Heather Youmans is an American dancer and singer-songwriter known for her soundtrack work on the feature films, '' Moondance Alexander'' (2007), ''

Flicka 2 ''Flicka 2'' is a 2010 American direct-to-DVD family film and sequel to ''Flicka'' (2006). The film is about a city girl who finds herself in the country not by choice and befriends a horse. Neither girl or horse are wanted; and they find a common ...

'' (2010) and '' Marley & Me: The Puppy Years'' (2011). Youmans recently appeared on ''I Can See Your Voice'' episode 4 (FOX), other live performances include a UNICEF benefit opening solo ahead of headliners

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

and Natalie Cole in 2005, a National Anthem performance for the Los Angeles Kings on New Year's Eve 2019, and ''Parade'' magazine's, She Rocks Spotlight Series, in 2020. Her work has been featured in ''American Songwriter'' magazine, ''Forbes Women'' and ''Parade'' magazine profiled her career and music in 2020. Youmans holds an MBA and is publicist with

Fender Guitars The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC, or simply Fender) is an American manufacturer of instruments and amplifiers. Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers and public address equipment, however it is best known for its sol ...

, she has written for the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', and the ''

Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

''.

Early life

Youmans began landing theatre roles at age ten, such as Amarylis in ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and ...

'', Marta in ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...

'' in 2003, as well as Nellie in '' Annie Get Your Gun'' in 2004 at the Welk Resort Theatre. In 2004, she won first place in the Del Mar TV Idol Contest, Junior Division, at age twelve. On November 30, 2005, Youmans performed an opening solo at the

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

Snowflake Ball at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Headlining acts for the evening included,

, Chris Botti and Natalie Cole. Youmans attended

Rancho Buena Vista High School Rancho Buena Vista High School or "RBV" is a California Distinguished School and International Baccalaureate Organization World School, located in Vista, California. In the 1990–1991 and 1994–1995 school years Rancho Buena Vista High School ...

and was active in the Associated Student Body, dance and drama programs. In 2009, she won the MACY Award for Highest Achievement and Best Supporting Vocal-Female for her role as Rusty in ''Footloose'', and Best Vocal Female in 2010 for her role as Jo in ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the lives ...

''.

Education

Youmans holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication with a music minor (classical and jazz vocal at

Bob Cole Conservatory of Music The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music is the school of music at California State University, Long Beach. In March 2008, the music department was renamed the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music in honor of an endowment gift of $16.4 million from the estate ...

). She graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

from

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...

(CSULB) in 2013, and graduated with an MBA at CSULB with an emphasis in marketing. During her undergraduate studies, Youmans created and hosted ''Heartbreakers: The Women of Rock'', a radio format program on KBeach.org (2011-2013).

Career

In 2005, Youmans earned a voice-over part, playing Becky Thatcher in Disney's '' Tom Sawyer's Island'' and the following year, won the part of Shana the Rock Star in a pre-production musical '' Teen Witch the Musical'' (2007). These accomplishments led to featured artist performances on the soundtrack for Moondance Alexander (2007). Youmans' single, "Girl to Change Your World", was a (2011) hit on

Radio Disney Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within the Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California. The network broadcast music programming ...

, and it is one of the two Youmans songs included in the film ''Love by Design'' (2014), starring Giulia Nahmany,

David Oaks David William Oaks (born September 16, 1955, Chicago, Illinois) is a civil rights activist and founder and former executive director of Eugene, Oregon-based MindFreedom International. Career David Oaks' organization MindFreedom International in ...

and

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their Wives of Henry VIII, marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen followi ...

. The Teen Witch the Musical project was successful in its primary goal of reproducing the missing soundtrack for the Halloween classic film

Teen Witch ''Teen Witch'' is a 1989 American teen fantasy comedy film directed by Dorian Walker, written by Robin Menken and Vernon Zimmerman, and starring Robyn Lively and Zelda Rubinstein. Originally pitched as a female version of ''Teen Wolf'' (1985) ...

(1989). The musical stage-play never made it out of

workshop Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...

and has yet to achieve the secondary goal of becoming a viable Broadway offering. This association with Weir Brothers Productions led to additional soundtrack features in the films '' Moondance Alexander'' (2007), ''

'' (2010) and '' Marley & Me: The Puppy Years'' (2011). While concurrently studying journalism and music, Youmans auditioned and stacked up credits in Southern California regional theater and wrote for national and regional newspapers on entertainment topics. She has produced and hosted an entertainment format radio show, interviewed entertainment industry legends, and ran a marketing campaign for Jon MacLennan's iBook, ''Melodic Expressions: The Art of the Line'' (2012). She works as a communications professional in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Theatre and live performances

American Idol

In 2012, Youmans performed " Some Kind of Wonderful" at the

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

San Diego competition and won a golden ticket after a unanimous decision from the judges (

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

and

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...

), which advanced her to the ''Hollywood Week'' competition. Youmans was eliminated during ''Hollywood Week'' in Season 11. She attributes the elimination to nerves and an ambitious music selection,

Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

’s "

Crazy on You "Crazy on You" is a song by American rock band Heart from their debut studio album, ''Dreamboat Annie'' (1975). It was released in March 1976 as the album's third single in Canada and the album's debut single in the United States. It reached the ...

Recorded and broadcast

In addition to performing in nationally televised commercials, Youmans has been involved in several cutting-edge media projects. In 2005, Youmans played the part of Becky Thatcher in Disney's Tom Sawyer's Island, a voice-over project. The performance was delivered via hand-held computers issued to visitors on Disneyland's Tom Sawyer's Island. A pilot project, titled "Available Light", was one of the first to test Sony Blu-ray camera technology.

Soundtracks

* '' Teen Witch the Musical'' (2007) original cast recording, Weir Brothers Entertainment. * '' Moondance Alexander'' (2007) starring Kay Panabaker, Don Johnson and

Lori Loughlin Lori Anne Loughlin (; born July 28, 1964) is an American actress. From 1988 to 1995, she played Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', and reprised the role for its Netflix sequel '' Fuller House'' (2016–2018). Loughlin ...

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...

* ''

'' (2010) starring Patrick Warburton,

Tammin Sursok Tammin Sursok (born 19 August 1983) is a South African-born Australian actress and singer. She is known for her roles on television as Dani Sutherland on ''Home and Away'', Colleen Carlton on ''The Young and the Restless'', and Jenna Marshall ...

and

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...

* '' Marley & Me: The Puppy Years'' (2011) starring

Travis Turner Travis Turner (born May 9, 1987), also known as "Little T" or "T", is a Canadian actor and rapper. Early life Turner was born in the small town of Oliver, British Columbia, and finished high school in Alberta. He began his career at the age of ...

and Donnelly Rhodes,

* ''Love by Design'' (2014) starring Giulia Nahmany,

and

, Gold Line Prod. Int. *''High Strung'' (2016) starring

Keenan Kampa Keenan Kampa (born February 3, 1989) is an American actress and dancer. Career Kampa started dancing at the age of four. She studied at the Conservatory Ballet in Reston. Kampa was raised near Reston, Virginia From 2003 to 2004, she was part of t ...

, Nicholas Galitzine,

, Riviera Films.

Singles

* "Girl To Change Your World" (2011) * "Girl To Change Your World - The Remixes" (2011) * "In My Arms" (2012) * "My Kind of Trouble LIVE at the Recordium" (2019) * "Is It Just Me LIVE at the Recordium" (2019) * "Shine" (2019) * "You Made Me Hate Love Songs LIVE at YouTube Space" (2020) * "A Little Closer To Happy" (2021) * "Worth It" (2021)

Journalism

Youmans writes about entertainment topics, specifically dance, music, theatre and film. Her Southern California beat includes covering venues, such as the Orange County Fair, the Newport Beach Jazz Festival, the

Playboy Jazz Festival The Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival is an event held in the Hollywood Bowl that celebrates jazz and features both established and up-and-coming jazz musicians. Founded in 1959 by Hugh Hefner as the Playboy Jazz Festival, it was held in Chicago but d ...

, Sunset Jazz at Newport, the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Her freelance position with

Freedom Communications Freedom Communications, Inc., was an American media conglomerate that operated daily and weekly newspapers, websites and mobile applications, as well as ''Coast Magazine'' and other specialty publications. Headquartered at 625 N. Grand Avenue in ...

has afforded interviews with: George Lopez, Drew Carey and

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...

, Grammy Award-winning musicians David Sanborn, Jeff Hamilton for the ''

'', and her interview with Grammy nominee Brian McKnight was additionally published in the ''Los Angeles Register''. Earlier interviews include, Chita Rivera for the ''

'' and interviews with

Ann Wilson Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

and

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocat ...

for the Los Angeles Times Media Group's ''Daily Pilot''.

References

External links

Official website
* * 1992 births Living people American stage actresses American women singer-songwriters American musical theatre actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singer-songwriters Singers from San Diego Musicians from Vista, California American music journalists American women journalists Journalists from California Women writers about music Singer-songwriters from California {{authority control 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American journalists