Anna Wrasse is just 13 years old, but she has already secured a top title as a young Indiana songwriter and musician.
On Aug. 13, Anna received top honors at the Ferdinand Folk Festival singer-songwriter showcase in Jasper, Indiana.
The showcase was not Wrasse’s first experience with stage performance, as she has been playing shows and sharing original pieces for about two years.
“I was satisfied with my performance that night,” Anna said. “It was an honor to win in my division. I’m ready to share my stories with this audience I have, and I love it when people seem eager to listen to the music.”
As part of her victory, Anna will perform Sept. 17 on the Kyana Market stage at the Ferdinand Folk Festival.
Anna also performed a 90-minute set at the Indiana State Fair in early August and released her first album, “At Night,” this summer. For that show, she played her original songs on the Main Street stage.
Lisa Wrasse, Anna’s mother, said her daughter’s musical inclinations were apparent at an early age.
“When Anna was a baby, she used to sing herself to sleep at night, and it just grew from there,” Wrasse said. “I am so happy to see Anna getting to express herself and do what she loves to do.”
Anna, who has played piano since the age of six and guitar for almost three years, said some of the musicians to whom she listens are Taylor Swift, who she said had a great influence on her entrance into the musical world; Ed Sheeran; Lorde; and Halsey.
Inspiration for lyrics stem from her personal life, her thoughts and her feelings, Anna said. Topics covered in her songs include family, love and empowerment.
“I want my music to tell a relatable story to other people, and I figure that there’s not really a better way to do that than by making a personal song,” Anna said.
Stage fright during performances is not an issue, Anna said, though talking in front of the class can cause some nerves to surface. To calm this, Anna said she just takes deep breaths.
Challenges Anna said she does face include making sure all her content is original and not unintentionally plagiarized and still putting together a satisfactory song.
“As a musician, it’s hard to break away from the standard four-chord pattern, which is the basis for a typical pop song,” Anna said.
In terms of advice for other singers and songwriters out there, Anna said passion and desire to tell stories are fundamental.
“You have to want it enough to put yourself out there and do the hard work,” Anna said. “After that, just stay original, be yourself and do what feels right. All the rest should come with time.”
Wrasse said her biggest advice to Anna is to keep writing, and Anna said she will keep playing shows and pursuing her musical passions.
Her next show will be at 5 p.m. Sept. 3 at Bloomington’s Player’s Pub. She will also be the featured artist on WFHB-FM 91.3 for the station’s Local Live radio program at 9:30 p.m. Sept. 7.
“My plan with my music over the next few years is to just keep writing music, keep making CDs and see what happens from there,” Anna said.
