MUSICIANS JANEY KATZ - Zia Publishing

lightsONTHEHORIZONWRITTEN BY BRETT FERNEAUPHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE BURGESSSilver City and Grant County areendowed with an abundance ofcapable, talented people whoseabilities and contributions oftengo unnoticed simply becausethey are just “local folks.”Commerce, cuisine, horsemanship,medicine, technology,visual and performing arts – namea field of human endeavor andyou’ll likely find an area residentwho excels at it, quietly goingabout his or her business withoutfanfare.The same can be said of thearea’s school-age youth, whodeserve our encouragementwithout imposed expectations. Inthat spirit, Silver City Lifepresents three young ladies wethink you’ll be hearing more aboutin years to come.MARISAQUINONEZAGE 11Marisa Quinonez seems quiet andshy — until she has a microphone inher hand. She sings a wide varietyof songs in both English andSpanish, from classics like “Crazy”by Patsy Cline to hits bycontemporary artists like AshleeSimpson and Kelly Clarkson. Shegave her first public performance ata community talent show at age six.Now an 11-year-old fifth grader,Marisa is in her second year withthe G.W. Stout Folklorico DanceTeam, which performs at school andcommunity events around the state.She has attended Stardancersdance classes since she was fiveand is in her first year on the JuniorDance Team.The daughter of Rudy and YvonneQuinonez, Marisa has four brothers,four dogs and a cockatiel thatwhistles along when she sings.Examples of her poetry are beingpublished in two upcoming books,“Anthology of Poetry by YoungAmericans” and “Celebration ofYoung Poets.”SHELBYMARRAAGE 12The daughter of mining engineerVincent Marra and his wife Ann,Shelby attended elementaryschool while living with her familyin Chile. As a result she becamefully bilingual at an early age, andkeeps in touch with her SouthAmerican friends via Email.Shelby began dancing ballet andfolklorico in Chile, continuing withballet, jazz and tap dancing whenthe Marras relocated to Silver City.If her name sounds familiar, it maybe because she was crownedLittle Miss Silver City in 2004,going on to become Little MissNew Mexico that same year. Shestudies dancing six hours a weekplus Saturdays, meanwhile findingtime to play basketball, softball andmaintain a 4.0 grade average.While she loves dancing, she saysthat school comes first, and wouldcurtail her other activities if shecouldn’t keep up with herhomework. Interested in math,Shelby tutors other students twicea week.36 – SILVER CITY LIFE