She's a famous country singer, songwriter, and a 'normal kid' from Chesterfield

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A Chesterfield County teenager who spent years performing on local and national stages, deals daily with the struggles of being a high schooler, and a professional artist.

Neither define who she is, but both add to the complex life she leads.

Carrie Brockwell, a student at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, is just like any other senior in her class.

WTVR

“I think I definitely am kinda like a normal kid here because we all have our thing that we love and we’re all working hard on it," Brockwell said.

In her four years at the school, Carrie has spent her time learning, crafting and becoming a true artist.

“This is the auditorium, which is like, we, you talk about me getting on stage and becoming a different person and like this is here it happens, this is where it happens," Carrie said. "I look at pictures of myself in freshman year, and I’m like if I could go back and tell that girl that she was making the best decision of her life, like I wish I could."

However, a part of that conversation would also include another side of the 17-year-old.

She's performed on stages across the country, playing guitar, keyboards, and singing songs she wrote.

Beacon Theatre

“Actually telling my own stories, I love doing that a lot more than, you know, stepping into somebody else’s shoes," Carrie said.

Raised in a family of musicians, Carrie was never one to sit idle. Currently, she is teaching herself the mandolin.

“It was always music and it was always around and so I was kinda blessed to grow up with it surrounding me and it being in my life forever," she said.

And while she is still in high school, Carrie is also spending time on stage in Nashville, but says she is never forgetting her roots or her age.

“You definitely can’t forget it and I think that’s not a bad thing. I think it’s a good thing. I think it’s important to remember that I am a kid, when I’m on stage," Carrie said.

Her busy life also means she had to miss out on a lot of the activities most high schoolers, especially seniors, look forward to participating in.

Carrie Brockwell

“I didn’t go to the homecoming dance because I was playing a show.  And I’m not going to the football games every weekend because I’m working," Carrie said. "I’m writing, I'm playing these shows and I’m building my craft and doing what I love."

Life after high school will mean attending college in Nashville. But for now, Carrie says she finds solace and sanctuary where it all began.

And for Carrie, that is where it will always be found.

“I can come home from a long day of school and just decompress and be fully me," she said. "I don’t have to be on and I don’t have to be anything by me in this room.”

While she's living life at a pretty fast pace, Carrie remains grounded in family and faith - and the belief she can accomplish her goals - while remaining true to herself.

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