Alora Whitten

In a music industry overflowing with cookie-cutter country and pop artists, rocker Alora Whitten has elected to forge her own path.  Her distinctive sound and ever-changing hair color have endeared her with fans while helping pave the way for a number of opportunities not afforded to most 16-year-old music artists, including performances at the legendary South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin and the popular Hard Rock Café in Dallas.

Currently giving away a free download of one of her songs at www.GiftFromAlora.com, the 16-year-old from Poetry, Texas possesses an undeniable work ethic.  Much of her time is spent performing at well-known Dallas venues like House of Blues, Prophet Bar, and Gas Monkey in addition to entertaining park visitors at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. 

It goes without saying that Alora’s daily schedule is typically very busy.  When she isn’t performing, she is working hard to improve her singing, writing new songs, and learning about what it takes to be successful in today’s music industry, all things that have to be juggled with school.  But while many young people treat music as a hobby, Alora decided several years ago that for her, music would be a career goal.  She has had to make a number of sacrifices, including leaving public school at Wylie East High School in favor of home schooling.  It was a necessary change in her eyes. “It was hard to leave all my friends behind but my true friends have stayed with me even after the change,” Alora explains.  “It has been fun to have a little more freedom and I like getting to focus more on my music.”

The flexible schedule that comes with home schooling has made it possible for Alora to study with and learn from some of the music industry’s top development minds.  A big part of that education came over the past five years while Alora was a student at The Septien Group in Dallas.  The organization specializes in training aspiring artists in singing, playing instruments, songwriting, choreography, and more.  Owner, Linda Septien has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Jessica Simpson as well as several American Idol finalists.

Recognizing that live shows are one of the most important sources of income for an artist, Alora has also dedicated a great deal of time studying live performance with Wade Sutton of Rocket to the Stars.  Sutton teaches artists around the world how to improve the quality of their live shows and better control and manipulate an audience’s emotions during concerts.

“I’m excited for Alora,” says Sutton.  “She has a much different look and sound from the typical country and pop artists flooding the market so that helps her stand out.  She is talented and hard working and, just as importantly, she has unwavering support from her family.”

            All the hard work is definitely showing signs of paying off.  Not only is Alora growing a fan base, but she doesn’t hesitate when opportunity presents itself.  Last year, she traveled to Los Angeles to showcase her talents in front of a group of A&R representatives from Sony Music.  The experience left an impression on her.

“I was nervous about meeting with them at first,” says Alora.  “but, once I got there and performed, I had a lot of fun.  They were excited about it too as they want to see artists succeed.”

In addition to showcasing for Sony Music, she was also given the opportunity to perform during the grand re-opening of House of Macau at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine and was interviewed on Static Beach Radio.

She is also creating strong bonds with those interested in her and her music.  Not only does Alora take the time to speak with and get to know her fans at live shows, but she also finds ways to speak to them through her music, using it to speak out against common problems like bullying and helping fans discover a sense of empowerment in being different.

“Very few people go without being bullied and being a victim of it can extend to people refusing to include you in things.  That is something I’ve experienced,” Alora explains.  “Feeling different seems like a bad thing to a lot of people but, in reality, it can be the most amazing thing because it means you are not trying to be somebody that you are not.  Finding your own identity is something a lot of teens have issues with.”    With that kind of maturity, talent, and willingness to work hard for her dreams, Alora Whitten’s future in music seems bright indeed.