At the age of 10, Drue Quackenbush of Oneonta has been hired by Cooperstown All-Star Village to sing the national anthem.
``It's fun and exciting; I love to sing,'' said Drue, a sixth-grade student at Greater Plains Elementary School.
On July 2, she auditioned at the youth baseball camp in West Oneonta.
``They had me go right out onto the field and try it,'' she said.
While players on other diamonds worked on their baseball skills, Drue belted out 'The Star-Spangled Banner,'' the nation's official song since 1931.
She was hired on the spot, according to Mike Tracy, the camp's baseball director.
``She was great,'' he said Thursday.
The next day, Drue performed for the audience, which includes young baseball players, their coaches, families and friends, and other fans.
``We were going to have Drue sing the national anthem, and we thought we had someone else to sing `God Bless America' before our closing ceremony,'' Tracy said.
However, the other singer was unable to perform, and Tracy called on Drue again last week.
``She only had a day to learn the song, but she did,'' he said. ``I called back and she sang it to me over the phone.''
She landed that job, too.
Last week, she sang both patriotic songs live and the crowd loved it, Tracy said.
Drue, who is a member of the choir at the First Presbyterian Church in Oneonta, said she has been singing ``as long as I can remember.''
Someday, she said, she would like to be a Rockette like fellow Oneontan Jacey Lambros.
Drue's mother, Janet Hurley-Quackenbush, said she's proud of her daughter's ability and composure, especially at such a young age.
``She doesn't look or act 10,'' she said.
Drue, who also is performing with Orpheus Theater this summer, said she is being paid ``$20 a song'' at the youth baseball camp, and she sings twice on Thursdays and once on Saturdays.
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