Teen Composes Viral Rendition of Hillary Clinton’s Concession Speech

YouTube sensation Isolde Fair will join the Seattle Women’s Chorus for two performances this month. You might remember Isolde from the viral song she wrote based on Hillary Clinton’s concession speech last November.

Isolde composed “To All the Little Girls” for a music theory class assignment at Sol-La Music Academy in California. The song attracted Clinton’s attention after a music video of Isolde and her female classmates performing the song was posted to YouTube on Inauguration Day in January.

Clinton mentioned Isolde in a tweet and included a link to the song in February. Isolde’s father, Jeff Eden Fair, says watching the email notifications pile up after Clinton posted her tweet was like something out of a movie.

Thanks to Isolde Fair & her classmates for this inspiring song. I'm with YOU. ???✨
Watch: https://t.co/3Gt7IbcAMn

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 15, 2017

Isolde isn’t on social media, but she says she appreciates all of the kind comments her song has gotten on YouTube. “Receiving that recognition from Secretary Clinton was incredible,” Isolde says. Also incredible is the amount of recognition the song has garnered for its young composer. The music video will be included on the first round of Grammy nomination ballots and the song is nominated in the category of Message Song/Social Impact in the Hollywood Music in the Media Awards.

The attention has been humbling for Isolde and has given her unusual insight for someone so young. “I realized one person can make a difference,” she says of the experience. And though she is the composer of “To All the Little Girls,” she’s quick to mention her gratitude to her friends, classmates and everyone else who had a hand in making the empowering video.

The talented eighth grader has been playing violin since she was 5 and began composing songs at 8 years old. Her parents are also composers and musicians, and her father is a Seattle native. Her mother, Starr Parodi, performed at the inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993.

While she was following the election and studying the electoral college in school, Isolde could never have imagined that one day she’d be performing at Lincoln Center—or that she’d get to meet Hillary Clinton in person. She says she wasn’t particularly nervous about performing at Lincoln Center in April—“I was more energetic than nervous,” she says with a laugh—but her reaction to meeting Hillary Clinton was a little more emotional. “She walked into the room and I started to cry.”

Isolde would like to record more of her songs and put out an album, and she cites Sara Bareilles, The Beatles and Aretha Franklin among her musical inspirations. Reminded that “To All the Little Girls” has made her an inspiration for girls of all ages, Isolde says, “I feel like I am an activist, I’ve always felt like that, even before meeting Secretary Clinton.” She is as enthusiastic about her experience attending the Women’s March in Los Angeles as she is about having performed at Lincoln Center, and she says she would like to see equality for all people.

Isolde will perform in special guest appearances at Saint Mark’s Cathedral with the Seattle Women’s Chorus on Oct. 20 and 21. Tickets are available through SeattleChoruses.org. The 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 21 features $15 tickets for children 12 and under.