(See below for correction.)
College sophomore Melissa Providence does it for the love.
She does it all for the love -- her music, her spoken-word poetry, her involvement in the Intuitions a cappella group.
And these have all led to a music video that has made it to the final 10 of a nationwide contest held by MTV's College Television Network.
The original R&B; video -- "For the Love" -- was produced by Ben Lyons, the owner of the independent record label 57 Records in New York City, and was directed by Los Angeles filmmaker Brandon Kraines. Providence performed the beat with Harvard student Rich Maye, whose stage name is Rich Power.
"We're doing this music thing because we love this music thing," Providence says about the video title's meaning. "I was singing since I exited the womb."
After nearly four months of production in Los Angeles and New York, the team entered their video into the contest in late September along with approximately 2,000 other applicants. But Lyons said that he never doubted the video's success, and in fact said that he'll be shocked if they don't win.
The day the video was due, "I marched into the head of the network's office and said, 'Here's the winning video -- enjoy,'" Lyons says.
The public can still vote for three of the top 10 videos on www.collegetelevision.com. After the top three are selected in a few weeks, a constituency of representatives from top record labels will decide on a winner, which will be broadcast on MTV and MTV2.
Lyons said that the makers of the winning video will also enjoy some other perks, possibly including a cut on the MTV Advanced Warning CD and a hosting spot on an MTV video countdown show.
Providence exercises her vocal skills with the Intuitions. She says the group's music is "produced or written by people of the African Diaspora."
Group member and close friend Morgan Whitmire says that as a female tenor, the way Providence sings "is just so soulful... which is different than some other pop stuff."
Providence is incredibly dedicated to the group's music and although she has some amazing solos, "she works just as hard in the background," says Whitmire, a College sophomore.
Providence noted that singing with her group is a completely different experience than her personal endeavors.
"When you are in a group, you have to be one voice," Providence says. But when she is on her own, she can do "a lot more freestyle and kind of go off on [her] own tangents."
And according to Whitmire, Providence doesn't hesitate to let loose.
"She is always singing -- always -- which isn't a bad thing, because everyone always likes it."
Lyons agrees, noting that "she has one of those voices that when you hear her open her mouth, you just know she's a singer. She could sing on a train, and people would applaud."
As for her own musical inspiration, Providence named R&B; singer Lauryn Hill. But she was wary of associating her own style with that of Hill's, or of any particular genre for that matter.
"I would hate to pigeonhole it," Providence says. "I definitely don't want to choose a style now, because I want to be able to grow."
According to Lyons, who came across Providence just a few years ago at a poetry reading in Brooklyn, Providence has already done some growing and changing.
"She has just a classic, beautiful voice, but now that she's gone to college, her style has gotten a little crazier," Lyons says. "She's got a tongue ring now and is locking her hair."
It may seem challenging to have a normal college career, double major in African-American Studies and English and still make a nationally recognized music video.
But Providence says otherwise. "It has never been a burden to balance because it is something I truly love to do.... I try to have fun in everything I do -- I try not to be 19, I try to be 12."
And in the coming months, she said that she plans to make some more aggressive moves in terms of her music career to really get her name out there.
But should singing not pan out as a career, she would love to work to improve the conditions of public schools.
Whitmire says that she could see Providence making it big some day, and when that day comes, she'd better get front-row seats.
But according to Providence, "Right now, it's just about getting your name in the door."
Correction
This article notes that Melissa Providence is a member of the a cappella group the Intuitions. In fact, the group is called the Inspiration.The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
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