Dinah Jane of Fifth Harmony

We heard Dinah Jane would be coming to town so I thought it would be a good idea to check it out. It's always interesting to listen to stories of success and the road it took to get there. My girls were most excited! My son was excited too but he wasn't about to show it. We watched her on YouTube and are big fans of the X-Factor so it didn't take much to convince the crew to head out.

Prior to the meeting, a luncheon was held for Dinah and the youth group that hosted the event. It was a good opportunity for the youth to meet and speak with her prior to her speaking engagement scheduled for later that evening. She took pictures with the very few people who were there...us included (I know her aunt so we snuck in). It was great. She was very nice and was excited to begin working on their newly signed music contract. Very poised and well spoken. Did I mention my girls were excited?!

The program consisted of her parents, music, and finally Dinah. I won't bore you with the details but I thought it would be good to share their message. A little snippet from each talk.

Mom: First heard the natural ability of Dinah's voice while signing Happy Birthday to her grandmother at a very young age. Knew she had a gift and began training her. By the way, her mom has an excellent voice...she can sang. Doing homework on the way to the studio, acting, public speaking, etc. It's been a long road. Very happy for the success that Dinah has achieved BUT encourages her to never forget who she is and what truly matters in life. 

Dad: Dinah approached them when she was 11 and told them that she wanted to be a star. He said "I can cut a star out of paper and put it on you. See, you're a star." The crowd had a good laugh. He also spoke of the work it took to get to where she is today. He is very proud of their Polynesian heritage and felt like it was a success shared with Polynesians all around. Dinah is very proud of her Tongan heritage as well and loves to take the time to recognize that as an important part of her background.

Dinah: She really wanted to try out for the American Idol but was too young. The Voice and X-Factor auditioned at the same time and she chose the X-Factor. The lines to audition were so long but once she was heard, she moved very quickly through the producers and executive producers. After hearing nothing back, an email appeared asking her to be in Rhode Island in the next day or two to audition in front of the judges. Upon arriving in Rhode Island...well if you saw her audition in Rhode Island, you know she killed it. She mentioned how she may have been a bit overconfident in the fact that she KNEW she was going to be a shoe-in for this competition. Until she was not selected. "I was moded!" were her exact words. That was funny! But that quickly changed when she was selected to be part of a group...was LYLAS, now Fifth Harmony.

In between her message, she sang 4 or 5 beautiful church songs. She was joined by her mother on a couple and also the Alapa family (hoping I spelled that correctly). The music was beautiful and very inspiring. Her story of hard work and not being able to hang with family and friends because she was working to perfect her craft has paid off. Her example of following her dreams and putting in the work to achieve was very motivating. 

More importantly, Dinah Jane has a good head on her shoulders. She is a very mature 15 year old. I am certain that having to deal with the obstacles, uncertainties, and the public light at all times builds character. Her message of faith, family, and Jesus Christ has grounded her and has helped her understand what truly is important. Congratulations to Dinah Jane and her success. She will definitely go far and we will be watching every step of the way.

Overcome. Achieve. IKUNA. 

If you missed it, she will be in the Bay Area this coming Sunday January 27, 2012 to share her inspiring message. 

Oakland Temple - 7PM-830PM. Better get there early if you want a seat.                                                                                                                                                  

You can also check out their site at http://www.fifthharmonyofficial.com/ - @fifthharmony on twitter and facebook.