Senior Maddie Keosoff has been singing since she was a toddler, but she has taken her act from home videos to the stores, and even the Texas State Fair stage, performing in local yogurt and coffee shops as entertainment to the guests.

“I’ve been performing for a few years at Yogurtville,” Keosoff said. “I’ve recently started playing at a restaurant in Plano, called Angela’s at the Crosswalk. There was one time I got to play in Deep Ellum with this new band I’ve been working with, and I’ve played a few private parties here and there. I also lead a band at my church and we play every Wednesday at our youth group.”

Sometimes singing brings her to unexpected venues. For the 2016 Texas State Fair, Keosoff has been offered a position to perform with a local band in the Hall of State auditorium as part of the Big Texas Music exhibit.

“I’m working with a few older, experienced musicians who found me at an open mic night while looking for talent for their band,” Keosoff said. “The four of them that I’ve worked with so far have played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and bass. Michael Crane, the leader of the band, is also the lead male vocalist, and we all have lots of fun singing and harmonizing together.  Gregg Ballew is the bassist and he’s a member of BYO Musicians, an organization that donates their musical services for charities.”

Keosoff performs a range of music. The 17-year-old singer writes and performs a lot of her own music as well as performing covers. The singer goes about writing her music in multiple different ways.

“Sometimes I start with the lyrics first or the music underneath,” Keosoff said. “But it’s really important to stay true to what you’re feeling in a song, as cheesy as it sounds. Emotions need to be really raw if you want a good ballad, which is typically what I write. I like to take stories from my life and put them into songs because I feel it’s the best way to express how I’m feeling or how I used to feel. It’s almost like therapy, getting all those emotions, good and bad, out on paper.”

This senior’s passion for music extends far beyond entertainment. Keosoff finds different ways to express herself through her performances.

“Just that one of the best parts of being a musician and collaborating with other people is the chance to harmonize,” Keosoff said. “It’s amazing what you can do with a song by adding vocals together. It’s not just singing and harmonizing, it’s listening to beautiful harmonies in music all the time. I truly love it.”

Hear Maddie sing at the the Texas State Fair in the Hall of State Auditorium on Oct. 4, from 2-4 p.m.