Shelley Vance

Charity Vance has a thing for paper, pens and poems. Ever so quirky and joyfully explosive, the 18-year-old singer-songwriter has made a name for herself, thanks to her unique voice and carefully crafted indie-pop anthems. "I want my music to be the choice of the group of girls driving to the park," says Charity. "I hope it streams through the open windows to meet the wind on its way out. I hope my music gets the chance to live." And in early 2010, her music found lots of open windows thanks to extensive coverage on Season 9 of the hit FOX series American Idol, where she first wowed the judges (and guest judge Shania Twain) in Chicago with her rendition of "Summertime." Soon after American Idol, the Little Rock native headed into the studio with Nashville-based production team ZodLounge (Emily Osment, Leann Rimes, Richard Marx), who started to work on her national debut album, which will be released in 2011. It's the combination of her unique voice and the beyond-her-years songwriting that has the music industry in Nashville and beyond buzzing. "Writing is a part of me," explains Charity. "It owns a room in my heart. I love visiting that room!"