Darci Lynne Farmer

A little before my 10th birthday, I was like, 'Can I please have a puppet, Mom and Dad?' They were like, 'No. You are a singer, not a ventriloquist. You have three brothers, and you're in gymnastics. There's no way we have time for this.'

I actually did a project with my puppet one time in fourth grade. I made up a song that went with the rhythm to a song I do now. And I had to make up a song about a penguin and research and put information in the song about a penguin. And I sang it with my duck, because I didn't have a penguin puppet, but close enough.

I have to control my mouth - and that's hard enough - and then I have to manipulate the puppet and make it look real - like, make its interactions look real. And then I have to sing at the same time, and I have to have my facial expressions reacting to the puppet... So it's a lot going on, and I have to focus on every single thing at the same time.

I used to have a really hard time talking to people or looking them in the eye. Or I'd always, like, hide behind my mom, and, like, when we went to restaurants, I didn't like ordering my food. I'd have my mom order it because I didn't like talking to the waiters.

I go to public school, which is nice because that's where I can go to be Darci, and when I perform, I'm Darci Lynne. It's my balance.

I hate flying. It creeps me out, and it scares me half to death.

I really don't want to guess or assume. I just leave it all to the man upstairs and the future. I'm just excited to see what comes next, and I'm gonna be ready for it.