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Nation wide: Former AHS student's music hits big time
Photo courtesy of Laura Ault - Former Allen resident Laura Ault recently won the "Red Bull Soundstage" contest, and her song "Like A Star" will appear in the movie "We Made This Movie" to be released Sept. 20.
By Jared Watson, jwatson@starlocalnews.com
Recording artist and former Allen resident Laura Ault is a rarity in the music world. Her songs have appeared in movies, television shows, commercials, hotels and shopping centers around the world - all without her having to leave her Miami Beach home.
Ault has been a stay-at-home musician for the past year, submitting her songs for use in soundtracks and advertising, as well as entering many songwriting contests. So many, in fact, that when she was chosen as a finalist for a contest sponsored by Red Bull, she had a little trouble remembering which one it was.
"It had been one or two months since I submitted that I found out I was chosen for the contest," Ault said. "Out of every 100 'No's' you get, maybe one might happen."
Though Ault spends most of her time in one place now, she moved around a lot growing up. Born in Houston, she spent time living in Plano, Wylie and Allen, as well as Colorado. Ault recalls that her passion for music was partly born on the road.
"We always listened to music on road trips in our RV," Ault said. "I've always loved music, and my mom exposed me to a lot of classics, like Simon and Garfunkel, and John Denver."
Ault's musical passion first expressed itself when she attended Allen High School. It was there she was involved in musical theater, appearing in productions such as "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". She later received a degree in theatre from Collin County Community College, where she appeared in productions of "The Apple Tree" and "Gypsy", and won a best actress award for her role in "A New Brain".
Ault found so much success on the stage, she assumed her life's work would be performing the songs of others. She said, at that time, she had no thought of creating her own music.
"I didn't know I was a real singer or songwriter until towards the end of college," Ault said. "I graduated with an associate's degree in theatre from [Collin College] and I was sure I was going to be a Broadway musical or movie star."
Ault left Collin County for New York City shortly after graduation, where she performed in productions such as "Shred it Til it Blooms". She also continued her education in NYC at Hunter College, where she received a bachelor's degree in English literature. But it was heartbreak that first inspired her to pick up the guitar and try her hand at songwriting.
"What really inspired me to start songwriting was a bad breakup," Ault said. "When I felt like had nothing to go on for, the songwriting gave me new hope, drive and direction. It sounds cheesy, but it kind of saved my life."
Ault released her first album, "All of The Above", in 2009. Many of the songs from that album, including "Sunshine in My Mind", "Like A Star", "I Warned You" and "Gamblin' on My Man", began appearing on television later that year. The songs were on such high-profile shows as "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "Keeping Up With The Kardashians", "Guiding Light" and "All My Children".
"It was pretty cool the first time I heard my music on 'All My Children,' which is a show my Mom watched when I was growing up," Ault said.
Ault said that the reason she prefers to use television and film to promote her music is that it allows many more people to hear her music at the same time.
"It's easier to reach a mass audience all at once if one of my songs is in a national commercial or a popular film or TV show," Ault said. "I'm at a point in my life and career that I have no desire to spend my time and money touring across the country playing venues trying to build a fan base one fan at a time. Plus, I'm not a college kid anymore and I like comfort too much to be sleeping in a tour van or on someone's couch or floor."
Ault's contest win also reaffirmed that she is on the right path musically and professionally.
"It's definitely helped me feel confident in myself," Ault said. "It gave me the kick in the pants I needed."
Though she has lived away from Texas for quite a few years now, she comes back to Allen as often as her schedule allows, and thinks of home much more often than that.
"I'd say I make it home to see the family once or twice a year," Ault said. "If I had it my way I'd be there way more than I am. I miss home a lot. There is just no other place like it."
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