Avery Kern
By Tom Irwin
This talented, ambitious, inspiring and aspiring singer, songwriter, musician and entertainer is doing what it takes to get things done in the business of music show business. From Avery's recent appearance on the Hollywood version of American Idol (getting that far is a big deal) to attending the esteemed Belmont University in Nashville for business and songwriting, she's making the rounds and not getting dizzy. During her high school days, Ms. Kern took music lessons from Micah Walk and found they had similar tastes in songwriting. Between her busy gig schedule here, Avery keeps up a professional presence in Nashville where she's currently working on songs to develop into an EP of original music. Along with her aptitude for penning a fine tune, in her live shows she can cover a cover like nobody's business. She's also in the running for Best Songwriter and Best Female Vocalist in our Best of Springfield for 2020. "You go girl," would be an understatement, 'cause this young woman is already going, going, gone.
Idol Chatter - Voice News
Avery Kern of Pawnee, Ill., is one of the singers rumored to have auditioned for American Idol Season 18
American Idol kicks off Season 18 with its first audition episode on Sunday, Feb. 16.
Among the artists rumored to have auditioned is Avery Kern from Pawnee, Ill.
Here’s more about Avery.
* On Facebook, she describes her favorite genres as pop, country and classic rock and says she plays guitar and ukulele.
* She’s an excellent athlete and student too. In fact, she was named Athlete of the Year in 2019 at Penn Station High School — she especially excelled in volleyball — and carried a 3.93 GPA.
* In a 2018 interview with a local newspaper, Avery said her parents sang when she was young and that’s where her interest in music came from.
* She recalls being incredibly nervous prior to her first public performance — a sixth-grade school assembly — but said that’s the day she also decided “this is kind of what I want to do.”
* Avery recalls bugging her mom about getting a guitar, got her wish at age 9 and started taking guitar lessons.
* She’s been gigging locally around Pawnee — including at a bar called Locals — and she’s also performed with Deep Hollow, the band headed by Micah Walk, her guitar teacher and mentor.
* On Facebook, Avery says her influences also include Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris.
* Avery is either attending or planning to attend Belmont with a double major in music business and songwriting.
“Avery’s guitar instructor, Micah Walk, is a singer/songwriter in rock/Americana who lives in Springfield. Walk said Avery was already very talented and had an impressive repertoire when she started taking instruction from him in 2014. “Avery and I are a great fit because we both like a lot of the same types of music, and she has a goal of doing what I've been doing for years -- playing gigs with an acoustic guitar,” said Walk, who has a solo album “Micah Walk” and is in the groups The Deep Hollow, which is an original folk/Americana trio, and The Shenanigans, which is a cover band. “She has a strong drive. That’s half the battle right there. She also isn't afraid of learning something new and difficult. She never says anything like, ‘That seems too hard.’ ”” - Tamara Browning
— State Journal Register, May 27, 2018
