19-year-old Jade Patteri is *def* used to change. She was born in Detroit and spent her early childhood there and in Florida before moving to California at age 6. The child of a musician and professional ballerina, Jade grew up very close to the entertainment industry and with parents who were supportive of her *big* dreams to be a performer. "As soon as my dad put a karaoke machine in my room I knew immediately that I never wanted to stop," she told GL last week. Even as she dreamed of working as an actor and singer/songwriter in Los Angeles, she made sure to enjoy traditional teenage experiences along the way.

After spending a few years modeling and doing acting auditions, "we decided to take a break just because my parents wanted me to be able to go to high school like a normal kid. My dad always said, 'I want you to appreciate the art so it never feels like work", Jade confessed. Throughout high school, Jade participated in musical theater productions and continued to work on her performance skills.

Once she graduated, she began following her dreams and working professionally in the entertainment industry. Jade has danced professionally in a number of settings, but her heart truly lies in her music. She has recently released 2 original songs and has 4 more in production. A majority of her writing occurred during quarantine earlier this year when she had the time to slow down and dedicate hours on end to the creative process of songwriting. "Usually my schedule is pretty crazy and it used to be kind of hard to sit down and be able to write or think about ideas. It was great to have the time where I wasn't going out and I wasn't auditioning," she says. "I love writing, writing is extremely healing for me and always has been."

Whether she's working on new music or working with her dad to direct and produce a COVID-safe music video, she is extremely passionate about turning her music into a career and continuing to touch the lives of her fans.

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Sweet dreams 💤

A post shared by Jade Patteri (@jadepatteri) on Apr 22, 2020 at 11:04am PDT

More than anything, Jade wants to inspire those around her to be more positive and kind in their daily lives. She shared a touching story about an experience she had with a fan, showing us how sweet Jade truly is: "I had a younger girl message me and tell me that my music was getting her through some really hard times in her life and how much she loved it. She was in middle school and there was a talent show that she really wanted to do but wasn't confident enough. She listened to "Fighting with Giants" and that song is all about overcoming your fears, riding with power and not feeling like you would let anything get you down. She said my music really inspired her to sign up for the talent show and she performed an original song after we talked for a little bit."

This one interaction with a fan is a small example of how Jade's music is already touching the lives of tons of people and is something that she is especially proud of as her career continues to grow.

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December 11th! Getting to work with this cast was something I’ll truly never forget!💗 Quick story for you all. I don’t really mention my dance experience or story a lot so I thought I’d share this with everyone. I’ve been dancing since I was five years old. I did tap, jazz, ballet you name it but growing up I was made fun of because I couldn’t do hip-hop. After hearing time and time again how “bad I was” I decided enough was enough so I started taking classes without telling anyone. I trained for a few years at a few of the top studios in LA completely making a fool out of myself... to one day actually looking decent...to then getting chosen to do a solo in a class video... and then another video...then getting asked by choreographers to be in paid concept videos... getting to back up name list artists as a “hip hop dancer”...to winning the BAA award at the John Raitt awards and performing at a showcase off Broadway where I performed a number from “The Prom” the musical... to then coming back to LA and booking a role as one of the principal dancers in the upcoming Netflix movie musical “The Prom” “starring literally everyone”- Netflix. Other than that being the longest run-on sentence you’ve probably ever heard. This story is in no means an excuse to brag about anything because I have been so humbled by this experience and I wanted to share the story because no one’s “no” should ever define you as an artist. And if you really want some thing go out there and get it because it’s in your reach. Never stop and never let someone’s opinion define you. Life is short so walk pass that no and grab your yes. Love you all!💗💙💜💚 @netflix @promnetflix #theprom #netflix #comingsoon #dancer #actress #singer #songwriter #moviemusical

A post shared by Jade Patteri (@jadepatteri) on Oct 22, 2020 at 11:19am PDT

Jade's most recent professional achievement is her role in an upcoming Netflix original movie The Prom as one of the principal dancers. She gushed about the experience and how she "got to work with Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and James Cordon and dance alongside them. It was my favorite experience dance-wise because I got to perform with people I grew up admiring, also because the people I met and danced with became some of my best friends to this day. I had so much fun on set!" The Prom is being released on December 11th, so be sure to stream it!

Don't forget to follow @girlslifemag to hear about more inspiring, talented girls like Jade!

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