Many students at Sacred Hearts Academy enjoy singing and playing an instrument, but not many are brave enough to post their talent online or perform on a stage. For sophomore Brooke Iverson, performing is something she enjoys–whether it’s in front of an audience or in front of a camera.

“Music is my biggest passion,” said Iverson, who was inspired by her friends and family to pursue music. Prior to this, her experience included participation in glee clubs.

Over the summer, she began posting YouTube videos of her covering popular songs. For each video, she sings and plays the guitar. This was a big step for Iverson, she said, as the budding artist had not previously shared her music with a public audience.

“At first, I was a little nervous for the responses I would get on my videos,” Iverson said. “But so far, the reactions have been nothing but positive.”

Before YouTube, Iverson posted short video clips to Instagram. She said the praise from friends was what inspired her to create a YouTube channel. Her first YouTube cover was “Check Yes Juliet” by We the Kings.

Since then, she has posted about 10 videos to her channel. For her, the process of covering songs begins with choosing a song based on personal preference or by request, and then after learning the chords and lyrics, she films herself. Filming usually occurs at home.

Her journey through music has not only given her self-confidence, but it has also given her a chance to spend quality time with her father.

“We talk about songs…I think she may like (and then we) listen to them together, and I encourage her to try them out,” her father Erik Iverson said. “It’s fun introducing music that I enjoy to Brooke and for her to play it and put her own spin on it.”  

Her covers include a mix of old and new songs such as, “House of Gold” by Twenty One Pilots, “Hey Soul Sister” by Train and “Let Me Love You” by DJ Snake, featuring Justin Bieber.

While her parents support her journey as a YouTube artist, they still urge her to take caution when posting for a public audience.

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“While I think Brooke has found a great outlet in YouTube for her videos, her mother and I will continue to keep a watchful eye and would like to think that we will be able to safeguard her from the negative things that often arise from such forms of media,” her father said. “With that said, many talented young people have benefitted from outlets, such as YouTube.”  

In addition to sharing her music online, she also performs locally.

“I absolutely love performing for a live audience,” she said. “It gives me such a good feeling to know that people are there, listening to me do what I have always been passionate about.”

She performs at the Mid Pacific Country Club in Kailua, parties and other events that showcase her talent.

Iverson does spend time writing original songs, but none of which she has shared yet. As she progresses, however, Iverson said she will hopefully release her original creations.

After high school, she hopes to major in music so that she can become more educated in the industry. Although she said this dream is “not always practical,” she will continue to perform and stay active in the music industry.

To see Iverson perform, visit her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo6H5Hhp9U4blkuGNGdlGqA.