Thoughtful, Sweet, and Talented. When I think of Danyelle Alexander, this is what comes to mind. Her classic southern disposition gives her the ability to light up a room with her presence. By day, Danyelle works at Gulf Coast State College in the Visual and Performing Arts department as the Senior Administrative Assistant. By night, she pursues her other passion, singing. When asked if she would give a little snippet this is what she said:

Growing up music was a huge part of her family’s daily life. She describes road trips where she and her sister would pick parts to harmonize with their mom. She was born and raised in Panama City and comes from a long line of locals. Her father was a children’s pastor so a lot of her memories growing up centered around church activities. Danyelle stayed out of trouble, kept good grades, and remained the dutiful daughter for her entire childhood.

Her Mom was and remains one of her biggest influences.  She describes her mother as what I would call truly southern. She knows how to handle business and remain as sweet and as endearing as possible. “If you need something done, you call Kim Kirchoff, she will get it done,” Danyelle says with a smile.

Being a pastor’s kid, she grew up in a strict household, but music was a constant. All music. Not just Christian music, she listened to all the greats. From Kirk Franklin to Michael Jackson. The definition of ‘good music’ was ingrained in her at an early age.

Once she got to college, she began to discover more about herself. Although she realized she could sing when she was younger and was active in her high school choir, she really began to hone her talent after several failed attempts at other programs in college. Her parents sat her down and encouraged her to follow her passion.

Although she admits she recognizes she has some natural talent, she describes the work she puts into maintaining her voice on a daily basis.  She talks about how “knowing your own voice, knowing your vocal cords, knowing your body” is extremely important. She keeps dairy intake moderate, because of the impact it can have on your voice, and drinks water constantly. The day of a show she likes a nice cup of warm water and honey to keep her voice smooth. One of her greatest fears is losing her gift so she takes careful care of maintaining it. She works hard to take care of what God has blessed her with.

When asked what she thinks the biggest misunderstanding is about her, she talked about how sometimes she thinks people think that when she is on stage, its easy. Music is part of her life and she works hard at her craft. She admits she thinks about singing constantly. She warms up, practices, and sings every day to keep her voice from getting, “cold.” I can tell you first-hand, it pays off because her voice is anything but cold.

One of my favorite things about this interview was the grace that exudes from this young lady. Her voice is a powerhouse, but she has never let it go to her head. “Have a healthy amount of pride in yourself, but be very humble.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. And this is exactly what she does.

Check out Danyelle when she performs with her band Wikid Smooth.

Dates and showtimes for gigs can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/WickidSmoothMusic.