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Published on 04/13/1998 All articles from this issue

Los Altos 11-year-old finds her big voice a match for the Giants

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos resident Jesse Lee Levin had the 11,000 San Francisco Giants fans at 3Com Park cheering before the start of the baseball game April 14 as she belted out the national anthem. They even called her back during the seventh inning to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

For the 4-foot-7-inch, 73-pound 11-year-old, singing is all in a day's routine. The aspiring country singer/songwriter says she sings whenever she gets the chance.

Jesse's mother, Pegi Levin said Jesse "just fell into" singing publicly. "I tell her that she has an angel on her shoulder because good things keep happening to her," Levin said.

Levin said operators at a horse ring in Portola Valley asked Jesse to sing the national anthem at the Mercedes-Benz Horse Show after overhearing her singing to herself.

Jesse learned the words for the anthem out of an encyclopedia, Levin said.

She also got a gig singing at the Grand Nationals rodeo, held at the Cow Palace in San Francisco every fall.

Levin said Jesse became a regular guest singer on the radio station KRTY after she unintentionally met two disc jockeys from the station while they were broadcasting from a car lot in San Jose. She has also sang for school events at Springer School, where she attends.

Alison Vidal, promotions coordinator for the Giants, said she chose Jesse from among the approximately 300 audition tapes she received this season because "Jesse seemed to be cute, energetic and we thought she would do awesome. She's an outstanding child."

Jesse admitted she was nervous when she first walked out onto the baseball field.

"I thought it would go really bad, I would forget everything, but it went good. It was really cool," said Jesse about singing before the game. "The crowd was nice. They cheered the whole time."

Jesse said she even got the game ball from a fan because he said she "'sang so wonderfully.'"

"When push came to shove, she was great," Levin said. "She has such a powerful voice for her size and age. People always say, 'Wow! That big voice out of that little girl.' "

Levin said Jesse's been singing since she was 3 months old.

"I was singing before I learned how to talk," Jesse said.

In her bedroom alongside her stuffed animals and horse-riding awards is a piano and microphone system where Jesse said she practices singing nearly every day.

She has already written the melody and lyrics for five country songs - a style of music that is her mother's favorite.

When writing songs, Jesse said, "I think about things that I like. It's like writing a poem, but I just pretend I'm famous and singing what everyone else likes to hear."

Jesse began formal music training last year. She takes voice and music lessons once a week. A record producer has also been in contact with her, Levin said.

"This is something she loves to do, and I encourage it in any way I can," said Levin, who was a child singer herself.

Jesse brims with excitement as she talks about singing. "I want to be a country singer," she said. "I like how singing brings joy to everyone."