single second of the day.Right now is one of the rare times I’m not listening to music. Just being able to sing and be able to share my gift with everyone, it really it helps me through the day and it helps me know that I’m doing something and I’m showing off the gift that God gave me.

That is so great. So I know we have sung so many different styles in our sessions. Like we’ve done R&B, jazz, to pop, there’s some musical theater stuff in there, we’ve done some rock songs, you actually were in a rock band for a short stint there, and it’s not even like your preferred style, but you still went for it, you know what I mean? So you can do it all, but I wanna know what are your favorite styles to sing?

 Like, what do you like the best?

Right now, probably pop, because of all the new hits going on right now, but overall definitely R&B like old Whitney, Mariah. That’s actually some of the songs that I sang with you to begin with yeah and I’m still working on my high school graduation song “Vanishing”  

That’s right we have this running thing in our sessions or in our classes where we’re preparing this song“Vanishing” by Mariah Carey which is I think track five on her debut album. And it is tough, OK? But Lena’s over here playing the keys and singing at the same time. And we had this little pact that’s like,OK, by the time you graduate, you’re going to be able to play and sing this whole thing. So it is an intense song. If you haven’t heard that, definitely listen to the last bit of that. It’s really insane.So that’s probably the hardest song, you think?

Yeah, definitely. For me. anyway.  

Yeah, it’s gonna be different depending on the person, but so you’ve sung at lots of different places in different types of events, and we’re gonna get into that here in a second, but can you tell me maybe a memorable performance that you’ve had recently, or not even recently, but just something that really sticks out?

So in October is when I had the Miss Stanley County pageant,and I sang, “She Used to BeMine” from The Musical Waitress, and . the funny part about that is my miss sang that song for her arts night in theater and we didn’t know that we were gonna win together and so I texted her like the day before and I was like oh by the way I stole your song I’m gonna be singing it at Miss Stanley County and she was like oh you’re good I’m sure you’re gonna do amazing and I worked with our theater teacher the entire time in preparation to make sure my stage presence was good to get into the character because it is a musical theater song and let me tell you something about my theater teacher.He does not give out compliments. You have to like pull his teeth to get a compliment out of him. It’s when you get a compliment it means something and as soon as I got off that stage he came up and gave me a hug and said good job kiddo and that has been one of the biggest impacts of my life. I think that’s why it’s so memorable to me because that’s the first time he’s ever told me good job. And I think that’s gonna stick with me for a while.  

Yeah, yeah, powerful words. I mean, and you know what, you’ve had those type of unique comments throughout your life because,you know, typically, you know, a talented person, you know, they become aware of that kind of at a young age. You know, you hear other parents go, “Whoa, man, how does that?” They used to say about her, “How does that big voice come out of this little body?” I mean, like, she, powerhouse, you know. Let me just veer off into the one moment that I can bring up which is your little brush in with Alicia Keys okay let’s do a little vignette she’s nine years old so at the music school that I had I formed a little rock band but it was a girl rock band group or girl band whatever and they decided to play Girl on Fire and we went out to this coffee shop and I gotCharlie on the guitar and we’ve got Eden on keys and then Sarah’s back there on the jump and then Lena’s up front and she’s just like this girl is on fire but like full full on and everyone’s like who is this so anyways a friend of a friend worked for The Voice and they were doing a women’s history month little promo and they had seen her video and reached out and said we want the girls to do like a littleextra special video with Alicia tell me about that like what was that like for you.

Well that was a time I remember I remember having to take that video and I think it took us all day to record that video we even made a blooper video that lasted longer than the actual video itself it’s gold definitely my favorite quote from that would be me saying hello world because we couldn’t figure out what else we were gonnasay in a moment it was I think it was Eden saying, “I want to tell the world that,” and then it went silent for like five seconds and I just blurted out,”Hello world!” I think I should start bringing that back out.  

I think so.

Say hello world. But in the video that she sent back to us, she said the word impossible is not real,it’s just I’m possible. And I remember that even though Iwas like nine or ten years old, I was very very little.  

Yeah but to hear somebody like of that kind of star quality specifically talk to you and we got to watch her react to Lena singing and all the girls playing and she’s just was loving I thought it was such a really cool thing to have it at a young age you know one of those little moments that youjust don’t forget so

I’m very much look up to her still but even then I looked up to her so much and they hear that I come from her was just, it was unreal.  

Yeah, a truly great girl power moment, really. So, now, I wanna talk about all the different places you sing, okay? I mean, you’ve really done almost every kind of event there is, I mean, happy and sad and all of that, weddings, funerals, games, everything. So, what kind of places have you performed at? Tell us.

Almost everywhere.I’ve flown to Pennsylvania to sing before the National Anthem at the Hincapie Gran Fondo. I sing at a bunch of those races. I sing the national anthem at a lot of places. Actually, this April, April 4th, I think I’m gonna be singing the national anthem at the Credit One Charleston Stadium for the Tennis Open Finals,so I’m very excited for that. I went last year and the year before to go sing there as well. But I think out of all the songs that I sing,I think I sing mostly like the national anthem. And I think that gets me like all over the place and I love it.  

It does. I mean, when I think about it, you guys have driven out and gone out to sing.

 People want her to do the national anthem at all types of events. It’s really cool. It’s like… she’s this little jet setter kid that’s going around and singing. I just think it’s great. You guys will definitely get to hear that at the end too.So, we also have a picture of you performing in a different group. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. This is the rock group, you know, for Earth Day Jam. Yeah, there we go. So, in that band, you’ve done quite a few. bands with our group and everything, that was a pretty rock and roll situation for you.How did you like doing that gig?

I liked it. It was a lot different than what I’ve done before, but that just widens my range, and that really helps me to become who I am now.

That’s what I love about you, and I’ve always said this, is you’re a very open student, as far as being coachable and really trying to take. take you know advice you know from people and kind of tweak as you go.And you doing different genres is only going to be a good thing as a vocalist. So I’m always very proud that you’ve never just been like I’m not going to do that because I just don’t like the way it is right. So that’s great.So what I want to get to is the very latest. What’s going on with you right now? We were talking about you are Miss Stanley County Teen 2020. But what else is going on with you musically? You know you sing in places. I always want to get her to write some music and that’ll happen one day, but tell me what’s going on.

I actually wrote a song last year and I performed it in church. I called it Speak Jesus, but I’m gonna have to change it a little bit more if I want to get it published or something, but I wrote that song. song around Mother’s Day,I think it was a few days before Mother’s Day. One of my like church friends and family, like I consider everybody in my church family. And one of my church friends had been kidnapped on that Friday from school. And I remember I was feeling very helpless ’cause I couldn’t do anything about it.And I went to my room and I locked myself in my room and I wrote that song and she was found, she was perfectly unharmed, which is very thankful for her. She was down in Alabama and she came to that church that Sunday and I remember looking out into the crowd ’cause I was about to perform it and I saw her and I said why I wrote it and she started crying and had to turn away ’cause I was gonna start cryingI didn’t see.  

Oh my

So, that’s probably my most recent, like, I guess one of the biggest things I’ve done because it takes a lot to write a song and 

And to share it,

And to have, like, the motivation to finish a song. That’s something I need to get again, but–

That’s great. You always tend to do that. Like, you will kind of want to–give to someone. I’ve noticed like, even when you were little, one of the first requests you had was like, “I wanna learn this song because it’s my grandma’s favorite. “I’m gonna surprise her with it.” So like that’s always been the thing. Or like if a friend has something going on and you wanna support them or whatever, you’re there and you’re there at family events.And like I said, weddings and if somebody needs something done at a funeral, all those things. I think that’s really cool that you’re… you’re up for anything and that you do all that. So what I kinda wanna do now is, since I’ve got a singer in the house, I want to talk about the weird ways singers communicate with each other, okay? So if you’re a singer, you know it’s a lot of mimicking and it’s a lot of weird analogies to give–

It’s a different language.

It is, right? And so you have to open up a certain way, you have to think a certain way to get these riffs. So. So let me just give you a little excerpt of what we’ve done in the past. So yes, you can read sheet music, that is all fine and dandy. But we have other ways that are a little bit simpler before you do all that. This little shape right here, I’m thinking the camera picks it up. Johnny, let me know if I’m not good. But this right here is how we’ll notate our little sound. So when you see something like, (singing) you can see the notes and then you speed them up. So you got your,(singing) and that’s how we teach what’s called melismas, you know, like riffs and runs and stuff for our R&B. So what I want you to do, Lena, is let’s just kind of show them how we shadow on harmony. So when you see an image like this, this one’s a simple one, not like the Yabba song we did, which was like this (scribbles). Okay, we’re not doing that today. We’re just going to show them how we communicate with this.

So after me. me, ♪ Ha, ha, ha ♪ One more time. ♪ Ha, ha ♪ oohh, and then we have a third harmony on the top. Singing is so much about the ears too.Remember how much ear training we would have to do? Yeah, dough to dough at the top, dough to dough. Do you still do that now that I’m not down there with you?

I would wanna say yes, then I’d be lying. 

So, keep up with your ear. Mom, give it up, tell her to do her ear training.

I’m gonna need to start back on that, but I don’t think that was my favorite part. I mean,it’s very, it’s essential.  

But yeah, well, you know, it’s gonna help. Well, that’s the other thing too. It’s like, I like to teach what you’re gonna actually use, you know, in the real world. But then, you know, if you go into school with music, it’s always good to just have an extra leg up on like the theory and all that stuff right there. ’cause you got the ear already, you know? It’s just like getting that visual down, that’s cool.So, wait a minute, where am I now? Okay, so, oh, I wanted to ask you one thing, who’s your favorite singer?

You already know the answer.  

Yes, I do, I know, but the world needs to know.

Yes, so definitely old school, Mariah Carey. I mentioned her earlier. I love all of her old songs.They are amazing. She is an insane artist. I don’t understand how she has all of that ability, especially from such a young age.

Yes.

I look up to her a lot.  

Have you read her bio book yet? I’ll have to send it to you. I feel like you would really like it. Yeah, I mean, and this is another thing we have in common because I think that you and I really…get super excited about learning every note of riffs. I mean, they’re fun, you know? It’s kind of like, you know, a gymnast wanting to do flips and twists, you know? That’s kind of how it is for us. And it’s like a challenge every time. Like, even to this day, if I’m on Instagram and I see a riff challenge, it’s like wild. I’m like, “Oh, I have to send this to Lena.” And like,”Can you do it?” You sent me one, like.

It was the… the ego, the ego challenge. Remember that, oh man, that was, that’s a pretty tough one. No, it took me a while to get it. 

 (laughing)

Yeah, that’s a tough one, but I totally agree. Technically, she’s my favorite as well. So, before we cut for a little warm up for the national anthem,I just wanna know what your plans are for the future. What’s on the agenda?

I have a lot.  

Yeah.

I’ll go compete for the title of Miss North Carolina’s Teen in June. So I’m looking forward to that.I just got my song approved recently and I’m very, very excited for that. I’m working on getting my wardrobe together for that. That’s one of my biggest, like, upcoming events right now to me personally because the Miss America Organization has made such a big impact on my life. 

Yeah.

And I want to be as good as I can in there. And overall, when I go to college, I want to study some sort of music. I don’t know where I want to go yet, but–  

That’s great. And I know we’ve got a couple images from the pageants. Now this is a sort of a newer thing for you. Yeah, look at that winner. I mean, she’s a winner through and through. That’s the other thing about Lena is like, you know, she–do all the work and get it done. And if she doesn’t happen to win something, she’s like the greatest sportsman. Like she, she hypes up everybody else. She doesn’t get mad if she doesn’t win something. So it was just so cool to see this picture. And like you, you really taken the number one spot right there. I think it’s great. And there she is.

One of the things you couldn’t see in the picture, maybe in crown was the alligator tears coming out of my eyes. I have another picture I think I posted it on my actual Miss Stanley County page. Yeah, and as soon as I won I made this face. It’s one of my favorite pictures just that genuine reaction. It’s the surprise because I was so shocked. Yeah, I mean I competed all year last year in I got close at some points. I got first runner up or the talent award, but I never actually won the title. And so to actually win a title, to be able to hold the title and hold the crown on my head was, that was a moment.  

And I was so happy. I was just so ready to share that with everything that all of my followers do. And I’m just like, that’s my girl!”

And the best part is, like, my friend, we competed last year together, and she won Miss Stanley County’s team, so she got to crown me, and that was a very, very special moment.  

That’s so cool! Wow! All right, so many good things going on with you. So, you guys, we’re gonna take a short little break so that we can have a little warm-up session, and we’re gonna come back and show you this national anthem, okay Lena Presler, thank you so much. for coming into the rBeatz studio today. Had the best time.

Thank you, thank you for inviting me.  

Of course, and I’m sure we’ll see you again, so. Alright guys, I’m Jess with Local Music Somewhere on rBeatz Radio, and we’ll catch you next time.