Stutter. She unfortunately passed away a few years ago, but she was the most kind and accepting human. She was so helpful and would urge me to disclose my stutter in everyday activities. She really helped me with the confidence side of stuttering and helped me accept my stutter and embrace it. I worked with her for about a year or so. Now, if I find myself struggling with my stutter, I’m never scared to look for another speech therapist. Asking for help is not a weakness—it is a strength.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH STUTTERING AS A CHILD. There were a lot of ups and downs with my experience having a stutter when I was little. Even with my friends who knew I stuttered, it was still embarrassing for me to stutter in front of them. I would know the answer to questions in class, and I would want to share my thoughts, but I decided to stay quiet. I had been laughed at a few times in class and even had a teacher say something mean. It only took small things like that to keep me from participating. I didn’t know many other people who stuttered, so I felt alone. Looking back, especially knowing now how many amazing foundations and organizations there are for stuttering, I wish I would have been a part of them and been more involved in the stuttering community.
HAS YOUR STUTTERING GOTTEN WORSE OR BETTER SINCE YOU WERE YOUNGER? Stuttering is different for everyone, which is so fascinating to me. There have been times in my life when my stutter has been more severe than others. I’ve also learned that my stutter is connected to stress. When I am more nervous, I tend to stutter more frequently. I think at times in my life when I was more stressed—whether that was because I was taking hard classes in school or for other reasons—I had a harder time with stuttering.
BASED UPON YOUR EXPERIENCES, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL CHILDREN WHO STUTTER? I would say three things: 1. take a breath when you feel it coming or even if you are stuck, 2. people can wait for you to speak, and 3. don’t give up.
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HOW DOES STUTTERING AFFECT YOU IN YOUR PURSUIT OF SINGING? It really doesn’t. Singing has always been an outlet for me because I don’t stutter when I sing. So, singing has always felt like an escape—a way for me to express myself and feel free without fear of judgment or perception.
HOW IS YOUR STUTTERING TODAY? I still have a stutter today, but I can confidently say that I am in control of it and it doesn’t control me. For so many years, it was something I wished would disappear, but now I realize it is something that makes me who I am. It is the least important thing about me, and once I came to that realization, it stopped affecting me in a negative way. I still use the techniques I’ve been taught to help with my fluency. I make sure to speak at a good pace and breathe. I’ve used these techniques in all the interviews I’ve done for American Idol. While I still stutter during these interviews, I am much more fluent.
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