Hartland High School Senior Debuts First CD

Small town 18-year-old Samantha Parks will really have some good reasons for singing, “TGIF!” from the rooftops (or coffee shops) this week.

Everything I Am, the singer/songwriter’s first CD, is being released, and to celebrate, Parks will be playing a solo gig at 6-8 p.m. Friday.

“I’m so excited. I mean, this (CD) represents everything that I’ve worked for since last summer. It was all I did,” said Parks who spent more than 100 hours just laying down vocal tracks at Buzz Top Records on Zukey Lake in Hamburg Township.

The hard work paid off, though, and with the help of producer Scott Christopher, who played backup instruments to Parks and her guitar, the senior now has a compilation of 11 original acoustic pop tracks to show for it.

“‘One Sided Love’ is probably my absolute favorite because it means a lot to me, you know? There’s a lot of emotion put into that song so every time I hear it, I kind of go back to that,” said Parks. (To listen to her play "One Sided Love" from a November concert, click on the YouTube video here).

With influences like Miranda Lambert and Missy Higgins, Parks puts a lot of thought behind the musical and lyrical composition of her original songs. She writes not only about her personal experiences, but of those around her, too, including her siblings. But her first song, “God’s Plan,” originated from a deeply tragic loss. At just 13, she lost a close friend to cancer. But through music, she found inner peace and comfort, helping her cope with the pain.

"She would come from school all hyped up from the day and once she started playing guitar, it was like an instant stress reliever,” recalled her mother, Debbie Parks.

It was then, she remembers, her daughter’s hobby transitioned to a passion.

At this point, there was a lull in her guitar lessons (which had been taught by Christopher since Parks was 8) but music kept pouring out of her. So her mother inquired to Christopher about recording. In the least bit, she figured it would benefit her daughter in a creative sense.

“I was blown away,” said Christopher of young Parks’ talent. “I didn’t even know the girl could sing.”

Eventually, it was "take two" of guitar lessons to refine chords and songs. By this time, Parks had become increasingly more serious about practicing than when she started and joined choir in seventh grade.

“She’s way ahead of her years in figuring out what makes sense musically. We’re both very much on the same page and that’s exactly what you’re looking for as a producer,” said Christopher. “Her lyrics — especially — show maturity for her age.”

The two have not only recorded Everything I Am, which will be available for purchase at major websites like CD Baby and Amazon, but have also started their own record label, Buzz Top Park Records. Christopher suggests they focus on promoting the CD for now and see which opportunities arise later.

She has already at in November and with Friday’s show, she’ll be the center of attention. Luckily for Parks, who has only been performing for a year and never with the help of a band, she has come a long way in overcoming stage fright.   

“Before this last year, I was terrified," Parks said. "But I think I’ve realized it’s just about how awesome it feels. … Since I’m a senior and I’m a little older, I’ve just become so much more comfortable with myself. And I think that helps with performing because I’m comfortable with who I am.”

She’s got a strong support system too — one she’ll miss deeply when she ventures off to Grand Valley State University in the fall to pursue her "backup career" in mathematics education. She hopes to continue playing weekend gigs at college and is open to ideas for future CDs and bandmates.

Until then, she’s enjoying her last months at home, gladly playing her family and friends’ requests at local coffee shops.