It’s not every day a young singer with no professional training is picked to perform at one of the biggest sporting events of the year, let alone do it twice. But that is exactly what happened -- thanks to Major League Baseball, its partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of America, and one very talented teenager with an extraordinary voice.
For the past two years, the World Series has served as a launchpad for 19-year-old Pearle Peterson, known professionally as “Pearle.” She’s an alumnus of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula in Sequim, Wash., and today, she’s following her dream to be a professional singer. It’s been a whirlwind journey that began in earnest last October, when she burst onto the national stage with a powerful performance of the national anthem before Game 2 of the 2024 World Series.
That followed her first performance a year prior, which was so well-received that she was invited back.
“Being able to sing at the World Series not just once but twice was a dream come true,” Peterson said during a recent interview with MLB.com. “Major League Baseball gave me such a unique opportunity, and it is truly one of the most pivotal reasons that I'm doing what I do now.”
Peterson just released her debut single, “Another You,” which she performed at BGCA’s National Conference on Friday. This performance marks a full-circle moment for Peterson, as it is the same national conference that first gained her recognition and put her on a path that culminated in two separate appearances at the World Series.
It was through one of those early performances with the Boys & Girls Club that she caught the eye of Tony Reagins, Chief Baseball Development Officer at MLB and a BGCA board member.
Frank Sanchez, National Vice President of Sports, Entertainment and Community Affairs for the BGCA, who was present for the interview, described the moment Reagins reached out to him.
“When he heard her sing, he texted me and said, ‘She's gonna sing at the World Series," Sanchez said. “Tony Reagins is single-handedly responsible for making this moment happen.”
In addition to her singing career, Peterson is also studying classical and contemporary musical theater at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. This is a far cry from her small hometown of Sequim, Wash., which has an approximate population of 8,000.
As Peterson describes it, “I'm from an eight-stoplight town.”
And like many college students moving to a new place, she was apprehensive about the adjustment.
“I was nervous coming from such a small area to this school with a population of 50,000 …” she said. “But I found so much community, everybody is just so friendly and there for each other and supportive.”
The Washington native credits a large amount of her success and the discipline behind it to the support she received from the BGCA when she was a kid.
“I did not grow up with voice lessons or anything like that, but my Boys & Girls Club CEO, Mary Budke, always gave me an opportunity to perform at the auctions, at talent shows …” said Peterson. “So I was cultivating my love for music in the very beginning, right inside my home clubhouse.
“You really can't ask for a better support system. This organization didn't just change my life, but I've watched it change the lives of others.”
And after excelling in her second World Series performance, Peterson’s life indeed changed. She was approached by several music producers, all hoping to work with her, with the young vocalist eventually deciding to work with Beau Fuller, an experienced producer, songwriter and musician.
Undoubtedly, it’s been a whirlwind of events and experiences since the World Series, but now she is using that momentum to inspire those around her and spread a message of inspiration.
“Opportunity rarely knocks twice, and I think that it is so important as young people, regardless of what you're pursuing, if that's music, if that's anything else, that you are fearless in the sense that if you go out and ask for opportunity,” said Peterson. “The worst they can say is no.”
“Another You,” Peterson’s official debut single, is available across all streaming services and for download on her website. Be on the lookout for this release and more new music coming from this talented young artist, and who knows, you may even see her at another World Series.