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“My mother and father were heavily involved in gospel music when I was a kid, and they encouraged me to be as creative as possible.”

She endured teasing and torment during those early middle school years, where she was picked on for everything from her shoes and her hair to raising her hand too often in class. Tucked away in the safety of her home, away from the mean-spirited comments of classmates, she found comfort in the radio and the tunes that spilled from it while also taking an interest in writing. She was fascinated by music early on and savored its many forms and styles. From little-known Houston rappers and small-time rock bands to global giants like Destiny’s Child, NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys, she embraced it all and, most importantly, learned from them all, too.

“When I was shy or when I didn’t think I was cool and when I was getting picked on, I would listen to Beyoncé in my bedroom, and it would transport me. I would feel something, I would feel like, my life is going to be better. There’s hope for me.”

Fascinated by the Flute The course of Lizzo’s life was forever altered during a conversation with her middle school band teacher. Accustomed to arriving at school with a stern look on her face, braced for a day of negative interactions with classmates, he told her that she had the power to change the way people felt by how she walked into a room. He let her know that she could be a leader, and those words touched her soul and ignited a dramatic change in her attitude and outlook on life. That exchange, coupled with being introduced to the flute, steered her down a path she may never have envisioned on her own.

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Lizzo