Story & Lesson Highlights with April Wheat of North Side, Midtown

April Wheat shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi April, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me starts with a red bull, warm-ups, and a classroom full of singers finding their voices. After school, I switch from “Ms. Wheat” to performer, rehearsing for shows like The Color Purple or Akeelah and the Bee. Somewhere in between, I’m juggling lines, lesson plans, and my son’s schedule with a lot of love (and caffeine). It’s a busy, beautiful chaos that keeps my heart full and my calendar even fuller.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m April Wheat, a singer, actor, voice coach, and choir director who basically lives and breathes music. I’ve been teaching music for over sixteen years, and I love helping kids find their voices, literally and figuratively. After School, I have been performing on stage for over 15 years in shows like The Color Purple, Akeelah and the Bee, The Tap Dance Kid, Love and Southern Discomfort, and Chicken and Biscuits.

What makes my journey special is that I get to balance both worlds. Teaching during the day and performing at night. My students see that I’m not just talking about music, I’m living it. Right now, I’m working on new performance projects and continuing to mentor young artists who dream of performing, too.

At the end of the day, everything I do, whether it’s directing a choir or stepping into a character is about connection, storytelling, and reminding people that their voice truly matters.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I used to believe that if you followed a certain path you would get to a certain goal. And I must achieve certain “things” and be perceived a certain “way.” As I move through life I have discovered that perfection isn’t what moves people, authenticity is. It is truly going to benefit you to show up as yourself. There is only one you! The beauty of both teaching and performing is in the imperfections, the real moments that we share together. Now I believe that showing up as my true self, flaws and all, is far more powerful than trying to be perfect.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Honestly, the fear that’s held me back the most has been the fear of not being enough. For a long time, I felt like I had to prove myself. to be perfect, to please everyone, to never fall short. It took me years to realize that chasing perfection was only keeping me from showing up as my true self. Once I started letting go of that fear and giving myself grace, I began to grow in ways I never imagined.”

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I think the public version of me is a part of the real me, but it’s not the whole picture. The version people see is shaped by purpose and presentation, but the real me has quiet moments, doubts, and a lot of growth behind the scenes. I’ve learned to let those sides blend more over time, so who I am on stage or in front of others feels closer to who I am when no one’s watching.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I made them feel something. That I brought light, love, or courage into a room, whether through music, telling stories or just through how I treated them. I hope they say I showed up fully, even when I was scared, I did it scared. And that I used whatever I’d been through to help someone else keep going. More than anything, I want to be remembered as someone who lived with purpose, contributed to my artistic community, honored my ancestors, and left people better than I found them.

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