Valrico resident Karinna Laneé sang the national anthem for the Tampa Bay Rays’ games at Tropicana Field on March 26 and April 18.
“It’s a huge honor to sing the national anthem. I started doing them locally at the Tony Saladino baseball tournaments. But no matter where I am or how big the crowd is, it’s always very special,” Laneé said.
For Laneé, part of the significance of singing the anthem is how it connects people.
“I’ve been able to connect with so many people because of it. I even met a veteran who was part of the Stars for our Troops project, and he gave me a star from the American flag. That was a really beautiful moment,” Laneé said.
Laneé sees the strength music holds for relationships and growth.
“I think music has so much power to it. Historically, music has been used in every culture to share messages and emotions,” Laneé said.
Twenty-year-old Laneé graduated from Blake High School’s Arts Magnet program in 2022. Writing music is therapeutic to Laneé. She is a student at Florida Gulf Coast University and is working to get her degree in psychology and neuroscience.
“I want to open my own practice someday. We use music therapy to help people express their feelings. It’s a really powerful and beautiful thing, and I love being a part of that. Writing music is healing to me, and if I can help get a good message out to the world, it makes it even more worth it,” stated Laneé.
Laneé said she is always writing. She began releasing music in 2017 and has released five songs. Her most recent song, “Memory Lane,” was released in 2023.
“Memory Lane” is a song about growing up. Laneé tapped into nostalgia to write the song. She said it is a homage to how fun, exciting and easy things are as a kid, and how you can find joy for today in those memories.
Laneé’s songs, including “Memory Lane,” are available on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube. You can follow her on Instagram @karinnalanee and Facebook at “Karinna Lanee’.”
