Karinna Laneé, a resident of Valrico, was selected to sing the national anthem for the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics on April 27.
Laneé is a junior at Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa and an established singer-songwriter.
She said, “I was chosen last year to sing live. However, due to COVID-19, the season was postponed. After the games came back, they asked if I still wanted to sing.”
Of the experience, Laneé said, “It was amazing. My family was there with me. I had pre-recorded the national anthem because of COVID-19 restrictions, so I got to stand with my family and watch from our seats. There was this huge echo around the whole stadium, and the whole thing was so surreal and magical.”
Laneé added, “Everyone cheered. My stepdad was so excited he shouted, ‘that’s her,’ and pointed to me. Everyone around us congratulated me and told me that I did great.”
She explained, “I have sung the national anthem at the Lupus Walk in Tampa and at the Tony Saladino Baseball Tournament. This was so much better. I never dreamed I would get to perform at such a large-scale event.”
Laneé released her song, “The Villain,” in January.
Laneé said of her songs, “I try to write all of my songs based on my emotions and experiences that people can relate to. The Villain is a story of battling anxiety in places where you are not super comfortable. It is something a lot of people, including myself, struggle with. I think it is important to write a song someone can listen to and think, ‘Hey, maybe I am not so alone after all.’”
Laneé hopes to get back into the studio this summer.
Laneé said, “To me, music is like therapy. It is such a key thing in our lives. You hear it on the radio, on TV and when you are singing in the shower. I write when I am emotional, I dance when I am happy and I play guitar when I am stressed. I want to spread that message of how important music is in our lives, whether you are making it or just listening to it. It just makes everything better.”
You can find Laneé’s songs on multiple streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook @karinnalanee.
