Na'rel (pronounced "NIGH-rell"), born Kenneth Dixon, II, is a precocious seventeen-year-old born with the gift of song and a passion for music.
The name 'Na'rel' -- meaning simply "gift of song" -- was created with the help of one of his cousins in 2006.
Few people know of Na'rel's beginnings; how he was just a pill away from not even being among the land of the living. For it was by God's grace alone that his mother's pregnancy with him was confirmed by the doctor before she left the hospital and took the pills that would have helped with her "mysterious illness," but would have killed him.
"Music has been a part of me since the beginning of my life. I can't imagine my life without it, really. I've always loved music. I've always wanted to be a singer,” glows Na’rel. ”It's my past-time, my hobby, my therapy; it's a whole lot of things for me,” he raves. ”Writing is the one way I know how to express myself easiest. What I love about writing [music] is that you can say what you need to say without interruptions. I've been writing for at least 10 years and fortunate enough to compose over 200 songs to date and counting. I’ve been writing songs since I was six year’s old, if I can recall correctly,” says Na’rel.
Born and raised in Washington State, Na'rel has been singing all of his life, both on and off stage. In 1998/1999, Na'rel was presented the opportunity to audition for the Northwest Boychoir--a 35-year-old boy choir, which in 2008 was nominated for a Grammy, that is the Pacific Northwest’s premier children’s choir. Those auditioning are asked to prepare a song of their own choice, which will demonstrate voice quality and sense of pitch. The song can be as simple as Happy Birthday, or a familiar holiday carol. A member of the music staff will then take the auditioning boy through a series of music drills to establish a sense of the boy's musical aptitude. The remainder of the audition is spent in conversation with the boy and family to establish a sense of character and potential commitment. When all auditions are completed, the music staff evaluates the candidates to determine status. Results of the auditions are mailed to each family. Auditions can also be both rigorous and competitive, but he did it and was accepted.
Disappointed, retrospectively, that he had not stuck with it, Na'rel remained to keep his head up and continued to sing in front of family and friends.
In the fourth grade, he had the opportunity to perform Yolanda Adams's, "Never Give Up," from her 2001 release, "Believe," at a teacher's luncheon. He then received a certificate of recognition and a certificate of merit thanking him for his performance and wishing him well with his dream and pursuit of a career in music.
In the fifth grade, Na'rel performed the Wizard of Oz classic, "Somewhere over the Rainbow" at his school’s Talent Show on the B-flat clarinet. For four years Na'rel was a part of his school’s band program as a clarinetist, until he decided to depart the program by his freshman year in high school.
In his life right now, Na'rel is simply focusing hard on school and accomplishing his short-term goals. "I honestly believe that music chose me, I didn't choose to love music. It's the one thing I've know all of my life, really, with the exception of my faith in Christ."
"To be honest, however, there was a time when I was in seventh grade, I believe, that I had gotten discouraged and given up on music and thought about pursuing other things besides music, but I just couldn't leave my life-long passion for music alone. Forsaking music, for me, is like forsaking or denying a huge part of who I am and I just can't do that."
Patience is a virtue and Na'rel-LeDon seems to have a lot of it. He says that 'he's not worried about the "if's" and "when's"'. "You know, sometimes we tend get anxious and force a closed door open when in time a window may open up, so to speak. To quote Ecclesiastes 3:1, "For everything there is a season under heaven." To me, that simply means that in due time, things will work out for you. No one can take away from you what they didn't give you, as Monica [R&B superstar] says. The key is that you must wait. It's like the saying, 'good things come to those who wait.' It's for your own good. When it's your time, it's your time and nothing and no one can stop that. "Your gift will make room for you" (Proverbs 18:16). Sometimes our greatest success comes in waiting, I believe."
With a sure confidence, determination, focus and intellect beyond his seventeen years of life, there appears to be no end to the promising future Na'rel has before him. Never settling for less, but always striving to be the best person he can be; Na'rel will sure enough be one of those people, let alone artists, who will not only set trends of positivity, but raise the bar; encouraging us all to require more from ourselves if we want more in and out of life.
