“All I wanna do is love you … you looked out your window and you smiled at me, boy. I almost went crazy; never thought you’d notice me…”

No, those aren’t lyrics belonging to Mariah Carey or Nelly Furtado. Those are the lyrics to a song called “This One’s for You,” written by junior Amenta Winters.

A dedicated singer and songwriter, Amenta hopes her passion for singing will someday take her to the professional level.

Unlike most, Amenta knew what she wanted to do with her life at a very young age: become a singer. Her mom, among other friends and family members, could see it coming when Amenta was just a baby.

“I could tell by the way she cried,” Amenta’s mom Zuri Moore, who is a songwriter and producer, said. “She had really strong lungs … and she used to mess around like she was singing opera.”

At age three, Amenta began singing at church and since then has performed in front of lots of people. One of her most memorable opportunities was last year at the school’s Diversity Assembly. She sang her own song, “Do You Love Me Too?” with juniors Ivy Gates and Danielle Pierre-Louis. The three have been singing as a trio for two years.

Singing in front of many people is not frightening for Amenta. Her fear is actually just the opposite.

“I’d much rather sing in front of a million people than in front of two people,” Amenta said. “With one million eyes on you, it’s kind of hard to focus on the crowd, which allows me to focus on what I’m doing.”

Over that past 13 years, Amenta has basically taught herself to sing. Every day she spends three to four hours improving her voice.

“I basically taught myself to sing by listening to artists like Tina Marie, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin and trying to hit every note they do,” Amenta said.

When she was younger, her parents played a larger role in Amenta’s singing. According to Amenta, he dad helped with songwriting while her mom worked with her tone. Now they assist by helping her to record her music.

“I’ve always grown up [being able] to work in a studio,” Amenta said.

She currently has the opportunity to work in three different studios — all owned and controlled by her family. There is one in her room, one in her mom’s office and one at her dad’s house. Amenta uses computer programs such as Pro Tools to record her voice and Acid to mix and create the music.

Her family is trying to help her get a record deal.

“My future plans are to continue working hard so that I can come out with a CD and hopefully soon have a single on the radio,” Amenta said.

Singing has had a bigger influence on Amenta than just allowing her talent to shine through others. It has taught her meaningful life lessons.

“I’ve learned that if you don’t push yourself to be better and to proceed, you’ll never get anywhere,” Amenta said.