A rising star's musical odyssey

CASHMERE - Cashmere singer-songwriter Carly Klein Schoening has been writing songs since she was six years old. Music is her dream, which is why she was so excited to release her first single, "I Must Be Crazy," this month.

"I think that my music is my dream, and I'd love to make a career out of it," she said. "But honestly, just having people hear my music is, I feel, like a blessing."

Schoening, 19, graduated from Cashmere High School in June and wants to make music her career.

She has been working hard to record five of her original songs. On Nov. 24, she will release her next single, "Better Than This."

Schoening was inspired to write "Better Than This" after watching a movie while visiting her grandma last December.

"My grandma, my sister, and I were watching pretty much every movie that you could on Netflix," she said. "And we were watching this rom-com, and it was really light-hearted, and it just felt like one of those 2000s movies that just feels so good, and I went in the guest bedroom, and I wrote this song because I just wanted to write about being happy and kind of stupidly in love."

Schoening has a beautiful voice, a talent for songwriting, and a definite presence about her.

She describes her music as having similarities to early Taylor Swift. Swift and Dolly Parton have been some of her biggest influences in her style of music. But Schoening said she draws inspiration from all around her.

"I've always listened to country music," she said. "It's just what I've grown up listening to, so there's definitely a lot of country influence. But I would almost describe it as like early Taylor Swift country just because it's not really pure country. It's got a little bit of pop influence in there."

"Yeah, I mean Taylor Swift is the big one (influence) because, you know, I listened to her since I was like two, and she came out with our first single, but I really love Dolly Parton," she said. "I think she's a great songwriter, and I think she's smart and funny, and I just love how she just owns herself. Other than that, I really don't have a specific artist in mind. I just get really inspired when I hear a really good song, and it doesn't really matter who it's by. I'm just like, oh, that sounds really good. And I get inspired by that."

Schoening has always been interested in music. When she was seven, her mom put her and her sisters into piano lessons. But piano didn't really speak to her.

"I think I did that for like a year before I was like, you know what, piano's not really for me, but I started writing songs when I was six years old," she said. "You know, they weren't great or anything, but it was a start, I guess. And from there, I begged and begged my parents to get me a guitar for my 10th birthday because I was like, well, Taylor Swift plays guitar, so I have to play guitar."

Schoening tried hard to teach herself how to play, but as a 10-year-old that was of course, too difficult. So, her mom reached out to the elementary school custodian because he played guitar.

"So he taught me how to play, and from there, songwriting really took a front seat for me," she said. "That was when everything kind of fell together. I started playing at places when I was 11, and I just released my first single."

Schoening finds inspiration all around her for writing her songs, and the process can be different every time. Sometimes, she will just start playing the guitar and come up with words and a melody. Or other times, the words come to her first, and then she adds the melody. There are times when the title is what comes to her first.

A lot of her inspiration comes from just listening to music. When she finds a song that she loves, it often inspires her to write a song that gives her the same feeling.

"My favorite song that I write is always the latest one that I write, so that's true this time," she said. "I wrote this song a couple of days ago called "Girlhood," and it's just kind of about past experiences that I've had, kind of struggling with insecurities and stuff growing up. And I mean, I'm 19, so I'm still struggling. But I help out at church reading with ninth and 10th-grade girls in the group. And I hear the things that they're going through, and I realized that sometimes you just can unite over going through the same things. So I wrote that song."

So far, Schoening said her biggest challenge is that she is young, and people often brush her off because of that, which just makes her feel more determined to prove herself.

"But you know, sometimes that's a really good thing because it makes me put more effort in, and I think that actually can be a good thing," she said. "But then also, I think the biggest challenge is just kind of keeping myself going. In spite of the fact that I know my chances of making it aren't very good, but I think that just kind of keeping myself motivated has been the hardest part."

Love of music and connecting with her audience helps to keep Shoening motivated.

"Well, my favorite thing is just that, it's connecting with the audience," she said. "I feel like as a songwriter, I just love to talk about what I'm writing, and when I'm playing and getting to sit up there and play for people, I get to introduce each song that I play, and I can be like so this one is about this boy or whatever."

"And you're getting to share that with people, and I love building little friendships wherever I go," she said. "My parents come to most of the places I play, so they make friends wherever we go, too and I just feel like I'm building a family every time I play."

To hear Schoening's music, you can follow her on social media. For a list of her social media accounts, visit her website carlykleinschoeningmusic.com.

Schoening will also perform live at many local venues in October and November.

Upcoming Shows

10/27 Badger Mountain Brewing 6-9

10/28 Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company 1-4

11/4 Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company 1-4

11/7 Icicle Brewing Company 6-8

11/11 Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company 1-4

11/15 Bianchi Vineyards 5:30-7:30

11/17 Badger Mountain Brewing 6-9

11/18 Callan Cellars 2-5

11/19 Off the Hill Winery 5-7

11/24 Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company 5-8