Hope 7 'Hope 7' album

Kristi McClave couldn’t come up with a more appropriate summary of her burgeoning music career than the title of her new single with the band Hope 7, “Breakthrough.”

The southern California born-and-bred vocalist has been touring and singing and touring, professionally, since she was a child. Yet it’s all coming together right now with “Breakthrough,” the piping hot track off the platinum soundtrack album to the smash Disney movie, The Cheetah Girls.

“As I’ve gotten more experienced, I started to believe more in myself,” Kristi explains. “I
worked really hard and never tried to rush things, and now it all seems that it’s happening at the right time.”

Kristi started singing when she was six years old, and by 12 knew it was her passion. “When I was little, I used to sing in front of my mirror with a hairbrush as a microphone,” she confesses. “I was so into it, that my parents finally bought me my own karaoke machine.”

She had been going out on a steady stream of auditions for musical plays and commercials, winning a bunch of singing jobs, including one touring Europe and China with a kids group. But when producing top-gun Rodney Jerkins chose her out of one of those auditions, she knew she was on her way.

More group gigs followed, helping Kristi reach the conclusion, “I wanted to do something
more authentic, that represents who I am. I keep on pushing myself in that direction to
this day.” Both Kristi’s story and the messages in her songs are an inspiration for young girls to keep believing in themselves, no matter what.

Producers Antonina Armato and Tim James, who were involved in one of Kristi’s earlier
singing projects, continued to work on material with Kristi. “Breakthrough” made it to the soundtrack of Legally Blonde 2, and two songs landed on the Disney Channel TV movie
The Cheetah Girls, “End of the Line” and “Breakthrough,” which can be heard on Radio
Disney and AOL’s teen-oriented pop station, KOL. The eye-catching video of Hope 7’s
exciting performance was created by acclaimed director Nigel Dick (Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore), and is currently in rotation on the Disney Channel.

Hope 7’s lineup was finalized at the beginning of 2004, and Kristi and the band – guitarist Dave Noble, bassist Chevy Martinez and drummer Chase Duddy – hit the road. One notable tour was with the ATV (pro volleyball) tournament.

“I always feel comfortable on stage; it’s a second home,” she reveals. “Even though I
have butterflies before I walk on stage, no matter what something magical happens when the music starts. All the stars seem to align; it becomes so much fun.” Ironically, Kristi claims that stage fright is making her a better performer. “I don’t know if I conquered it, but I do use it to my advantage,” she says. “It’s a challenge, something to grow from. Instead of backing away from my fears, especially in this element of my life, I use it as the grounds to succeed. Once I get up on stage, it becomes this energy that pushes me through it.”

And greater challenges await Hope 7. “I’m really happy when I’m growing, being challenged and moving forward,” she concludes. “I don’t like to stay in one place. I always want to learn, and when I realized that I didn’t need to depend on other people to make me happy, that connected to my singing. I realized it’s all about hard work, and it’s
up to me to do that to succeed.”

If there's a key to this hidden door I'm gonna find it
No one can keep me out
Of the sun and when the wind starts to come
I never mind it
There was never a doubt
‘Cuz I have the power
To change my life
One day at a time
Hour by hour
I'll be fine, I'll be all right
-- from “Breakthrough”

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Hope 7 - Hope 7