"I know that anything can happen..."
Cheyenne Corbine. You might want to remember that name because it just might be lit up on the billboards of some of the most famous arenas and stadiums in the world in a few years. Awhile back, Dream On Youth's founder, Cydney, wrote a post on Cheyenne titled "A Star Is Born." You look up in the sky and see millions upon millions of stars, but you know that if you were to zoom in on one of those stars, it is bigger than you could ever imagine. That's Cheyenne. You may see her as just another girl with just another dream among the millions of people with dreams, but you just wait. She is going to be bigger than any of us would ever expect.
Q: The mission of Dream On Youth is “to instill confidence, hope, love, support, and humility in this young generation.” What does this personally mean to you?
A: Personally for me, that means never-ending unconditional support with perfect intentions. It’s so easy to find people with bad intentions nowadays; people who will say, “Do this for yourself,” but what I’ve learned is it’s not about me, and it never will be. It’s about the people who have stood by me, loved me, pushed me, and supported me every step of the way. Dream On Youth has taught me how to drop my insecurities and just run towards my future with open arms and an open mind.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a part of the Do You Family?
A: Being a part of the Do You Family literally means the world to me. It has changed my life and that’s a fact; I have the evidence to back it up. Being a part of this family means that I will always have someone to turn to. Life is hard sometimes, especially when you have big dreams. The Do You Family gives me unconditional love and support, even on my worst days, so being a part of the Do You Family literally means being a part of a family and, as Lilo and Stitch would say, “Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." It’s really comforting and really beautiful to be a part of such an amazing family.
Q: How long have you been interested in singing and playing the guitar?
A: I have always wanted to be on stage. Always. Singing is something I have done since I could make noises with my mouth. My mama always sang around me and my sisters and she always had music playing and I am so thankful for that because that is what put this passion in me, to begin with. So I have always loved doing the singing. I started writing songs when I was in third grade and that made me love singing that much more. Guitar, I didn’t start until January of this past year, actually! I started to realize that my passion, singing, and songwriting, could be what I do every day of my life if I put the work in. So I picked up my step dad’s guitar one snow day in January and started to teach myself how to play it and by the end of the week, I had the first song that I ever wrote with a guitar.
Q: How did you feel after you wrote your first song? How do you feel after you finish writing a song?
A: I felt like at that moment, I was the best version of myself that I could ever be, and that’s still how I feel each time. It’s my passion. I’m in love with songwriting. So I’d like to think that it’s very similar to when you spend time with someone you’re in love with. When you’re with them, they bring out the best in you; they make you the best version of yourself that you can be. That’s what writing a song does for me.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with becoming a singer?
A: I want to impact someone’s life in a positive way. No matter what happens, I want to be able to look back on my life and know that I made a difference. Singing and songwriting is just the gift that God gave me to use to do that. Yes, it would be amazing to see all of my wildest, craziest, most beautiful dreams come true, but my main priority will always be to make people smile. I don’t just want them to listen to me and my songs, I want to listen to them. When someone relates to one of my songs, I always want to know the story behind why they do. I just really love people. Everyone has a story and I find that so interesting. We can all learn so much from each other, so I want to use singing/songwriting to hear other people’s stories.
Q: Who are your biggest inspirations? Why?
A: Taylor Swift and my mama. Taylor Swift is the definition of fearless. She has worked hard to get to where she is and she is a perfect role model. She never does anything half-heartedly. She isn’t afraid of her own words and that is such a beautiful thing. She hasn’t done anything in front of cameras that she wouldn’t want her fans to do. She knows and respects the attention she gets from her fans and she has never let us down. She has made all of us proud. And my mama because she is the strongest woman in the world. She raised me and my two sisters on her own and that takes a lot of strength, patience, and love, and she did an incredible job. She loves every single person she meets. She doesn’t judge anyone. She’s a rock for her daughters, she gives the best hugs, and she believes in me and supports me more than I could ever ask for. She has taught me the meaning of selfless unconditional love. I didn’t have my license earlier this year and I had to be at a music studio production program an hour away every morning from 8:30-10:30 and she sat outside in the car and waited for me every single day so that I wouldn’t have to take a bus and miss huge parts of class all because she is just as committed to my dreams as I am. And I hope that one day, I am at least half the woman she is.
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
A: Ideally, on tour, recording an album, and doing what I love for a living. But honestly? I have no idea. And I’m okay with that. Sitting here as a senior in high school, the world is literally wide open. Most people have a plan, so this is probably such a lame answer, but I just have faith. I have faith that no matter what happens, I’m going to be exactly where I’m supposed to be, every day of every week of every month of every year. Life has a funny way of surprising us. I’ve been learning a lot about life lately and I think that’s why I don’t have a good answer to this. I know that anything can happen and I don’t really have a set plan because of that. I don’t really think too far ahead because I don’t want to miss what’s right in front of me. I’m one of those “dangerous” people who live day by day as much as I possibly can. And yes, that is as dangerous as I get.
Make sure to follow Cheyenne on the websites below. Watch a star be born.
Connect with Cheyenne on Twitter, Soundcloud, and YouTube!
Stay fearless,
Andrea Santoyo