Ella Simpson, the talented student at Red Oak High School, is counting down the days until her graduation.
While she had a fun and packed four years as a top student, she is now focused on her exciting future in the days ahead at Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock.
Simpson has excelled in the field of music for most of her life. In fact, she released her first single earlier this year and had another on the way.
But in eighth grade, she decided to break out of her shell and take a chance at drama classes and pursue acting.
The formerly shy young lady explains: “Growing up I used to watch my sister Maddie perform on stage and never really thought that acting was something that interested me. Funnily enough, the theater eventually became my ‘safe place’ – the place where I would meet my best friends. I got into theater in eighth grade and I really needed to get out of my comfort zone, but when you’re surrounded by people who love creating art, everything became easy for me.”
She said: “One of the first moments I realized that theater is what I love to do was definitely my eighth grade year. In the very first year of the program, I was cast for the role of Elizabeth Packard in the play Mrs. Packard.’ This role was one of the most emotionally challenging roles I’ve ever played, but it was so worth it.”
Simpson admits she was so blessed to grow up in an incredibly musical family. From a young age, her family (herself, mother, father and sister Madison aka Maddie) would gather around the piano and sing songs together.
“We just clicked musically and we seemed to have an ear for mixing our voices,” Simpson said. “My mother in particular was the only one of us who could play an instrument, but as I got older, inspired by her, I taught myself piano and guitar on my own. In fact, my mother, Kristen Simpson, plays keyboards at Creekside Church in Midlothian.”
Bryan Vickers, her church’s music and worship leader, said, “Ella is such a sweet presence on our team. Her heart to serve our church with her talents is evident in the way she spends her free time. Her beautiful voice always adds so much to our worship times together. We love her and will miss her dearly when she goes to college at the end of the summer.”
The spirited senior always describes herself as a committed “church girl” at heart. She has been singing in a church since she was 11 and has been part of Creekside’s Stage Worship team for the past seven years – very often as a soloist, but from time to time she also does duets and sometimes even performs as a singer to complete the Simpsons musical family.
Simpson is so excited about the music scholarship she recently received. She plans to specialize in the music business.
“I’ve definitely followed in my mother’s footsteps, and I’m 100 percent a contralto,” Simpson said. “Some of my biggest music idols are Harry Styles, Joshua Bassett and Adele. All these artists are not only the first thing I hear when I get up in the morning, but above all they inspire me with their music every day. So far all the songs I have composed myself are secular but family friendly.”
She said: “My goal is to release music as a full-time career, but I recognize that any particular type of career is not a 100 percent guarantee of success. Instead, my goal is to study music business, also learn the production side of things and also work behind the scenes. I love music so much that around February 2021 I started writing my own songs and posting them on Instagram. At first I was quite unfamiliar with the idea of ever releasing music, but with the support and encouragement of my family, I released my very first single entitled ‘Adulting Stuff’ on March 18th, 2022. Also on May 20th, 2022 I will be releasing my new one release a single entitled ‘The Science Behind That’.”
Her sister, Maddie, 21, is currently attending Lubbock Christian University – where the little sister will be going soon, but she will graduate later in May. She studied drama education and will be a theater director at Crowley Middle School in the fall.
Simpson said, “Like my sister, I have a great passion for theater and that’s why I made it my primary focus during my high school years in Red Oak.”
The Simpson family resides in Waxahachie, but because both of their parents – Steve and Kristen Simpson – taught at Red Oak ISD for many years, Simpson has progressed all the way from kindergarten through 12th grade as a Hawk.
Her mother currently teaches second grade at Shields Elementary at ROISD. Her father now teaches dual-credit language and also coaches tennis at North Crowley High School.
Simpson is now ready to try her hand at college acting in the future. Remember the name of this young lady – maybe one day she will be famous.
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