Teen Sammy Hakim Makes Waves as Singer-Songwriter

As the school year draws to a close, most George Marshall High School juniors will be looking for summer jobs or prepping for one more round of SATs. But 17-year-old Sammy Hakim will be graduating early and chasing her dream: a career in music.

Hakim writes pop songs – she said she’s compared to Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson – and she does so with great success. Her recent single “Mark Me” got her nominated for New Music Weekly’s “New Top 40 Artist” and “Breakthrough Artist” awards, and her tune “Fearless” is a finalist in the International Song Competition.

Hakim has been writing music for about five years, she told Patch, but she’s been playing instruments for most of her life. An accomplished singer, Hakim also plays the guitar, piano, violin and drums. She’s currently learning to play the mandolin.

Her influences range from Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello to Britney Spears, she said. Lately, she’s been spinning a lot of Ed Sheeran, an English singer-songwriter.

When she was a little girl, Hakim attended a Springsteen show with her family. The Boss gave her a guitar pick from onstage, a souvenir she has to this day, she said.

Much like her influences, the inspirations behind her songs are also across the board.

“It comes from everyday life – from things have happened to friends, family, things I read in books or see on TV – kind of everything,” she said.

Hakim’s songs have gotten airplay in Virginia and even more in England and the United Arab Emirates, said her mom, Pam.

Hakim is graduating high school at the end of summer 2014 to take a year off and consider her options, but she says she definitely plans on going to college.

She has taken classes through Berklee College of Music in Boston and hopes to attend the acclaimed institution full time at some point.

But in 10 years, Hakim wants to be playing her music for thousands of people.

“I’m hoping to be charting, touring, playing in front of tons of people live, connecting with people,” she said.

Hakim lives in Vienna with her parents, two brothers and the family dog. To learn more about her or her music, click here.

Her music is available on iTunes, Amazon and CDBaby.