As a young girl, she rarely spoke in social settings. She found a love for music, whether it was listening to ABBA while cleaning the house with her parents or her piano lessons that she didn’t totally love at the time but appreciates now. She found a love for performing, making sure to be involved in school theater and currently pursuing a musical theater degree at Kennesaw State University. This is the story of Storm.

The complex childhood anxiety disorder, called selective mutism, is characterized by a child’s inability to communicate effectively in certain social settings, such as school. They are able to communicate in comfortable settings, such as home or with close friends and family. That didn’t stop her, however, from falling in love with performing.

“I think it is a great juxtaposition and I won't look back,” Storm said. “I love it.”

After piano lessons came guitar, both lessons and self-taught melodies. She picked up drums and bass as well, but it was the guitar that stuck. From the moment she first held one, she knew it was going to take a lot to get her to put it down.

She prefers organic songwriting. Sometimes it’s a phrase that catches her attention. Sometimes it’s something she’s passionate about that she wants to share with the world. In the case of her latest single, “Ghost”, the topic is a passion that she shares with her mother.

Her mother originally came up with the idea to create a project shedding light on animal poaching, something that is prevalent in their home country of South Africa. Although they currently reside in Georgia, they wanted to use a creative outlet to help in any way they could.

“Coming from Africa, our wildlife is absolutely stunning and I'm very protective over animals,” Storm said. “That’s something I'm passionate about. [“Ghost”] was also a great bonding experience with my mother; getting to write with her because she's also passionate about this.”

They partnered with the Chipembere Rhino Foundation, who specializes in sourcing, testing and funding technology for effective monitoring of rhinoceros; funding K9 handlers and their tracking and apprehension dogs; providing anti-poaching teams with vital equipment and funding equipment needed to translocate rhinoceros across Southern Africa. Through the foundation, they were able to incorporate their message and use video footage for their visual component of the song.

Her passions run strong and deep, and she isn’t done sharing them yet. With plans to release a full-length album this year and the single “Part of the Plan” coming soon, Storm has proved that she’s found her most comfortable social setting.