黑料传送门

It鈥檚 fitting that Disney would use聽singer/songwriter聽Angie Keilhauer鈥檚聽voice in the theme song 鈥淗appily Ever After鈥澛爁or聽their new fireworks and lightshow at Disney聽World this year. That鈥檚 because聽the song鈥檚聽lyrics聽match Angie鈥檚聽own story of rising聽to聽stardom聽from overcoming loss, taking chances聽and聽making聽her dreams come true.聽

鈥淢y career path,聽being a singer/songwriter,聽is not conventional聽and most people don't think that's going to be a steady job,鈥� said聽Angie.聽鈥淏ut I think the reality of the market right now is there's no such thing as a steady job, and it really takes a creative mind to feel confident in an industry.鈥�

First, it took confidence聽for her聽to聽surrender聽her college聽scholarship聽toward聽an engineering degree聽when the聽coursework didn鈥檛 sing to her soul. She found herself聽constantly returning to music,聽and聽eventually聽she moved forward to聽engineer her own brand of success.

鈥淚n my聽mind聽[engineering]聽was like probably one of the steadiest workforces out there,鈥� said Angie. 鈥淎nd I wanted to do music, but I didn't know how to make education and music come together. Like there was no,鈥�榯his is how you make a career in music.鈥櫬燬o,聽I decided that college was not the right path, and I went and did it myself.鈥澛�

"It was funny鈥攖hat聽one class I was doubting I'd ever use was one of the biggest helps in my career."

Soon, though, Angie found that while she had the tunes, she lacked the business know-how to back up her talents.聽

鈥淚 struggled because I didn't know things like accounting cash鈥痜low聽and聽how to invest back into what I was doing,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o,聽I found myself in a lot of difficult situations, and that's when I started thinking I really have to learn how to run a business, not just play good music.鈥�

She was back to square one, wondering how she鈥檇 balance work and school, until she saw her own mother pursue an online program at聽Western Governors University.聽 聽聽

鈥淲atching her do that, I was like,聽鈥榳ell, where is the limit for me鈥櫬爕ou know?鈥� said Angie.聽鈥淎nd I think that is the beautiful thing about doing something that other people think you can't do is you聽open聽their horizons,聽too.鈥澛犅�

Once Angie started school again, other horizons聽in her music career聽opened聽and聽she became a contestant on NBC鈥檚 television show聽.聽It was an exciting time聽for her,聽yet behind the scenes, she聽continued her degree course聽work and meeting the challenge of聽staying聽focused聽on her聽big聽dreams.聽聽

鈥淲hen聽I was on鈥疶he Voice,聽we were all sequestered in this one hotel in Burbank, California,鈥� said Angie.聽鈥淎ll聽my friends were all hanging out by the pool and I was learning fundamentals of business law. And I remember thinking,聽鈥榯his is so silly, like,聽I'm not going to be a lawyer, why am I learning this?鈥欌�澛�

Her answer聽to that聽came after the show,聽when聽she had a large聽contract to sign聽and drew on that course聽to help her navigate the聽legalese聽and聽develop a marking plan for her career.聽

鈥淚 was like,鈥�榳ell, I just read this whole textbook full of legal jargon, maybe I'll give this a try,鈥欌�� she said.聽鈥淪o that course led me to a top five album release on iTunes.聽It was funny鈥攖hat聽one class I was doubting I'd ever use was one of the biggest helps in my career.鈥澛犅�

Angie聽celebrated her educational and聽career聽success simultaneously. This last spring,聽she聽received her bachelor鈥檚 degree聽in聽marketing management聽from 黑料传送门聽at聽the Cincinnati,聽Ohio commencement ceremonies.聽And following her聽album release,聽and聽聽for Walt Disney World,聽she went on tour with聽country music singer and songwriter聽Jake Owen聽and聽performed to聽a聽soldout show in Nashville.聽

鈥淚 didn't think聽it聽was possible to work full time, travel the world and still get a degree at the same time,鈥� said Angie.聽鈥淎nd it was possible.聽It's hard to commit to a passion. But eventually you've got to look at your life and聽ask,聽鈥榳hat is the one thing I can't let go of?鈥櫬燗nd you've got to just jump in with everything inside you because that's what's going to bring about the best life you'll ever live.鈥澛犅�