On October 27, 2018, one of our students, Anani Rhames, competed in the Main Plaza Conservancy’s Mariachi de Corazon de San Antonio. This year she was named an all-star for her skills on the violin. For two years, Anani has been playing the violin in competitions. However, the violin only shows one tiny part of this talented young lady’s personality.
Music surrounds her. The piano has been a big part of her life as well. You can also find her playing the drums, guitar and a specialized instrument called a melodica (a musical keyboard that is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument).
Her voice provides her personal music. She sings a variety of genres including soul, pop, jazz, mariachi, classical and opera. She has original songs, such as Dream Big, Latina de Corazon, Girlfriends, Slumber Party and others in the making. When you look Anani up online, one of the first things you will see is her original song, You Can’t Make Me. Her musical guest appearances include being in concerts with Phil Collins, John Secada, and Shelly Lares. As you can see, she crosses cultural and age barriers with her music.
Anani believes, “Music is the universal language that crosses all cultural boundaries. It inspires the heart and touches the soul.” Living this concept, in her opera world, she sings in Italian, German and French. On her album Corazon de Dos Mundos, she is known as “La Charrita.” Her world of music is color blind and touches the heart of all worlds.
When she is not playing her music, she spends time acting on stage. Her talent has been a part of more than twenty productions including Annie (Annie); Beauty and Beast (Belle), Shrek (Donkey) and The Lion King (adult Nala).
As she prepares to graduate high school with one of the highest grade-point averages of her class, she has applied to six different universities, including Julliard. Her career will be in the musical and theatrical arts, but she has a bigger mission.
With her mother as inspiration, Anani has created her own dream of a ministry traveling all over the world to share her message, ”You can be anything you want. You can live up to your own dream.” Our school is honored to have this remarkable young woman as part of the 2018-2019 graduating class.
