Jewel attended Interlochen Arts Academy during her junior and senior years of high school. The academy is located in Interlochen, Michigan. She won a vocal scholarship that covered about 70 percent of the expenses. She raised the remaining funds for the first year by doing a show that her mother Lenedra had organized. The people of Homer came to support Jewel. It was Jewel's first solo concert. She also sold her horse Clearwater for tuition money. Jewel paid for tuition the second year with earnings from summer jobs. Jewel thought she was going to study the blues. As it turned out, opera was the music of choice at the academy.
Jewel studied opera, dance, sculpture, and drama. During much of her high school career, she called herself Juel, and did not believe in painting her nails or lips. At some point senior year, she started playing the guitar and writing her own songs.
Jewel grew an interest in the theater at Interlochen. She wished to try out
for
a play, "Spoon River Anthology" in which she later got the lead. Music
majors were not allowed to do plays before this time. As the lead, she played
a dead woman who talks from the grave.
Continue on to Chapter 3: The Turning Point
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