There are a lot of talented children and teens who aspire for a career in the music industry, routinely performing for family, in church and at any location with karaoke.

Those who want to take it a step further have to make a leap, and country singer Courtney Cole still remembers one of her first leaps.

“I used to sing in a little pub right there in the French Quarter on Toulouse Street,” Cole told me recently. “It was called O’Flaherty’s. I used to do a little Irish show there before I went to college. That was a little bridge for me, actually getting out of church, singing in a bar, doing that whole thing.

“It wasn’t until I got to college that I started branching out on my own.”

The college experience for the former St. Tammany Parish resident and Mandeville High School graduate was another step for Cole, who today is full on country music star, having lived and worked in Nashville and, currently, Los Angeles.

Cole is back in Louisiana this month, headlining an eight-site, CMT-led free concert series through community and technical colleges.

Her stop in St. John the Baptist Parish is March 14, for a 6:30 p.m. show open to the public at South Central Louisiana Technical College — Reserve Campus.

The tour with Cole is part of a multi-faceted partnership between CMT, Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System and Louisiana Calling, aiming to increase the number of work-ready residents in Louisiana.

Organizers are hopeful the “CMT Empowering Education Tour of Louisiana” builds awareness of educational and workforce training opportunities available at the local level. That is especially true in St. John Parish, where the Mississippi River and petrochemical fields provide opportunity.

Cole attended and graduated from Nashville’s Belmont University, drawn to the school’s commercial voice program.

Although singing was her main focus, she received an education in the music industry’s business side, all of which helped her land an internship and, eventually, a job at Black River Entertainment.

It was during this time that she also found her voice as a performer.

“I really took my artistry into my own hands,” she said. “I felt like I was always singing other people’s songs but it wasn’t until I got to Nashville that I started really digging more into the song writing and coming up with what I actually want to say, what I want to look at and performing at some of the bars around Nashville.”

She described those earliest performances as “terrifying,” but it all helped develop a unique sound, firmly establishing Cole on the music scene.

Her music, videos and rockumentary series are all available at courtneycolemusic.com.

“At the end of the day, I truly believe authenticity is the best approach to anything,” Cole said. “It’s the most believable and connects you to more people. You don’t have to be this (one thing) to fit in any mold. It is worth it to take this time to figure out who you are.”

To enjoy Cole’s authentic Reserve performance, log onto scl.edu or either of the college’s Facebook pages for free ticket information.

The event includes an industry showcase breaking down educational and career opportunities from 4 to 6 p.m., with the concert venue opening at 6 p.m. and the concert running from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The drawing of 10 $500 scholarships open to potential Reserve college students highlights the event’s community impact.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.