Last April, the spotlight was on Megan Gage, ‘03. The cafeteria at American River College (ARC) was filled with attentive listeners as a band quietly played a Latin jazz tune. In a friendly, yet soothing voice, much like her personality, Gage sang “Besame Mucho,” performing in public for the very first time.

“I felt like I’d had an out-of-body experience [at that April concert]. I kind of remember there being an audience, but I was so focused on hitting the right pitch. I don’t know where I went.”

Gage is taking only music classes at ARC: Beginning Music Theory, Advanced Vocal Jazz and Jazz/pop Styles. And she is playing the clarinet in a jazz combo.

Five years ago, as a high school senior, Gage was taking three AP classes—English IV, Calculus BC, and Chemistry—as well as copy editing The Octagon and performing in plays. Although she played clarinet in the band, she had never sung in a choir.

“Megan was an outstanding student,” former teacher Michael Covey said. “She is and was an avid learner. A new insight made her day.”

Gage assumed her college path was set when her first-choice school, Haverford College, accepted her early decision.

“Megan anticipated going to a good four-year college,” Mary Gill, her mother, said.

But after two years at Haverford, Gage took a dean’s leave, a break that allows a student to return without reapplying, and returned to Sacramento.

“Haverford was really hard academically and I hadn’t had a break [from] working so hard [in high school],” Gage said. “I felt like I was running in front of a train and as long as I kept running, I’d be okay. But all I wanted to do was step aside and walk.”

After leaving Haverford, Gage made her unexpected discovery.

“During high school, I had friends that took singing lessons. I thought I might try it one day,” she said.

So in October 2006, she googled “voice teacher Sacramento,” and Alicia Lippman appeared. Gage began singing lessons with Lippman, who informed Gage she had a remarkable singing talent.

“[We knew she had] a nice singing voice, but we didn’t think much of it,” Gill said.

Gage enrolled in the Applied Music program at ARC, an individualized music program this semester, but last spring semester, she took Jazz Piano, Latin Jazz, and Vocal Jazz Ensemble and performed four times.

In fact, she recently wrote a song, entitled “Perfectionist Blues,” about the process leading up to performing as well as performing itself.

“The song is about how it’s really hard to let go. I sound the best and it’s easier when I let go, but it’s the hardest thing ever!” she said.

Gage, who is mostly singing jazz, wants to broaden her musical range.

“I’m taking voice lessons for classical technique and learning different classical pieces,” she said.

Gage and the ARC Advanced Local Jazz Ensamble will be performing at Country Day on Friday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. as part of SCDS’s Jazz Supper series.

Gage is confident she won’t return to Haverford. She now lives in an apartment in midtown, but spends most of her time at school and “just sleeps at the apartment.”

“A part of me is still in such disbelief that all this is happening. I haven’t really had time to think about the possibilities that I actually could become a musician,” she said.

Right now she’s just enjoying her new-found passion.