“Invisible” no more

Since kindergarten, she’s been a passionate performer, appearing at each and every school talent show. She even recalls, with a little embarrassment, performing an impromptu rendition of “Last Christmas” by Wham! at a house party when she was just a little girl.

Sofia dreams of becoming a pop star and sharing her talents with the world. She imagines traveling by limo, getting dolled up by a glam team, taking photos for her album cover, and laying down tracks in a recording studio. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she explains. “I thought it would be really cool to record myself professionally.”

Through her wish, Sofia was able to turn that dream into reality. This winter, Make-A-Wish connected Sofia with some incredibly generous music industry professionals, led by singer-songwriter Rayo Cole, to produce and record a song and transform her into a bonafide pop star.

Cole is a talented artist who works in the music industry in Los Angeles. She first discovered Make-A-Wish during a tough time in her own life. One day, she came across the offices of Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles and stepped inside to learn more. She was touched to learn about their work and mission and took a business card, hoping that one day, when she was in a better place, she’d be able to pay it forward.

Today, in addition to her work as a music industry professional, Cole helps wish kids bring their dreams to life by crafting their own original heartfelt songs. “Music really changed my life—it was an outlet for me going through being bullied and having eating disorders,” she explains. “Now that, thank goodness, I have overcome all of that, I really wanted to give back.”

When Cole learned that Sofia, a pop music fanatic and lover of Broadway, wanted to record her own original song, she was inspired, and quickly got to work hand-picking the perfect team to help bring Sofia’s vision to life.

She invited Motesart, a well-known music producer who has worked with just about everyone in the music industry; Brittney Boston, a talented songwriter and music manager with her own record label; and Christine Hufenbecher and Kenny Moran, the team behind the mobile recording studio Mobile Sessions, who could capture Sofia’s vocals in a safe and socially distant setup. The Zoom sessions included special guest appearances from Grammy winning producer Brian Kennedy and Les Cleveland.

Over two weekends on Zoom, Cole and her team worked with Sofia to workshop her original song “Invisible.” The good vibes between Sofia and Rayo grew quickly—they found they had a lot in common.

Although Sofia can be shy to warm up to people, she found a real creative partner in Cole. And likewise, Cole says that she sees a lot of herself in Sofia. “Sofia reminded me so much of my story,” she explains. “The challenges that she went through, although different—it was like being with my little self.”

In one session, Brittney Boston shared some insights with Sofia about what it’s like to be an artist signed to a record label. Sofia even received her own contract to Supreme Republic Entertainment, Boston’s record label, for the duration of her wish.

Together, Cole, Motesart, and Sofia worked to perfect “Invisible,” refining the lyrics and developing the sound. The song, which touches on Sofia’s struggles with feeling lost among her peers, ends with her proudly singing: “I’m invincible.”

Cole says that that moment of empowerment is crucial for Sofia. “She’s saying ‘I don’t need your approval—I am wonderful, and I deserve great things,’” she explains. “I love to empower through the music, so that it tells the story of overcoming. And that’s exactly what she wanted.”

On the final weekend of Sofia’s wish, Hufenbecher and Moran from Mobile Sessions packed up their mobile studio and drove all the way from Los Angeles to Half Moon Bay to park right outside Sofia’s home for a day of vocal recording.  

That day was extra special—Sofia had her hair done, did her makeup just right, and had a shoot with a professional photographer and videographer who would be putting together her wish video and album cover. She even received an amazing box of jewelry and clothing from professional stylist Lauren Taylor.

Sofia loved every moment of that day. “I liked riding in the limo—it was really fun, because I’ve never ridden in a one before,” she explains. “I also liked the jewelry, and the clothes, and being recorded. It was really fun.”

Sofia’s wish was to record her song, but the experience was about so much more. She was able to have a day for herself that was all about her art and passion, not about her health. “It made me feel special,” she says. “It was something to look forward to. I liked me having a special day just for me, versus a special day being a trip to the doctor’s office.”

Rayo says that for kids like Sofia, a musical wishes can be remarkably healing. “They go through so much with their medical conditions, how their lives change so much when they’re going through their treatments,” she explains. “My goal is that they see that anything is possible. That they can do whatever they want with their lives, and that they should continue with music and continue honoring their heart, speaking their truth, and sharing their gift with everyone.”

Cole left the wish experience feeling so proud of Sofia—that she sang her heart out, expressed herself, and pushed herself to get the song just right. “She got to express her feelings, share her story, and turn a traumatic experience from her past into a beautiful piece of art,” she says.

The wish brought Sofia hope and joy, feelings that were shared by everyone involved with granting her wish. “It’s a double-sided blessing,” says Cole. “Our hearts open more too. Of course, this beautiful child gets this wonderful experience—but we also get such a benefit too.”

Today, Sofia is staying busy—in addition to her vocal lessons, she’s auditioning for local theater productions, learning to surf with her friends, and painting and drawing her own art.

She was recently elected student body president at her middle school, where she’s been busy creating weekly videos for the morning announcements and developing a “peer helping” program to support her fellow students in times of need.

Empowered by her wish experience, Sofia now knows that she really is “invincible.”

Sofia's wish was generously adopted by Five9. Thank you, Five9, for bringing wishes like Sofia's to life!