Festival Queens Pageant

          I am Abigail Miller, your 2025 Miss Clay. I am the daughter of Curtis and Heidi Miller, and I have two little sisters, Anna and Ella, who are my built-in best friends. I am an active member of Calvery Baptist Church and hope to shine my light throughout this experience. I am a Varsity Cheerleader, and I also run Track and play Tennis. I am the Junior Class President, a National Honor Society member, a Quiz Bowl team member, and I coach Biddy Ball Cheerleading: all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I am very passionate about music and am a choir member at my church and school, I play many instruments, I have participated in All County Choir for 3 years, and over the past year, I have taught weekly piano and guitar lessons to over 20 kids in our community. Outside of school, I am a member of 4-H and have shown cattle for the past 6 years.

          My platform is titled ¨Musical Medicine-No Side Effects¨. Typically after hearing my platform title, I am met with the question, “What is Musical therapy?” and this is what I want to fix. Musical therapy helps people of all ages and from all walks of life. Our community is blessed to have so many amazing resources to help people struggling with a variety of issues. Music therapy would be a great addition to these resources as an alternative to traditional treatments, which may include prescription drugs. Music therapists use this form of treatment to manage a wide range of conditions such as dementia, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, pain (actuate or chronic), substance use disorders, and so much more. People actually use musical therapy every single day without ever really noticing it. 

           Starting from a very young age, I discovered my love for music. I was always very shy and never wanted to be in front of people, let alone use my voice. I always wanted to be listening, rather than be listened to. After showing interest in piano at the age of four, I was enrolled in piano lessons by the age of five, and quickly gained confidence behind the piano. I was so little I could never see all the people listening to me from behind the piano, and I found my voice through music. I took up many additional instruments, as well as singing, and found my passion. Starting last year, I began teaching private music lessons, sharing my love of music with the younger generation in our community. Little did I know I would be teaching them just as much as they were teaching me. Music helped me find my voice, and without it, I truly do not know where I would be today.