ICYMI: #WomanCrushWednesday IG Live featuring Kyla Carter

BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer

Teen television actress, performer in Tony Award-winning Broadway shows, successful career as a musician – these are not just lofty aspirations for 14 year old Kyla Carter – these are her day jobs.

Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Carter got her start on Broadway at a young age. It all started when she was just four years old, after seeing a television commercial for a Shirley Temple DVD box set. At that moment, she knew that she wanted to be like the child on the screen.

“I was always super ambitious,” Carter said. “I always had my hand in many hats.”

While her love of singing and performing always came naturally to her, Carter did not discover her passion for creating original music until the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic last year. In that time, she learned to play guitar and started creating her own songs inspired by her love for spreading positivity.

While she still loves Broadway, Carter says she really enjoys the freedom of using her own words and messages in her original music.

“I get to say my message now,” Carter said. “It was so awesome to take that power back.”

One of her recently released original songs called “Half Full Half Empty” emphasizes the importance of finding the positivity in negative situations. Carter pulled a lot of inspiration for this song from the pandemic; while it was a negative experience for everyone, she tried to find the positives in spending more time with her family and taking time to focus on herself.

Carter says that while being on Broadway from such a young age taught her the importance of professionalism, it also came with a lot of pressure to always be jumping from one task to the next. More recently, she has learned the value of managing her time to allow herself to do leisurely activities that she enjoys.

In addition to her roles on Broadway and as a musician, Carter is also a voiceover actress in Trolls: TrollsTopia, an animated series available for streaming on Hulu and Peacock, and Trolls: The Beat Goes On, streaming on Netflix. However, voiceover acting has some major differences from her other roles.

“I constantly get yelled at in the booth for moving too much,” Carter said. “I’m a stage performer.”

Carter says that while no one else in her family has much musical talent, she credits her parents for supporting her throughout every step in her career, especially her mother.

“She taught me what it’s like to work hard and succeed,” Carter said.

Carter encourages all parents to do the same for their children; no matter what a child’s hobby or passion is, their parents should do anything they can to foster and support them.

As for advice to other teenagers looking to make their mark in the world, Carter emphasizes the importance of ignoring the false standards set by social media.

“Be confident in who you are,” Carter said.

For more on Kyla Carter, you can check out the entire interview on the @OfficialWomenWhoRock IGTV channel on Instagram.