She is professional, smooth and talented. She is also 18 years old. A senior in high school, Collins has been playing Wednesday evenings at Rhythm and Wine — not far from
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her North Scottsdale home — for several years.
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“She’s been here for three years; we love her,” says Laura Craig, owner of Rhythm and Wine.
SCULPTURE
Julee Shardy, the manager, adds that Sydney was very
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good when she started, and has become even more
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polished and confident.
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“I’ve got to take advantage of her before she goes big,” Shardy says. “I really think she will.”
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One interesting thing about Sydney is that she likes to delve into the 1970s and even the groovy ‘60s for her material. She sings an upbeat, swingy version of “Paint It Black,” emphasizing the melodies that Mick perhaps never found, though without Keith’s dark twists. How does she know these songs, written decades before she was born? She said she often gets suggestions from Bryan Hawkesworth, an older musician who frequently backs her up on cajon (a percussion instrument) at shows. “And I love listening to oldies myself,” she adds, taking a break during a two-hour set. “Even my dad sometimes gives me suggestions.”
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Her father, Hugh, is into ‘70s rock and new wave, while Sydney’s mom, T.C., is “more into ‘90s grunge-alternative or country.” The parents have spawned quite a musical family. Sydney’s older sister, Ashlie, plays the clarinet, oboe and guitar, and also played in the marching band
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at Horizon High School. “She loves music and goes to concerts all the time,” says Sydney. And there is her younger brother, Sean, the lead singer in a rock band called Divided Minds who indirectly helped Sydney get her Rhythm and Wine gig. Sean was playing in a former rock band at Craig’s other restaurant, Jalapeño Inferno. After hearing the talented sister sing, Craig invited
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