By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Everybody has to start somewhere. For Great Bend High School senior Elly Somers, that was a varsity wrestling match. Now, she's singing the national anthem on much larger stages: varsity basketball and football games, and Barton Community College basketball games. Friday morning, Somers provided the first-ever live singing of the Star-Spangled Banner on KVGB 1590 AM/95.5 FM's "Trading Post" program.
"I started singing when I could first start talking," she said. "I loved music, and my mom is also really musical, so I kind of just learned from her."
A swimmer and cheerleader who plays piano and is active in numerous clubs at GBHS, Somers first approached the activities director about singing the anthem as a sophomore. A little reluctant to put a newcomer on a big stage, he let her sing at the wrestling tournament.
"He told me afterward I should sign a contract to sing at all the other events we have," Somers said.
Watch Friday's Performance:
There is an art to singing the national anthem. Because of its range, starting out too high can have disastrous results. Just ask former track star Carl Lewis about his 1993 rendition of the song.
"It's definitely harder because I have to jump from low notes to high notes," said Somers. "But, by preparing, I just practice a lot. Because I sing it so much, it just comes easier each time. It took me maybe two or three notes to start with to figure out what works for me. Now I just stick with the same one."
A week before singing live in studio, Somers performed the anthem on Senior Night in front of a packed house at GBHS. The crowd loved it, though Somers is never quite sure if the applause is just because a high school student is doing the singing.
"Especially Friday Senior Night, that was really nerve-racking, but it was also my last game to sing at, so I wanted to do the best I've ever done," she said.
Outside of singing the anthem, Somers now sings with the band Aces & Eights. The band featuring Wichita's Kendall Kaufman on guitar and Great Bend's Colin Hammeke on bass, has transitioned into some poppier tunes by Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Bruno Mars, but still does other songs by frontwomen like Pat Benatar.
Somers is the daughter of Chad and Shannon Somers. She plans to study pre-health at Kansas State University next fall.