As Carlehr Swanson, M.M. ’21, (pronounced Car-lee-ah), prepares to represent her home state as Miss Virginia in the upcoming Miss America competition in early January, the talented vocalist reflects on the influences that have brought her to this moment.
A Richmond native, Swanson was raised on gospel music.
At age six, she joined the Sunbeam Choir and soon performed a solo of “This Little Light of Mine” to her congregation.
When she finished, her grandmother Gladys led her fellow churchgoers out of their seats in applause.
“I thought to myself, ‘Man, I could do this forever,’” Swanson said.
She continued to develop as a singer with formal instruction and informal sing-alongs with her mother.
After singing at an aunt’s funeral, news of her heartfelt performance reached a pageant director, who asked if young Swanson ever considered competing in a pageant. She agreed, but then she felt overcome by nerves.
“Initially, I had a lot of stage fright because I felt shy to model gowns onstage, and I was afraid to express myself in the interview portion,” she said. “The pageant helped me overcome these fears and inspired me to accomplish more by connecting me with other driven young women passionate about helping their communities.”
Her grandmother became a strong role model in helping others.
“My grandmother had a way of connecting with people and giving every person she met her time, genuine interest, and caring,” Swanson said. “This became formative to who I am and who I aspire to be.”
When her grandmother moved to an assisted living facility, Swanson realized her gift for singing could lift the spirits of those in poor health.
“I would visit with my grandma Gladys and sing songs on the piano to cheer her up,” Swanson said. “I noticed that other residents would gather to listen, so I started performing in nursing homes.”
The experience inspired Swanson to create her own community service initiative, Music is Unity, to bring live music to the people, especially those unable to travel.
“It became my life’s work to help people feel connected through the power of music,” Swanson said.
She earned a bachelor’s in jazz studies at George Mason University before pursuing her master’s degree with the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Swanson was attracted to the Frost School’s jazz vocal ensembles and was encouraged by the school’s director of jazz vocal performance, Kate Reid, to apply.
“Dr. Reid was kind and warm; she had a deep singing voice just like me, and she made me feel like the Frost School was a place where I could really flourish,” Swanson said. “The Frost School really expanded my horizon of what I could become as an artist.”
In 2021, after earning her master’s degree in jazz performance, Swanson started working toward her doctorate at the University of Virginia, with research focusing on Black studies, feminist studies, and gospel music.
“My lifelong love for gospel music made me want to dive more deeply into its history,” she said. “I learned that the discipline has largely focused on male composers and their contributions, but I was more interested in the women of gospel music who may have fallen through the cracks.”
“Another focus in my studies explores how the place in which music is created affects the music-making process,” she continued. “My dissertation will explore how gospel music can also act as a placemaking tool.”
Ever since Swanson was crowned Miss Virginia in June of 2024, she has been busy carrying out the responsibilities of the crown, like raising awareness of her Music is Unity initiative, publicizing the American Heart Association on behalf of the Miss America organization, and visiting schools across Virginia.
She described the moments leading up to her coronation, recalling the unusually calm moments before winning the title of Miss Virginia.
“At this point in pageants, I’m normally very nervous, and my mom will often say she can see from the audience my chest going up and down from breathing so hard, but this time I felt the calmest I had ever been,” she said. “I thought to myself: this is in God’s hands.”
“When I heard my name called, I began to cry uncontrollably,” she said. “At that moment, I felt that after 10 years [in pageants], my hard work and perseverance had paid off.”
“I took pictures onstage before being whisked away to meet the sponsors and board members for a champagne toast, then I was led into a party which ended around 2 a.m.,” she recalled. “I was up again at 4 a.m. for hair and makeup to appear on the morning news as Miss Virginia.”
“For years, I had watched Miss Virginia do that interview, and this time it was me.”
Now, as she prepares for the Miss America competition, she feels honored and excited and holds fast to the mantra: “I will do my best, and God will do the rest.”
She will perform “Get Here” by Oleta Adams, a song about searching for ways to communicate with a loved one far away, and plans to dedicate the performance to her grandmother.
This spring, Swanson will release an album of original music called “Growing Pains.” She also plans to complete her Ph.D. program and work towards turning Music Is Unity into a national nonprofit.
To watch Swanson in the Miss America competition, live stream the event/pageant on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 7 p.m.
