Born into a family of talented musicians, sophomore Ally Woodruff has been singing nursery rhymes since the age of two. For Ally, music is a way of life and something that has continued to positively impact her. Ally started playing piano when she was 5 years old, and added guitar and ukulele to her repertoire when she was 12 years old. 

While she is recognizably a talented musician, many don’t know the obstacles Woodruff has had to overcome in the past couple of years. In the summer of eighth grade, Woodruff was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition that causes involuntary muscle movements and sounds, often known as tics. Luckily, these tics never affect Woodruff when she is expressing her talent.

“When I found out I had Tourette’s I was relieved. When you’re struggling with something for your entire life and it finally gets a name and label, then you know that you’re just a human with a condition,” Woodruff said. 

Woodruff is now a part of the Advanced Performance Workshop class (APW). APW offers a space for students to develop as performers while learning different aspects of music. Last year, she was the only freshman that was advanced enough to be in the class. 

“It was definitely intimidating. But there is something very valuable about working with people who are better, older and wiser than you,” Woodruff said. 

On Nov. 16, 2022 Woodruff performed in the APW concert. She sang an original piece, “Carpool to Heaven” and backup vocals on “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood. As a result of Woodruff’s musical talents, there is a physical and heartfelt aspect that has continued to develop. 

“The emotional aspect is the biggest part for me. Sometimes I write my own music,” Woodruff said. “[Writing music] is a good way for me to channel my thoughts and feelings into songs. When I’m just feeling overwhelmed and nothing else is going right, I can write about it.” 

From the start, Ally was part of a family with talented musicians: her mom, Kelly Woodruff, a flute player who unfortunately stopped after having kids, and her older sister, a pianist. This meant that from the beginning, Ally was destined to be a musician as well.

“Her voice just improves every year. I also like that she composes, it’s always been a mystery to me how anybody can come up with ideas for tunes and lyrics. This is something she is also very good at. As a mom, it’s very good to see your child do something that brings her happiness,” Kelly said. 

In order to grow, Ally has had many lessons with different instructors to enhance her skills. One of her instructors, Benjamin, has had a big impact on her music career. Music started at a young age for him as well. His mother was his music teacher which influenced him to pursue music and eventually teach piano to young kids, including Ally. 

“This lesson was one of the best days I could recall as a teacher because she wanted to learn and do more. [Ally] learned about the basics of harmony, like what kids in high school and college are learning. She was doing these things in just the fourth or fifth grade. She was already so advanced and so eager to accomplish things in a short period of time,” Benjamin said.

Ally has composed over 12 songs, and she continues to take voice lessons and is developing her skills. Through all her hard work and dedication, she is motivated to  continue to expand and work on her skills.

“I’d say practice as much as you can, but don’t force yourself if you’re not having fun because that defeats the point of playing music. Just have fun and play the music that makes you feel a little bit better than you did going into the jam session,” Ally said.

Throughout the art community, Ally has found a second family to bond and connect with. In this space, she has found people that understand her and respect how she expresses herself in her writing. 

“The art community is one of the most welcoming communities anywhere, especially at Redwood. I think teenagers have a habit of making other teenagers feel small and I have never once felt that way in my music classes. That is because everyone lifts people up and overall it’s such a gratifying experience,” Ally said.