Local singer-songwriter, Riley Whittaker is performing all over Northern Arizona this summer. At 14 years old, Whittaker is one of the youngest performers in the Verde Valley. She has been writing songs since the age of 12 and currently has over 30 songs written.

“I have so many songs written that I would love to record,” Whittaker said. “Every time I record one, I end up writing another new one and the list of songs to record just keeps getting longer.” 

Whittaker mainly performs with her acoustic guitar, but is a multi-instrumentalist and also plays the ukulele, piano, violin and the electric guitar. Her most recent release, “Knew You Would,” played on the Q 102.9 and is available on Spotify, Apple Music and Itunes.

Whittaker has had an exciting year. As a freshman at Red Rock High School, she was honored to be asked to play at the senior graduation. In February, she also performed the National Anthem at a spring training game in Surprise. 

During the year, she was also accepted as a first violinist for the 2019 Arizona regionals. While at the regionals, she received a call from “The Voice” casting. She was chosen as a finalist for The Voice InstaBlinds, where she competed with another contestant for the chance to move on to the next round in San Francisco.

“I was practicing all day long at regionals for our concert and on breaks would run to my phone and text people to vote on Instagram. It was crazy. I really appreciated all the support of everyone who voted and tried to vote,” she said.

Although it was close, she didn’t move on, but it was a great experience. Throughout the year, Whittaker performed at various art galleries for First Fridays, including the Andrea Smith Gallery and The Artist Market. She also performed regularly at Reds on Sundays in May.

Whittaker will be taking the stage at the 18th annual Flagstaff Folk Festival on Saturday, June 29, at the Pine Outdoor Amphitheater located near Pioneer Museum and Coconino Center for the Arts. She will be playing a set of original pop/folk songs beginning at 4:45 p.m. Visit flagfolkfest.org for information.

Also on July 4th, Whittaker will be performing for the town of Clarkdale’s Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration at Clarkdale Town park located at 1001 Main Street. At 7 a.m., she will perform the National Anthem, followed by acoustic covers and originals until 9 a.m.

Visit rileywhittaker.com for more information about her new music and upcoming events.