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Pharmacy student earns praise for musical success

Grace Lee, a fourth year pharmacy student, is the official – Photo by Courtesy of Grace Lee

Although she lacks any kind of formal training, 22-year-old Grace Lee never had to fight her way into the music industry.

Rather, the industry found her, thanks to her Macbook webcam and her natural ability to belt out high notes.

Lee was a first-year in her residence hall at Rutgers when she recorded her first YouTube video — a cover of Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You,” she said.

Now in her fourth year in the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and residing in the Livingston apartments with three roommates, Lee has garnered attention for her YouTube covers.

Her most recent video, a cover of the track “Let it Go” from Disney’s “Frozen,” has over 4.5 million views on YouTube.

One of those viewers happened to be a Ryan Seacrest representative, who informed her that her video would be entered into a contest for the best rendition of the track.

After watching “Frozen” with her mother in their home in Edgewater, N.J., over winter break, Lee learned the song and filmed herself singing it that night.

VH1 first recognized Lee’s video in January when they named it the No. 1 YouTube cover of the Oscar-winning song.

“It’s very exciting for me, especially since I’m such a huge fan of Disney,” she said.

Lee has also covered “Reflection” from “Mulan,” other Disney tracks, Mariah Carey and Adele. She recently appeared on Good Morning America, where she helped lead a Disney sing-along and sang part of “Let it Go.”

She believes the best part of her appearance was sharing the outdoor stage with so many talented young girls with big dreams and big hearts. The anchors of ABC’s Eyewitness News at four and local news stations interviewed Lee, a self-proclaimed adventure seeker.

“Having unplanned events come up can be hectic yet fun at the same time,” Lee said. “I’m always open to new ideas and I sometimes like to do things spontaneously.”

While these were her first television appearances, Lee is no stranger to the spotlight.

The first public performance she remembers is singing in a Christmas concert for her church in kindergarten.

At 13, Lee performed in Times Square and was judged by company managers from SM and JYP Entertainment, South Korean entertainment companies.

“I won first place, which meant I could meet with the managers of those respective companies and talk about possible future endeavors with them,” she said.

Now in the top 15 of the Ryan Seacrest contest, Lee is competing against contestants with over 20 million views on their videos. She is relying on votes from friends, family and her growing fan base, but does not expect to win.

“To be honest, I don’t know what my chances are,” she said. “I’m so grateful just to be a part of it.”

Lee looks up to Whitney Houston because she never gave up on her music despite her personal struggles.

“No one can have the kind of voice she was born with,” Lee said. “To me, she’s a very strong woman.”

Although Lee is new to the music industry, she has experienced challenges of her own as she attempts to simultaneously pursue pharmacy and music.

“It’s difficult balancing my two desires: becoming a singer and being a student,” she said.

Lee, who is president of her pharmacy class, takes her studies just as seriously as her music.

Lee’s father, Jong Lee, said he supports her plan to pursue two entirely different career paths at once.

“Nothing comes easy, especially when chasing after two paths, but I think it is very possible with the kind of determination and focus that she has,” he said.

When it comes to choosing what songs to cover, Lee typically leans toward tracks with a rhythm and blues or Broadway feel, but she also enjoys taking suggestions from fans on her Facebook page.

“People often message me asking what I’m doing next,” Lee said.

Lee’s supporters motivate her to come up with better material that not only expresses the best of her singing abilities, but also her personality.

Other college students with differing career aspirations, including an engineering student who wants to pursue a DJ career, have told Lee that she inspires them to push harder to pursue both paths rather than sacrificing one for the other.

“Even if there are times I’m not always active on YouTube due to either exams or work, I have supporters who tell me that they will always be by my side and will wait until I become famous,” Lee said.

Although fame is not her ultimate goal, she could not be more grateful for her fans’ faith in her as well as their patience. The bond she has built with them makes her feel like she has best friends in spirit.

Lee is the official national anthem singer at Rutgers basketball games and is set to perform at the Special Olympics in June.

Until now, Lee has filmed and edited all of her YouTube videos. She calls herself an amateur with a limited amount of tools and skills for filming.

When the right time comes, she hopes to find a team to help her with filmography, lighting and editing for future videos.

Having turned down an invite for a private audition for NBC’s “The Voice” and a couple other television competitions, Lee explained that she is focusing on her personal publicity and growth as a musician while still in school.

Lee is not sure what the future holds for her, but knows that she wants her singing career to be a part of it.

“Most times, I wish I could dedicate 200 percent of my efforts to music,” she said. “After I graduate, I most certainly will.”


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