People meet their idols all the time. Now, that doesn’t make it any less exciting. But getting to perform a duet with them while on vacation? That is next level.
That is exactly what happened to Marblehead High School and Berklee School of Music graduate Nora Tirrell. Now living in Nashville, Tenn., Tirrell is using her Berklee background as a singer-songwriter. Earlier this month, Tirrell was on a trip to the Cayman Islands.
While on vacation, she decided to go on a snorkeling tour, which turned out to be one of the best decisions she’s ever made. Preparing for her excursion, alongside her mother, their boat was canceled due to a lack of registration.
But fortunately for her, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
They had found out there were two spots open for the next boat, the last one for the day. They jumped right on the opportunity. Also joining that tour, completely by chance, was two-time Grammy winner and Tony nominee Sara Bareilles. The singer-songwriter has sold more than 3 million albums and more than 15 million singles in the U.S. as a pop, pop rock, and soul artist. She was also named one of the top 100 Greatest Women in Music in 2012 by VH1.
Tirrell made the trip to the Caymans through what she said was a “combination of manifestation and hard work,” as she was invited to a conference where Bareilles was performing for a private audience.
Though it was certainly a chance meeting out on the snorkeling trip, Tirrell had been dreaming about the moment since she knew about the private performance.
“From the moment I found out about this conference, I had more than attendance on my mind,” Tirrell said. “I knew I had to sing with her — I had to find a way to learn from my hero in person.”
So, like her manifestation of attending the conference, that dream was also manifested.
After their snorkeling adventure, Tirrell was invited the next morning by Bareilles’ agent to sing a duet with Bareilles of her song “Uncharted.”
“Sara Bareilles is the sole reason I started pursuing songwriting and the reason I decided to audition for Berklee College of Music back in 2013,” Tirrell said.
Tirrell’s perfect night was capped off by a standing ovation from the audience.
“I knew I was prepared, and while the whole thing felt completely crazy and foolish, I was fearless in my pursuit of making this dream of mine a reality,” Tirrell said.
Tirrell added a piece of advice for those trying to follow their dreams.
“Be fearless in your pursuit of your dreams; be foolish and daring, because those are the moments you’ll look back on and realize what a staple they were in shaping who you are,” she said. “You can never dream too big.”