MISHAVONNA is a 19-year-old Country Singer/Songwriter raised in both Texas and Southern California. This dual upbringing has strongly influenced her music style as Mishavonna defines herself as 'California Country...Country Music with an Edge’!
"Music has always been my passion and the easiest way for me to communicate my feelings to others," Mishavonna says, while explaining that she keeps her music honest and lyrics direct, she wants to bring her 'California Country’ Style to Music lovers everywhere!
Mishavonna has been singing professionally since she was 13 and has been training vocally since she was 8 years old. She graduated from High School June 2007…two years early… to pursue her career as a Country Singer. She has been in artist development since 2005, and her 1st EP, “From The Edge Of The World,” available on all online music stores, has generated a positive consensus both from press ( http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/06/09/iraheta-anoop/ ) and fans. Mishavonna is currently working on her full length album, to be released in spring 2010, and her new single "My Cowboy” will be available in fall 2009. You can check out her MySpace music at www.mishavonna.com and www.youtube.com/Mishavonna.
In July 2007 Mishavonna auditioned in San Diego for American Idol season 7 and got a “Golden Ticket” to Hollywood! Out of over 12,000 contestants participating at the San Diego audition she was 1 of the 31 chosen to go on TV (FYI: there were only 164 contestants nationwide out of over 100,000 that made it to 'Hollywood Week'. A very impressive accomplishment for a 17 year old!) Mishavonna did not make it to the semi-finals that year, but that experience helped her gain notoriety, and she was repeatedly featured on mainstream country radio with Cliff and Company on 97.3 and 92.1 K-SON in San Diego, “Scott Alexander’s 15 Minutes of Fame” on 100.7 K-HAY in Ventura, Backroads Country on 107.9 The Duke in Tennessee and many others radio stations worldwide.
On July 25th 2008...her 18th birthday Mishavonna decided to give American Idol another opportunity and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was once again given a “Golden Ticket” to Hollywood. This time her practice and perseverance paid off and she made it through Hollywood week to become one of the “Top 36” semi-finalists. On February 25th Mishavonna performed Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” (www.mishavonnahenson.org/ ) to a national television audience of well over thirty million viewers. Her performance generated a buzz so strong that Train’s original version of the song re-appeared on iTunes’s top 100 pop downloads immediately following Mishavonna’s performance, reaching as high as number 15.
In August of 2008, Mishavonna won 1st place and received the “Certificate of Merit Award” for female vocal solo and sang for an audience of over Fifteen Thousand people, at the Assemblies of God “National Fine Arts Festival,” in North Carolina after having won in regional competitions through-out the year.
These days Mishavonna, accompanied by a young and energetic band, is opening for major acts, performing at fairs, clubs, rodeos, malls and charity events. Her set list includes a various array of originals, from upbeat stadium anthems like 'Country Thing' and 'Stand Back' to the fast-paced 'Edge Of The World’ (featuring a “guest appearance” by rapper and brother, CPR,) to timeless ballads like ‘Live In Sin' and ‘Tear Myself Apart.'
Mishavonna has also been acting professionally since she was 6 in Film, Television and Theatre and has trained with top acting coaches in L.A. She has been cast in numerous films, and has worked side by side with Kelsey Grammer on “Frasier,” with Nathan Lane on the TV show “Charlie Lawrence”, and in the Nickelodeon show, “Unfabulous.” She played Rhoda in the “Bad Seed”, Maria in “West Side Story” and Margot Frank in “The Diary of Ann Frank” at various theatres throughout Los Angeles.
Mishavonna keeps grounded by remaining very active in her church and sings in her church choir. She is a strong believer in helping children to develop their creative talents and is a volunteer at The Boys and Girls Club “Musical Mentors Program”( www.musicalmentors.org ) helping to teach guitar to children.
Mishavonna is in the dawn of her career and can look forward to big things in her future. Plans are already being made for an upcoming tour that will highlight her musical growth and prove to the world that this performer is anything but a “shooting star”.
