When I was 15, friends were preparing for their quinceañera. When I asked my mom if I would be having one, she gave it to me straight: “Do you want the money for a party, or for your college?”

I chose college. Later I realised having a quinceañera meant you got to wear this massive ball gown and felt a sequin of regret.

Then came my cousin’s cotillion. I thought, “Surely, this is my turn!” With my Emily Post Etiquette book in hand, I waited for an invitation that never came. It was then I realised the only way I’d ever wear a gown was in a stage production or on my own wedding day.

Today marks two months since I finally held my own 'debut.'

When I was looking for photos to wrap up how I felt about ending this tour, this photo stood out to me. THIS was it. The debut I’ve been wanting to have since I was 15 is the one that I got to define for myself as an adult. As a woman stepping fully into her worthiness. A woman who built the foundations of her career in studio rooms using only her voice is finally ready to be seen, front and center.

HERE I AM, WORLD! Now, let’s have some fun!

On The Night the Music Comes Home
by June Lawrence

Tonight the lights lean closer,
as if the room itself knows
this is not just a stage,
this is a milestone breathing.

An evening fifteen years in the making,
every note carrying the weight of becoming.
Five years of careful dreaming,
of maps folded and unfolded,
of songs learning how to travel.
One year of rehearsing until courage felt like muscle memory.

You stand at the final stop of your journey,
an international tour tucked gently behind you,
London waiting with open hands,
your debut written in applause yet to come.

How rare it is to witness a moment that has been so patiently loved into being.
How lucky we are to be here-
to hear what time, devotion, and joy sound like when they finally sing.

So tonight we raise a glass, a heart, a cheer-
to birthdays and beginnings sharing the same breath.
May the room remember you,
may the songs feel at home,
and may you feel, unmistakably, how honoured we are to share this night with you.

The Debut

15 years. 1 night.