A talented young Kiwi opera singer has credited her musical journey with turning her life around, giving her a sense of confidence after being the victim of cruel bullying at school.
At only 16 Tayla Alexander is set for a bright future in the music industry.
"From the age of five I started performing, I started to understand that music was my whole world," she told Seven Sharp.
The talented teen says she also used music to escape an often painful world.
"I was the fat girl, the fat opera singer. At school I was bullied very badly, I was cyber-bullied.
"I felt very isolated and lonely, but music suddenly gave me this personal voice, and it gave me a sense of confidence," she said.
Taylor now finds herself as the youngest student ever taken on by the Auckland Opera Studio, where she trains twice a week.
After earning high praise from her teachers there, Tayla is aiming for the big time.
"That's the biggest thing for anyone who's struggling - is to find something which gives you an idea of the future, So you can visualise what you want," she said.
When asked if she sees herself one day becoming a Dame like New Zealand's most famous operatic singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, she isn't ruling it out.
"I don't think I mind that!! No, one step at a time, I'll come to my lessons first and see what happens from there."
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