An 'American Idol' in the Making

Just before the Glen Cove Junior baseball and softball teams officially kicked off their season at City Stadium on April 16, sports fans were treated to the vocal sounds of resident Leilani D'Onofrio as she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."

And it seems that D'Onofrio, 15, has had an affinity for music since she was a toddler.  

"She would sit in her car seat and rock and hum to the beat at 2-years-old," her mother, Roxanne D'Onofrio, recalled. "The words wouldn't come but I knew she was musically inclined."

Those precious moments, Roxanne said, inspired her to enroll her daughter in Long Island beauty pageants. It was during this time when D'Onofrio would discover her singing talents. 

"I always danced as my talent," D'Onofrio said. "One day the director asked me if I wanted to sing. I was 5 or 6 and I sang the first song that popped into my head. I was so nervous, but that's when I knew I loved singing."

From there, she started vocal lessons at age 6, and since then, D'Onofrio has made singing a big part of her life. 

"I just love performing," she said. "When I'm on stage, I feel like it's my second home. It's where I feel comfortable, I can be anybody. Having everybody listening is warm and inviting."

Jimmy Moore, her vocal coach, noted that she sings all different styles, from gospel to pop to rhythm and blues.

"Leilani has a lot of spontaneity, and she deals with me like I'm another person, not just an authority figure where she must be obedient," he said. "She's creative and she came to me with a lot of ability already. She loves performing."

Moore added that D'Onofrio's ability to sing any genre of music also makes her exceptional.

"I've worked with her in lots of different styles," Moore said.  "She likes to sing to the crowd. If the crowd wants to hear 'White Christmas' she'll sing that, it doesn't matter that it's not pop. I love working with her. She's a great person, she sings beautifully, she's warm and has a good sense of humor."

D'Onofrio, who is a sophomore at Glen Cove High School, has been singing the national anthem at City Stadium for the last three years.    

"She always played softball," Roxanne said. "She's a pitcher. They know she sings, so they call her every year to sing."

For the past five years, D'Onofrio has also been singing  in a cabaret group where she rehearses every weekend for five hours. At the end of the workshop, the group performs a benefit performance for Habitat for Humanity in New York City.

"I saw an article in the newspaper for the group," Roxanne explained. "You had to be 12 to be in it. She was only 10 when I took her to audition and they took her." 

In addition to singing, Leilani loves sports. She is on Glen Cove's varsity volleyball and kickline teams and was previously a member of the basketball and softball teams.

"This year she had to make a choice, she couldn't do it all," Roxanne said. "She gave up basketball and softball to focus on her singing career."

And D'Onofrio's future is sure to be a bright one. She plans to audition for "American Idol" this summer.

"I've watched the show since first grade and fell in love with it," she said. "The first time I saw it, I knew that's what I wanted to do. You have to be 16 to audition and I'll turn 16 in early June."

Listen to Leilani D'Onofrio's music by visiting leilanimarieonline.com.