VERO BEACH — The music bug bit Jackie Steil, a talented, level-headed, well-rounded young woman whose family roots go deep on the barrier island, and now she aims for a career on stage and in the recording business.
Jackie, who recently turned 15, is tall and graceful, with folksinger blonde hair and a sweet voice. She is humble, the daughter of parents who adore her and who help her cultivate her talent.
Casey Steil, her dad, owns Casey’s Place, serving some of the best burgers in town for the past 31 years. Her mom, Leslie Steil, works for the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Jackie loves school, her friends, the beach, and giving back to the community.
She’s fallen in love with Nashville and is looking at colleges there, while reveling in its bustling music scene.
An unlikely performer, Jackie worries about calling attention to herself.
She was concerned, in true daughter fashion, that her mother would sound like she was bragging when talking about Jackie’s accomplishments.
/She underplays her talent.
A few years ago, Jackie found a guitar at home and started playing.
That Christmas, her father made sure that Santa brought Jackie a new Yamaha acoustic guitar. She’s been taking lessons since then.
The keyboards are starting to interest her lately.
Since last summer, Jackie has been making the rounds of local open mic showcases at the Kilted Mermaid, Waldo’s, and Captain Hiram’s.
In March, she was a headliner at the Okeechobee County Fair.
One or both of her parents accompany her, keeping a close eye on her amid the grown up festivities.
In May 2011, Jackie was one of 20 performers selected to be part of the Texaco showdown at Captain Hiram’s, sponsored by radio station WAVW 92.7.
That June, Jackie and her mother traveled to Nashville, which has a magnetic pull on the singer, during Country Music Television award week and they soaked up as much music as they could.
Jackie performed at two showcases and fell in love with the city.
On a recent Wednesday evening, Jackie, whose influences include Cobie Caillet and Taylor Swift, waited patiently for her turn on stage at the Kilted Mermaid. The bar was full of chatty patrons, as the emcee introduced her.
Unperturbed, Jackie gracefully made her way to the stage, not nervous at all.
With an amazing display of stage presence, Jackie made the crowd hers.
She opened her set with a cover of that old stadium rock favorite, “Tell Him Good Bye,” hard to recognize at first because of her “Hit The Road Jack” interpretation.
Once the crowd recognized it, they fell under her spell and sang along with her. “Na na na hey -ey -ey good bye…”
Her focus was evident and enabled her to perform despite the bar crowd chaos.
She followed with Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy,” singing with passion, her voice reminiscent of another blue-eyed blonde soul singer, Eva Cassidy.
Jackie’s perceptive observations are the subject of her own gutsy composition, “In My Small Town,” which could be about life in any small town.
Her mom is amazed at her lyric writing, which she says is “instantaneous.”
“She’ll come up with a lyric and melody like that,” said Leslie Steil, snapping her fingers.
Most girls would be all about the search for fame and fortune, but not Jackie.
Part of her beauty is the sensible head she has on her shoulders, and the lack of stars in her sky-blue eyes.
Not only did they survey the Nashville music scene, the Steils visited colleges because Jackie is clear that, no matter what road she takes, it will be a road in the music business.
Both Vanderbilt and Belmont, in the heart of Nashville, offer several practical majors for a musician.
“We were getting a feel for the town,” said Jackie. “I’m focused on going to college and being a part of the industry, not being the next Taylor Swift.”
In addition to being a talented, aspiring singer songwriter, she’s quite the golfer.
She plays on the Vero Beach High School golf team, and has played since she was 6 or 7, encouraged by her dad, Casey, who has played since he was a youngster.
Jackie has been involved with the Indian River Golf Association’s effort to introduce golf to elementary school students, and plays in the Treasure Coast Junior Golf tour, competing with youth golfers at local club and public courses.
“She has a really good golf swing and lots of potential,” said her father. “She gets involved so quickly. Every kid needs a hobby, a passion. She has music, which seems to come naturally to her, and she plays golf. But golf is a frustrating game.”
“I like to do other things besides play music. I’m starting to like golf more now that I’m playing better,” said Jackie. “It’s not too much fun when you’re first getting into it, though.”
When she’s not playing golf or music, she runs, kickboxes, and swims.
One of her favorite things is being part of the Glamor Girls, a group of VBHS students who visit residents at the Harbor Trace Senior Living Community, where the teens give manicures and makeovers to residents.
The future looks bright for Jackie. Maybe someday, she’ll return to Vero Beach with an entourage and perform at a sold out Citrus Bowl.
In the meantime, Jackie’s ready to take the world by storm.
