This has been the most nonstop-exciting year of my life! It has also been a year of immense growth. 2024 was incredibly transformative for me as a creative and as an individual in general. My first year out of college (2023-24) was a period of figuring out how to make this whole music dream of mine actually work…what it took more than anything was believing in myself and surrounding myself (exclusively! no exceptions) with people who truly want to see me succeed. Finding a safe, non-judgemental place in my heart to be expressive helped me finally break the inertia I have faced for years as a songwriter. I have written and recorded a couple new songs that I’m so excited to share with you…and I have many more in the works now.

I don’t do anything fast (except eat lol) so my new originals will be released to streaming platforms in January and February of 2026. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to pick up the pen and the guitar once again. I also want to give a humongous thank you! and big virtual hugs to everyone who purchased my song “Unforgettable You” on Bandcamp this year. Many of you gave way more than the $0.99 price tag, so thank you for your incredible generosity and support! It means the absolute world to me that the song resonated with so many of you, and that you recognize the importance of supporting small artists like me. I have so much love and gratitude for every one of you.

Since today is the first day of the last month of the year, I thought it would be a perfect time to look back and do a little retrospective of 2025. There’s no way I can talk about everything that happened this year in this one post, but here are some highlights!

January

I started the year off with lots of recording (it’s a good winter activity)!

Here’s a picture of me finishing up the vocals for an original song called “Love Me”, which I plan to release this coming February. “Love Me” is the first song I had written and, most importantly, completed in many years, so it’s special. Bringing it to life with the help of my producer, Cliff Calabro, re-ignited my excitement for the whole writing process. If you know me, then you know I’m all about 70s rock and Led Zeppelin…this song definitely calls back to that era but with a bit of a modern twist. I guess it’ll be the “Payton Rose” style. That feels funny to say, though!

Oh yeah, here’s something else that happened in January! I was promoted to 5th gup (brown/green belt) in Tang Soo Do! Here’s a picture of me and my most amazing instructor, Mr. Carreon. Training in Tang Soo Do has helped me break through many of the false beliefs I held about what I could accomplish physically, and it’s an incredible way to train mental discipline as well.

February 

I always look forward to February because February means PROG FOR WISHES!!! This event always ends up being one of my favorite days of the year. It’s a one-night-only show where local (Charlotte, NC) musicians come together to form supergroups and play progressive rock tunes, all to benefit Make-A-Wish! So we nerdy musicians get the chance to play our favorite music that we don’t usually get to perform live, and we get to share it with an incredible audience of music lovers, all with a common goal to help kids with critical illnesses. This year, I played Rush’s 2112 with my friends Matthew Hedrick and Caleb Davis. It was an absolute dream to play the whole song (which is the entire A-side of the 2112 album, clocking in at around 20 minutes) live.

March

In March, I got to take a trip to New York City with my mom and my little brother. I was tagging along on my bro’s high school theater class field trip (he’s so cool for letting his big sis come along). We had a plethora of amazing experiences, including seeing two Broadway shows, participating in a song & dance workshop with a Broadway star, going to the new Broadway museum, as well as other classic NYC touristy stuff (MoMA, Times Square, Empire State Building, Hudson river cruise, pizza, pizza, and more pizza!)

On one of our subway stops, we walked past this Madison Square Garden mosaic. Even typing the words “Madison Square Garden” still makes my hands tremble. Those are three grand words signifying one grand place in the heart and mind of a musician. At this time, I hadn’t even met Al (aka “Weird Al”) yet, but I did know that we were destined to play here in just a few short months. When I saw this mosaic, the thought of what was to come sent shockwaves of excitement through my body. My mom snapped this picture of me at that moment!

April

In North Carolina, April welcomes back the prime outdoor gigging season. I’m super blessed to be a part of a few really incredible bands that played some great spring shows. I’ve been in Landslide - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac for a little over a year now, and it’s been such a fun and rewarding time. I get to play the part of Christine McVie, one of my favorite songwriters. Landslide had some really outstanding gigs this year, and every show I play with them is relaxed and pure fun. I want to give a shoutout to the three girls who filled in for me while I was on the road with Al this summer–and to the band for welcoming me back to play more shows with them when I returned from tour. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to be a part of something truly joyful.

May

In May, the reality of going on tour finally hit me. It was time to pack up my guitars and fly to Los Angeles for rehearsals with Al and the band. I had been learning and practicing the material for a few months, but sitting in my music room alone with my guitar and some isolated audio tracks, I still felt a little disconnected from the reality that I was about to go on a national tour to play these songs with the guy who wrote them. What could that even feel like? I had traveled for shows before, but never been on a proper tour, with a bus and a nine-piece band and not to mention, 75 shows ahead of us.

Contrary to what it might seem, I’m actually a little introverted and I get nervous when meeting new people. I love it, but it still makes me nervous. Especially when those people are “Weird Al” Yankovic and his legendary band. When I got to the rehearsal studio, however, Al greeted me with a big hug and I instantly felt all of my nerves melt away (okay, well, most of my nerves). Rehearsals with Al were efficient, thorough, and fun. He was very complimentary when the band did something he liked, and when we didn’t sound so hot on something, he led us in the right direction with kindness and humility. I quickly formed friendships with everyone else in the band, and got to hear many stories from their experiences touring, recording, and hanging with different bands. I’m the youngest in the band, with the least experience by far, and I felt (and still feel) so deeply honored to be sharing space with these GRAMMY winners, recording artists, seasoned touring veterans, and just all-around incredible people. They have become friends forever to me. They each embody the professional, hardworking, creative, kind, hilarious, and fun-to-be-around spirit that is a crucial blend to have as a touring artist.

We had two non-consecutive weeks of rehearsal in May. Here are a couple pictures from those weeks. One is me trying on my Star Wars-themed costume for the first time. I tried to look cool for the selfie but I was absolutely screaming and melting inside!!! Also, shoutout to my amazing mama for being my travel companion to rehearsals. As you can see, I had quite a bit of stuff to carry and I was grateful for her emotional support too. My mama’s the best!

When I got back from rehearsals, I had one last hometown gig before leaving for tour. This show was with another one of my bands, the Hi-Moods. The Hi-Moods are a band I put together with three friends, and although we don’t play too often, when we do, it’s something really special. It’s kind of everyone’s side project. The setlist is total 70s-80s classic rock: Zeppelin, Heart, Rush, Aerosmith, Joan Jett, Jefferson Starship, etc. etc. It’s ridiculously fun. We played a big outdoor concert series event called Langtree Live in Mooresville, NC. It was a very special way to be sent off for the summer by friends and family who came to see us. Photo credit: Michele Gill Taylor Photography

June

June 13th, 2025 we played our first show of the “Bigger and Weirder” tour at the stunning Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, NV. This was the beginning of a six-show mini-residency in Vegas (even though we did leave to play a show in S. Cali in the middle!). It was the best way to start the tour I could’ve ever imagined. The theatre was full every night and brimming with energy. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel nervous for our first show. I woke up the morning of the 13th (Friday the 13th–eeek!...Nothing bad happened.) feeling only a little impatient for 7:00pm to arrive so we could play the show! I was in such anticipation to know what it would feel like to do the show in front of a live audience–an audience of “Weird Al” fans–which I had heard was unlike anything else on earth . We had rehearsed to the point of utmost comfort with the show. I felt 100% confident that this was a show anyone would love. Now it was time to deliver and do the best I could for Al and for his fans. And every night, I gave my best and so did everyone in the band and crew. We all knew how lucky we were to be here. I was grateful for it every day, although it didn’t feel easy every day, especially being away from home for so long. What I posted online was only a snapshot here and there of what we were experiencing every day. I feel like I still have so much to share about the summer, especially upon reflection. It was fun and challenging and exhilarating and ultimately life-changing. With immense gratitude, we were able to announce a second leg of the “Bigger and Weirder” tour for summer 2026. Until we embark in late May ‘26, I will continue to share moments from this past summer to fill in the gaps.

Here’s one instance of “life-changing”. Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO. June 24th. Sold out. This is the bucket list venue for musicians and I feel way too blessed that I got to stand on this stage at this point in my career. And to share in the awe-inspiring experience, my mom and dad, grandma, aunt, cousin, and friends came out to this show. It meant so much to me.

Standing on stage at Red Rocks is a spiritual experience. The magnificent rocky structures that create the natural amphitheater feel so ancient and powerful. I could feel the buzz of a hundred years’ worth of soundwaves that are stored in their memory. Concerts performed by legends, many of my idols, who stood on that stage before us (for example, THE BEATLES!!!!!!).

Before I left for the tour, I was reading one of my Beatles books that included their tour schedule from 1964. Red Rocks Amphitheater was listed Aug 24, 1964–the year that John Lennon (my musical hero) turned 24. I was also 24 this summer, playing Red Rocks for the first time. Thinking about that small connection to the band that inspired me to play music in the first place was a moment filled with reverence.

I shed many happy tears that day. Walking onstage and seeing the wall of nearly 10,000 people, framed by those magnificent rocks, choked me up immediately and I had difficulty squeaking out my harmonies on our opening song, “Tacky”–especially when Al emerged from backstage for the final chorus of the song and the whole place erupted. 

I cried backstage when we were given our “piece of the rock” trophies, a gift for selling out Red Rocks. It was a total surprise to me and I was simply overwhelmed to be holding my very own piece of the red rock–symbolic of an incredible achievement by my boss, a result of what Al has built over the years, that I now got to be a part of.

…And I cried again after the show in the arms of my parents when it was time to say goodbye. I have the most supportive and loving parents in the world and I’m so grateful they were there for this show. Below is a picture of us band members and our tour manager Melissa holding our ‘pieces of the rock’. Photo credit: aldenbonecutter

July

The tour was going strong and building steam through the end of June into July! We were heading east, through the midwest and up into Ontario, Canada for a show in Toronto. Our crowd of ~16,000 in Toronto won the “loudest crowd” award of the tour! Their cheers were deafening. Especially when we broke into “Canadian Idiot” at the end of the parody medley. I was very intrigued to see how they’d react to that song, and they certainly owned it, singing and shouting every word right back at Al.

Leaving Toronto, the excitement for what was to come that weekend was palpable amongst the band and crew. We’d be arriving in New York City in a few short days to play the one and only Madison Square Garden. Some of our crew had done shows there before, but this would be Al’s first time ever playing there. So it was a huge deal–especially because he sold it out! My dad, my little brother, and my boyfriend all came to NYC to share in the momentous occasion. Walking around backstage at the Garden, the preeminent thoughts going through my head sounded like, “‘The Song Remains the Same’ was filmed here…oh my gosh, Led Zeppelin WALKED here…” 

Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin almost singlehandedly kindled my desire to be a guitarist. Watching their concert films, including that famous one from 1973, I wanted to soak up and understand every little bit of what made that band so legendary. I’ve slurped it up and survived off of it from age fourteen. If I’ve ever found myself in a moment where I felt my musical spark was going dim (and I have), all it takes is a little Zeppelin to remind me why I love what I do. It’s the essence of magic that we as performers get to weave together, and as listeners you come to cloak yourself in it. It can be a glorious exchange unless we accidentally weave a musical cloak that's too itchy!

Anyways, the Madison Square Garden show was every bit as delightful as you could possibly imagine. I’m grateful I was able to soak in every moment and I can still recall the feeling of walking onstage as if I were in it right now. My favorite moment from the show was watching Al take a pause a few songs in to soak in the moment himself. The crowd gave an uproarious standing ovation and tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched Al enjoy that beautiful moment with his fans.

Another unforgettable highlight of July was playing my hometown show in Charlotte, NC on July 26. I had been looking forward to this show ever since I departed for the beginning of the tour. It was the perfect (almost-halfway-through-the-tour) morale boost. Thank you to all of my amazing friends who came to the pre-show hang at the Music Factory, seeing you all encouraged me to be strong and work hard for the rest of the tour. They asked for a speech and all I could do at first was cry. But there are hardly any words that could express my love and gratitude for my Charlotte community. There were so many people who came to support me who I wouldn’t be here without. My mom surprised me with this poster for everyone to sign, which is now hanging in my music room so I can look at it every day. It’s the most meaningful memento I have from the tour, so thank you to everyone who took time to write something nice.

There are so many more moments from July that I want to share. Woodstock, Boston, DC, New Orleans, and our other NC shows too! I guess that will have to wait for another post… 

August

I felt re-invigorated and ready to explore after our NC shows in July. Despite the 100ºF+ temperatures as we trekked down along the southeastern US, we still gave every show our all. One very apt word to describe this summer would be “sweaty.” My poor bandmates, most of whom are from Southern California, were not used to the outrageous humidity we experienced along the East Coast. Certainly, trying to change costumes quickly backstage was a sticky situation, with Jedi tunics and pants being stuck halfway on as we would hear the opening notes to Rubén’s rendition of Toccata in D minor (our walk-out cue). We laughed so much trying to pull our costumes on in time, of course while doing our best impressions of whatever video bit was playing on the screen. Nobody had it more difficult performing in those extreme temperatures than Al, especially during “Fat” and “Dare to be Stupid”. Those costumes! Shoutout to Sarah, our wardrobe tech, who handled our (probably very) smelly costumes after every show.

This being the conditions for the majority of the summer, it was a most welcome reprieve to visit Alaska in the middle of August. Besides the weather being perfect (75º and sunny for our show), it was a new frontier for many of us in the band and crew, so we were beyond excited to experience it together for the first time. It had been thirty years since Al had played there last. 

The crowd at the Alaska State Fair was incredibly enthusiastic, even though we were scrunched on a much smaller stage than usual and had to change up some parts of the show. It just made the energy all the more concentrated and electrifying. A new attendance record was set for the fair at our show!

The day after our show, a bunch of us went on an epic seven-hour glacier and wildlife tour outside of Anchorage. We saw brown bears, elk, wild beluga whales, and to top it all off, we got up-close-and-personal with the Portage Glacier. I had only read about glaciers and was completely in awe being next to this ancient mass of ice. The temperature dropped so quickly as we approached the glacier. We all began to shiver and huddle for warmth. The tour guide told us it takes decades for even one foot of snow to condense and turn into one inch of glacier ice. The atmosphere felt so tranquil and balanced, I was really feeling nature’s harmony. I was really inspired thinking of the unstoppable force of these glaciers, which over ages have carved through mountains. I left feeling an even deeper fascination for our beautiful planet.

Before moving on from this month, I must mention how special it was to play the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on August 30th. This was the hometown show for most of my bandmates, so it was a party with everyone’s families and friends there. Just like at the Garden, this was Al’s first time playing the Forum, and just like at the Garden, we played to a sold-out crowd. It was a similarly religious experience to be backstage at this historic venue. One of my other favorite bands, Rush, played the final show of their R40 tour at this venue. Many of these historic venues have pictures and lists of the artists who have played here before, and it’s a total walk of fame just going to your dressing room. Oh, also…my favorite actor Jack Black was there to see the show, so that was pretty cool.

September

The beginning of September marked the beginning of the last month of our tour. It was bittersweet counting down the remaining shows left, but we were all excited to be home again. The tour life began to feel very natural, and in this last month, I developed closer relationships with my bandmates as we all leaned on each other for moral support. For me, the shows became even more exciting and fun as the tour progressed. The songs became muscle memory, and more energy could go into dancing and goofing around on stage–whatever the song called for most (sometimes it was both).

I always treasured the time after the show, when we all got to hang out in the green room or on the bus, when everyone’s just normalizing from the extreme rush of energy you get from playing a show. Everyone in the band can make me laugh until my sides hurt, and naturally, we all found the best ways to tease each other. It began to feel like a real family and I treasured every moment we shared over after-show pizza.

Al hit a huge milestone in September, when he played his 2000th live show at the Shaky Knees festival in Atlanta, GA. I think this might’ve been our biggest crowd of the entire tour. DEVO played right before us, but because they were on the opposite stage, we didn’t get to watch their set. But playing “Dare to Be Stupid” that night felt extra cool! This was the first and only gig of the tour that I felt really nervous about. We had to play an abbreviated set to fit the festival slot, which meant we were opening with “Smells Like Nirvana”...which I have the privilege of starting. Walking out on stage in front of that immense crowd and having the responsibility to play the first note made my stomach feel like dozens of butterflies were hatching and fluttering around inside…but thankfully, everything went smoothly and the show was a great success.

And just like that, we were closing in on seventy-five shows. Our final two shows were in St. Augustine, FL and Clearwater, FL. My mom flew out to be there for the last show of the tour. I got to introduce her to everyone in the band and crew, and she helped me pack up the rest of my belongings off of the bus. We got to spend a lot of time before the show talking to fans and friends, reflecting on how special the summer had been. I brought my Polaroid camera out and my mom helped me take pictures with as many band and crew members as I could find before the show. 

The day was an emotional one–all happy and sappy emotions, but I’m very sentimental and I really really don’t like goodbyes (“see-you-soons” are better). Thankfully, we had the prospect of another summer of 2026 on the horizon. Nothing is guaranteed in life though, so thankfully my bandmates let me process all of my emotions on their sleeves. We all gave that last show everything we had, and I said “see you soon” to my dear companions.

Coming home was awesome. As much as I loved life on the road, I began to crave the sense of “normal” and “routine" that I had at home…which really isn’t that normal or routine actually. As an admittedly lifelong procrastinator, introvert, and person who is extremely fearful of change, I felt that being on the road had really transformed me. I came home with a sense of momentum that I had never felt. A sense of confidence that I had done something I was at first scared to do. And that I was valued as part of a team of people who are categorically warriors and champions of the music industry. As soon as I set foot on NC soil, it was time for me to re-focus onto my next project: The Camera Eye. A new musical tribute to the band Rush that I was putting together with my friend Matthew (from Prog for Wishes) and his bandmate James. I had two albums of Rush music to learn, program, and rehearse, and just over a month until the show.

October

October is my favorite month of the year (not just because my birthday is October 9th, but it is one reason)! Here in North Carolina, October means vivid fall colors, cool autumn wind mixed with warm sun, and spooky Halloween vibes at night. I’ve always loved spending time at home with my family, but after being gone for so long, all I wanted to do was soak up every moment I could get at home. Getting to spend my birthday at home made me feel so happy. By the way, thank you to everyone who sent love my way on my birthday. I’ve always struggled to respond to my messages in a timely way, but please know that I value each one of your birthday wishes greatly.

I felt so motivated to jump right into learning the songs for the Camera Eye show. We had committed to performing two of Rush’s seminal albums live in their entirety: Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures. While I was on the road, I had plucked out a few of the bass riffs on my guitar, but the bulk of the work was yet to be done. It felt so refreshing to pick up my bass after not touching one all summer. I love this instrument on a soul level, and learning Rush songs on bass is challenging but so rewarding. It’s easy to get lost in Rush’s music because there is so much complexity in both the lyrics and instrumental parts. 

I began programming my Roland FA-06 keyboard with the set of Roland PK-5 foot pedals I had just gotten for my birthday from my parents. That was a dream gift! I learned what felt like a college degree’s worth of information about keyboard programming in that month, striving to re-create Geddy Lee’s many layers of keyboards on those records and figuring out how to play it all live with no click tracks. I want to give a shoutout to my amazing dad, who is great with technology and gear, and who helped me rig all my keyboards and two sets of foot pedals together via MIDI. I worked on the songs pretty much all day, every day until our first rehearsal. After three rehearsals, everything had come together surprisingly well and we debuted the show on November 8th at the Visulite Theatre in downtown Charlotte!

November

This Camera Eye show was the most challenging undertaking I’ve ever, well, undertaken. But it was without a doubt the most rewarding show I’ve ever played. I fell in love with Rush’s music when I was fifteen and their music has been a strong source of empowerment for me as a musician and as an individual ever since. My love for the music carried me through all my moments of doubt as I chipped away at learning the material…sometimes I questioned whether I was actually skilled enough to play these songs (I’m looking at you, “YYZ”), or whether I could possibly execute everything I was hearing on the record, live (*cough* *cough* “Jacob’s Ladder”). But my support system is strong and my love for this music is unbreakable. We had an amazing crew of people who helped us construct our show on November 8th. The show went better than I ever could have imagined, and it’s thanks to all of you who bought tickets and showed up with world-class enthusiasm. When I stepped on stage, I felt the exact same magic that I felt walking on stage at Madison Square Garden. This was my dream show. Thanks to your great zeal regarding the future of our band, we are gearing up to announce more show dates for The Camera Eye!

The rest of November was spent catching up on some much-needed rest, spending Thanksgiving with family, learning how to play Euchre, lots of holiday baking, Christmas shopping, watching anime with my brother, and of course, still writing songs and planning some really exciting things for next year.

I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, and safe holiday season. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this wonderful adventure, and thank you for reading through my 2025 retrospective! As this year was unfolding, I thought there was no way anything could ever top what 2025 has been. However…the way 2026 is shaping up, I have a feeling it might be even more amazing. I can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for all of us!

With love and gratitude,