Durante is a rising country music star with her roots in D.C. She is a 2006 alumna of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, and will be returning Saturday to perform at their “Dollars for Scholars” fundraiser. When did your interest in music begin?
I’ve been singing my whole life. I guess my love of music evolved due to the fact that I sang as a child and was always encouraged to sing. With singing came music and my interest in everything involving music.
Where do you get your inspiration for songwriting?
Life experiences. I’m 22, so I have a lot more to experience. Writing is just being able to get into it and be as open as possible and act as if you’re telling a story to a friend. I think that’s how some of the best music is written. It’s confessional, really letting you into what the singer is singing about.
How does it feel to be returning to D.C. and performing at your alma mater?
I’ve been in Nashville for three years, and that has become home for me. My real home, of course, is D.C. My whole family’s there, and it’s always been a really encouraging thought that this community is pulling for me. Visitation has been a really essential part of that community. Being able to go back and give back in some way in their efforts to raise money at the gala is really cool, and I’m honored to be a part of it.
Your four-song EP is going to be released on April 19, your first complete album is going to be released later this year. It sounds like your career is going really well. Does it seem like reality?
It doesn’t! The day I don’t appreciate how lucky I am is the day I should quit. It’s always going to be exciting.
Erica Redmond
