When she was in sixth grade, Barnet resident Siri Jolliffe — then a competitive gymnast — broke her back when she fell from equipment during practice. The injury ended her gymnastics career, so Jolliffe, now 14, poured her heart into music. While recovering from surgery, she began writing "Stronger," a song about her healing process. The song is now streaming on iTunes and Spotify. Another one of Jolliffe's original tunes, "I Remember," was a semifinalist in the teen division of the 2019 International Songwriting Competition — a contest based in Nashville, Tenn., for amateur and experienced songwriters. Now an eighth grader at Barnet School, this singer, songwriter and guitarist plays with the Kingdom All Stars, a nonprofit band showcasing teen talent in the Northeast Kingdom. This spring, finding herself isolated from her fellow band members, Jolliffe decided to create a documentary series on YouTube titled "My Music Life During COVID-19." Filmed outdoors near her home, each of the four episodes released so far features a soundtrack of Jolliffe's original songs and acoustic guitar playing, with a picturesque background of dirt roads, running streams and a cow pasture. With more episodes in the works, Jolliffe is planning to record her first album of songs, based on her experience living through COVID-19.
Find more about Siri Jolliffe at kingdomallstars.com. Find episodes of "My Music Life During COVID-19" on YouTube.
This article was originally published in Seven Days' monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
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