Artistry Flows in Music for Okemos 12 Year Old

Kaleb Shares His Heart for Music on Valentine’s Day

2015-01-08 002Twelve year old Kaleb Crowell, a student from Chippewa Middle School in Okemos loves to sing.

And he’s good at it too!

A few years ago, Kaleb was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) — the name given to a group of leukemia’s that affects the blood and bone marrow.  After spending a year in the hospital, he is now in remission.

Kaleb enjoys spending time with his older siblings.  His favorite meal is breakfast; he loves reading books and drawing and English is among his favorite school subjects.  In his spare time he loves listening to music and watching iTunes music videos.  Kaleb’s mother knew that he liked Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson but was surprised to discover that he has added influences like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin to his list of likes.

“I wasn’t allowed to play sports because of the type of cancer I had so in my spare time I started listening to music” said Kaleb.

He admits that he is very shy but, “One day I just started singing….when I sing my shyness goes away”.

As for singing and a shot at a music career, during treatment for AML, the nerve that is attached to his voice box was damaged leaving a vocal cord that does not move and a raspy sound.   At first, his classmates teased him about his voice until a self-made CD that he prepared for an entrepreneurial class project quickly turned into a fan-club of sorts.

“Kaleb is a loving kid with a long road and bright future ahead”, shared his mother.   “Music definitely touches our hearts and the concert is an opportunity for Kaleb to share his talent and experience how music touches others”

In the meantime, most of his classmates are navigating through sports and after school activities while Kaleb is learning to play piano and practicing his rendition of a Whitney Houston song for his Valentine’s Day gig with 496 West at Holt High School-Margaret Livensparger Theater.

“Somewhere between the do-re-me and the heart, we look forward to an exciting memory” said BMRW spokesperson Charlie Wilson.

This is a reserve-seating-ticketed-event.  For more information on this event and all of the artists, visit www.bmrwpromotions.com or call visit or call BMRW Promotions at 517-372-7246