‘Official Popstar’ balances school and singing

Stephanie Bardavid, the Hewlett High School sophomore who is known to her fans as “Official Popstar” and “Stephanie B” — nicknames she created herself — is due to release her very first produced single, “Just Live Your Life,” in three weeks.

Stephen Hero Productions of Brooklyn mixed and mastered the single, adding the piano background to Bardavid’s singing. The teen vocalist, who lives in Hewlett, has her own YouTube channel and has performed live in Israel, singing songs in both Hebrew and English.

Last August producer Stefan Held of Steven Hero Productions first began working with Bardavid. They communicated initially through Held’s production Facebook page and her YouTube channel. “She stands out to me because she’s got a real talent,” Held said. “She has real potential. Even though she’s very young, she brings a lot to the table. We’re almost done with her first single, and next we plan to do a couple of covers.”

Inexperienced singers setting up YouTube channels and performing covers of well known artists has become the way for them to gain exposure and grab the attention of managers and producers, Held said. “They put up covers because it helps them gain momentum,” he said. “Once they gain exposure from the cover songs they sing, they can do more originals. Stephanie gets lots of response on her YouTube channel from her peers. She really speaks to them.”

Sarit Nagrani, Bardavid’s aunt, thinks her niece is the total package of beauty, brains and talent, who has no fear of performing. Nagrani remembers the time Bardavid, despite her grief, wrote a song for her Uncle Isaac after he died. “After his funeral, we returned home and she went straight to her room,” Nagrani said. “We heard her trying out different things on her piano and with her voice. Hours later, she came out and had a whole song written about him, and sang it for us. She’s a straight-A student who puts effort into school as well as her singing. Sometimes she has to put aside a social event or family party to work on school or her dream.”

Bardavid admits that sometimes, even though she is passionate about her singing, it has been a challenge to break into the music industry while managing her studies at the same time. “I’ve been trying since the middle of my fifth-grade year,” Bardavid said. “Balancing school and music has been the hardest part. I sing a lot in school, performed in a wedding, and had the chance to sing in Israel at a celebrity night last summer. I practice all the time. I work hard, and it’s worth it.”

Held said that though Bardavid is only 15, he sees her doing a variety of different music projects in her future. “Anything needing a young, energetic voice and beauty, Stephanie would be successful with it,” he said.

Bardavid’s advice to other young people who seek a music career is to be persistent. “Just remember to be yourself,” she said. “Make sure you work hard. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.”

To see Bardavid sing, visit her YouTube page at www.youtube.com/officialpopstar.