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Through her passion for music, Aneesa Sheikh is discovering her new normal. As the whole world adapts to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aneesa, 18, has had to do the same—and simultaneously adapt to her changing family life after her father suffered a stroke. Her closest relationships have inspired her singing and songwriting as much as her backgrounds in guitar, piano and figure skating.

When Girls' Life spoke to Aneesa, the accomplished Miss Michigan Teen USA winner opened up about her inspiration, role models and why she *never* takes a single moment for granted. 

GL: What inspired you to start writing and performing music?

Aneesa: I grew up in a figure skating background. It's a sport that has a lot of musicality and there's a very creative aspect to it. I learned Santana's "Black Magic Woman" on the guitar when I was 12 and I recorded it and skated to the recording. When you're figure skating, you have the technical elements you trained for—spinning, jumping—but you have to skate to a song and hit certain beats, too. You're portraying a character and enacting those emotions as you skate. You're exposed to all kinds of musical genres, choreography and performing. For skating I had to take dance classes to learn stage presence and performance skills. 

Skating requires discipline, too—every day you train and have to stay consistent. That's how I was with music as I got older. Along with my packed skating schedule, I've been dedicated to learning guitar since I was in elementary school. I'd begged my parents to get me a guitar and lessons when I was eight, and since then I've almost never put the instrument down. I play every day and it goes everywhere with me—it's like my purse. I played 30 minutes a day before school and then hours in the afternoon between skating and studying. 

I started writing when I was 13. I started out on a classical guitar (I had little baby hands back then) and then switched to electric. I was playing Metallica, Santana—things that a typical young person wouldn't even want to play. Skating and guitar are *so* much a part of who I am. 

GL: Who are your major role models?

Aneesa: I look up to my family. My older sister is a lawyer—it means she's a woman in a very male-dominated industry. She's unapologetically herself. She doesn't conform to any stereotypes or judgements, she is just true to who she is. I really admire her.

My dad has taught me to persevere—to be tenacious and adaptable. Life has thrown a lot at him with his recent stroke (which is why I wrote the song "New Normal") but he still has so much willpower and positivity. He always has a smile on his face.

I also look up to the singer Jewel. She grew up in Alaska and her family sent her to Michigan for a performing arts program. She couldn't afford to go home on winter break to see her family, so she went from Michigan to California, San Diego to San Francisco, two different times and played at bus stations to earn money. She didn't give up. Instead, she used her passion and talent for music to achieve her dreams. Now she's founded a ton of scholarships for students in the position she was back then. That really speaks to me. It's so beautiful. I hope to give back to others like she did when I'm older. 

GL: Tell us more about your song "New Normal" and your dad's inspiration.

Aneesa: "New Normal" reflects the dynamic relationship between my dad and me. His health has been declining since I was young, so this is normal to me. It's not typical for an eight-year-old girl to know her dad is struggling to walk, but I just stepped up and found a way to help him get around the house. He's the best father a girl could ask for. 

After his stroke, it's another new normal. He's recovering in a nursing center and not always in the house now. I can't just eat dinner with him or walk downstairs to chat. So, in the song, I'm acknowledging this new and difficult way of life, but still remembering that some things haven't changed. Everything he taught me—habits, values, practices—those lessons are still there. 

ANEESA OPENS UP
Last song you listened to? "Angel, by The Weeknd. It's so beautiful."
Last snack you ate? "Chocolate, of course."
Last movie you watched? "Spider-Man: Homecoming. So good."
Last person you texted? "Family group chat. It's called Chicken Nugget."

GL: How do you hope your listeners relate to the song?

Aneesa: With the COVID-19 pandemic, I think a lot of people can relate. So many families are affected by medical crises right now, or they are split apart and can't see one another. They're having to adapt to a new normal, too. I hope it resonates with people. Music is my passion and purpose and I love to share my experiences through songwriting. 

There's a lyric that sticks out to me in "New Normal": If I had one penny to drop in the well, there is so much more I would tell. Though we've been able to catch up on Zoom, I haven't seen my dad since March. To me, that lyric captures the message of the song: Don't take anything for granted. Be in the present and enjoy what you have when you have it. There are times that I wish I skipped going to that movie with my friends and spent time with my dad instead. My experience with his health has taught me to forgive easily, be grateful and live in the moment. 

GL: What's up next for Aneesa Sheikh?

Aneesa: I'm attending the University of Michigan online right now. I'm hopinig to learn how to market and manage my music career and endeavors. I'm preparing for Miss Teen USA, which is coming up soon on November 7, along with heading to Nashville and Los Angeles to record more songs and shoot more music videos. 

I'm really excited for the acoustic version of "New Normal" to come out. It's just me, my guitar and my microphone. It's amazing because that's how I actually write the songs and play them—at home, in my bedroom, authentic and raw. I've spent a lot of time during this pandemic writing songs and developing my sound. When it's all over, I'm ready to go. I can't wait. 

Parts of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity. 
Post Images: Annette Navarro. Slider Image: Aneesa Sheikh/Instagram.

by Katherine Hammer | 10/1/2020