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Documentary highlights 10-year-old Sterling singer
Unlike most 10-year-olds, Abby Miller knows what it's like to have cameras following her every move and fans writing to her on a daily basis.
Abby, of Sterling, is a musician and singer, and she is the subject of a documentary film now.
“When I sing, there is no need for talking. It makes me feel free,” she said. “If it makes people happy, I'm happy.”
Apparently, Abby's singing does make people happy, or at least it gets their attention.
Fairfax resident Mike Gillette, a TV producer for a local government channel, is making a feature-length documentary on Abby. He discovered her when he posted an ad on craigslist.org looking for a young girl to sing “Amazing Grace” for a public service announcement on suicide prevention.
Abby sent in a submission in the form of a video posted on YouTube . Gillette listened to Abby's voice and immediately picked up the phone to call her parents.
“I was so impressed by this little tiny kid belting out this song,” he said. “I had 400 kids from all over the country, but Abby just really stood out.”
After Abby was chosen, she starred in and sang the background vocals for the PSA.
“She was so professional and did such a great job,” Gillette said. “The more I realized how she is, the more I realized there is a story to be told here. Pound for pound, she's the most talented person I've ever met.”
At just over 80 pounds, Abby has an enormous and soulful voice. She also writes songs and plays several instruments, including the piano and guitar.
“She's got that strength in her voice, and she just never stops singing,” said Abby's mother, Janet Miller. “Sometimes I hear her singing in the basement and I think she's got a tape on. It's so powerful.”
When Gillette suggested the documentary, Abby and her mom said they were both excited.
“It's kind of surreal,” Miller said. “I don't want to push her, but I want her to be able to do this and have the opportunity to figure it out and see what she can do with her singing.”
Abby said she is grateful for the documentary and can't wait to see where her love of music takes her.
Gillette plans to follow Abby throughout the course of her singing and musical experiences over the next few years. As he films, different segments will be posted on Abby's YouTube site.
For example, a recent part of the documentary shows Abby trying out to sing the national anthem for a Potomac National's baseball game.
Abby was chosen to sing and will perform the song at a game June 10.
In the end, about 250 hours of film will be needed to make the documentary, Gillette said. No one really knows what experiences Abby will have along the way, so it is unknown where the documentary will end up taking its audience.
Gillette is an Emmy-award-winning producer whose work has won first place in the National Government Programming Awards for budgets under $200,000.
Gillette said what makes this project fun is also Abby's personality.
“She's just a normal 10-year-old kid, there is no ego involved,” he said. “When I first saw her, she said, 'I want to make people happy with my music.' She doesn't want to be the next Hannah Montana. She wants to be the first Abby Miller.”
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com
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