Marissa Grace is eleven years old. She appears reserved while simultaneously vibrant—but once she picks up a microphone, she is impossible to ignore.
Here is how it happened. A father wrote his own cover of “Rude” by the band “Magic” and it got a lot of air time. Marissa Grace, a La Mesa resident, sixth-grade soccer player who has a knack and love for music, wrote her own version and submitted it to the local “Jeff & Jer” radio show.
Marissa Grace is eleven years old. She appears reserved while simultaneously vibrant—but once she picks up a microphone, she is impossible to ignore.
Here is how it happened. A father wrote his own cover of “Rude” by the band “Magic” and it got a lot of air time. Marissa Grace, a La Mesa resident, sixth-grade soccer player who has a knack and love for music, wrote her own version and submitted it to the local “Jeff & Jer” radio show.
Things took off for Marissa Grace after that. “It turned into this thing where they kept playing it,” said Maria McRoberts, Marissa Grace’s mother. “There’s a recording producer that Jeff & Jer knew. She went into a recording studio and started recording. She’d like to create a tween band with a positive message.”
Marissa Grace started with piano at age 4, and also plays ukelele in addition to singing. From this young age, she started playing things by heart. McRoberts knew then that Marissa Grace had something special to share.
In addition to singing at school, in church or in Christian Youth Theater, she has only recently started with public performances. “My mom is my manager so she sets a lot of things up for me, I just like performing,” Marissa explained about how she came to perform at the Summer Concert Series at Grossmont Center on Aug. 29. She sang three songs. Her version of “Rude”, “Cool Kids” by Echosmith and a song she wrote herself called “In My Dreams.” The soprano II (with an alto belt) has a relaxed, inherent stage presence, with impressive composure in front of the many eyes trained on her. It’s hard to believe that a girl who isn’t even officially a “tween” wrote her substantive, original “In My Dreams”. Everyone in the audience at the Summer Concert Series was dancing and moving with Marissa Grace’s radio-ready music and harmonic voice.
The daughter of retired Military Blackhawk Pilot and Desert Storm vet, Charlie McRoberts and mom who has been with Cox Communications for sixteen years is natural on the stage, comfortable putting herself out there, but she’s also happy just being a kid.
“I’m not focused on fame, I just want to do what I love,” she said.
Marissa Grace’s next performances will be Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m. at the Alpine Chili Cook-Off and Car Show and on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the San Diego Waterfront Park.
