August 2001
Learn What It Takes To Be a Pop Sensation

   (WMS) You'll study math, english, writing and history, but what they probably won't cover when you head back to class is just what it takes to make it as a teen singing sensation. Do you have the moves, the vocal ability and the persona to take center stage? Evidently Tonya Mitchell does, and her debut album, "I Represent" is definitely worth popping into your portable CD player for a listen as you travel to school.
Move over Britney, Christina and Mandy ... there's a new "princess" in town. Tonya Mitchell is the latest teen wonder to break into the music scene with a debut CD that offers the perfect formula for pop success. This 18-year-old songstress will likely surprise a lot of people with her debut, "I Represent," an R&B-tinged pop tour de force. The disc brims with a blend of songs including "Little Too Late," an aching, agile love ballad that belies young Tonya's age; "Wasted Breath," a vaguely futuristic pop gem and the single, "Broken Promises," the effortlessly catchy tune which was the first song the artist recorded.
That Tonya, who comes from tiny Huron, Tennessee has gotten this far without formal voice or dance lessons or the usual stint in the Mickey Mouse Club is a tribute to both the power of her dreams and the power of her remarkable voice. She has been singing since she was old enough to talk, startling her family by singing along with Debbie Gibson and Tiffany songs on the radio.
"Once my parents realized I could actually sing, they started putting me in talent shows," Tonya remembers, "Nobody in my family knows where my voice comes from exactly. I'm definitely the only musical one in my family. The first time I opened my mouth to sing, I think I shocked everyone."
As Tonya was touring the local circuit of county fairs and banquet halls she happened to meet an individual who changed the course of her career. While singing at a regional benefit for St. Jude's Hospital, a man approached her after her set.
"After I finished singing, a man came up to me and said he really liked my voice," Tonya recalls, "He told me that Justin Timberlake from *N Sync was his grandson, and that maybe he could help me. This was back before *N Sync became really famous, and I was just like, 'Who's that?'" Tonya didn't think much would come of it, but the encounter ultimately led to the recording of her debut album - the one which most likely will lie closest to her heart when others follow.
Visit your local music store to pick up a copy of "I Represent" and sing along. Who knows, you could be the next pop star in the making.    
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