Rachel Ann Novak is training with Lauren Alaina’s vocal coach.When she was 6 years old, Rachel Novak made her stage debut at a talent show in Dalton, Ga., performing as a Hannah Montana look-alike. Now 11, she is determined to graduate from imitating other stars to becoming famous in her own right.
In 2008, Rachel began honing the skills she felt she needed to follow in the footsteps of her idol, actor/singer Miley Cyrus.
“When she started out, [Miley] was my age,” Rachel said. “It made me want to do it, too.”
Her quest for stardom received an early jump-start when her older sister, Ashley, 28, alerted their mother, Julie Novak, to the Nashville-based auditions for the “Hannah Montana” movie.
Novak contacted Darlene McDowell, the executive director for the film’s casting agency, DS Entertainment, which signed Rachel almost immediately, despite her lack of experience.