Sikeston's Kennedy Frohawk keeps up her music momentum at Greenville College

Growing up in Sikeston, Missouri, Kennedy Frohawk knew music was her path, and she also knew dance wasn't her true love. She began dance lessons when she was 3 years old, and it was eight years before she could convince her mother to hire a vocal coach for her.

"I kept telling her, 'I don't want to dance; I want to sing,'" Frohawk said, so she began voice lessons at 11 and guitar at 13. "And I just haven't stopped."

Frohawk's love of music and drive to perform landed her at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois, where she is in her second year of studying commercial music vocal performance. In a course called Rock Ensemble, she met two people who would become members of her band, Beyond Frohawk.

"We stuck together, even though our musical styles are very different," she said. "They prefer a heavier sound, like Iron Maiden, and I am a total country girl. The Band Perry's more my style."

As they work to meet in the middle, what emerges is a sound uniquely their own.

Kennedy Frohawk's band, Beyond Frohawk, mixes country and heavy metal influences.Laura Simon

"Our new drummer said we sound a little like Pat Benatar," Frohawk said.

Currently, Frohawk is on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. Luke Sanders is lead guitar, Jacob Kersh plays bass, and Nathan Andrews is the drummer, though the lineup is set to change soon.

"We're actually auditioning another guitarist this afternoon," Frohawk said Tuesday, so she can focus on her vocal performance. "That'll make us stronger in both areas, which we're excited about."

She is no stranger to performance, from early dance recitals to competing in Heartland Idol a few years ago and to open mic nights in Cape Girardeau and Greenville.

"I'm really trying to build my abilities," she said, "and every experience is another step in that direction."

She said her most memorable performance to date was in 2014, at a talent competition hosted by Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee.

"I had auditioned two previous years and been rejected both times," she said. "But in 2014, I was accepted, and I won! I was so surprised. To go from being not in at all to being the winner, that was really something."

She said the voting audience was 1,200 people, one of her largest audiences so far.

"I covered 'Like You Were Dying' by Tim McGraw and 'Black Roses' from the show 'Nashville,'" she said. "It was incredible, feeling that real connection with the audience. I was hooked."

Frohawk has performed as a featured artist at Bilderbach's Art Plaza in Cape Girardeau and with Beyond Frohawk is working to secure more gigs in Greenville.

"I'll be performing at the flea market in Cape Girardeau on Oct. 2," she said. "While I'm studying at Greenville, we'll be performing at a few local venues, like Adam Brothers Coffee and the Blackroom Cafe."

Looking forward, Frohawk said, "We haven't really defined our vision of the future. We're trying to get some momentum going on campus, explore our sound, enjoy creating music together."

For herself, she said, "I would love a career in the music industry -- performing, touring. I'm working on making connections right now, which is something great about being at Greenville College. There are so many people on campus who can help me meet the people I need to meet, and I feel blessed to be where I am, musically, professionally, personally, right now. What I'm doing now is so great, and I'd love to launch it into something bigger."