By Kalena Reynolds | Staff Writer
Frisco Senior Ava Bohling has turned a social disorder diagnosis at age four into a blossoming music career. Having amassed over 100,000 streams on Spotify, Bohling is not just a successful student but also a singer and songwriter.
Ava Bohling was born a gregarious and exuberant child with a bright smile and a love for people — until the age of four. Then, Ava’s mom noticed a decrease in her sociability, and after multiple doctor appointments Ava was diagnosed with selective mutism.
Mayo Clinic describes selective mutism as “a consistent failure of children to speak in certain situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members. This can interfere with school, work and social functioning.”
Bohling describes her anxiety as a force of nature.
“It’s like there was a waterfall rushing down my throat and pushing down my words and music,” Bohling said. “I think it’s so ironic that God used music to deliver me from that because … you go on stage, and you have to be confident and do all those things, but I literally couldn’t speak to anyone.”
For Bohling, music became her therapy at a young age. Her parents bought her instruments and gave her the opportunity to take music lessons, ultimately wanting to ensure she had exposure to music and could use it as a tool if she wanted to.
Joseph Bohling, Ava’s father, said that from a young age, Ava had a unique gift for music and could emulate notes sung to her at an early age.
“When it came to songs we would sing to her, like “Jesus loves me,” or the “ABCs,” she would immediately pick it up and just start repeating it on key, on tune, and it was uncanny,” Joseph Bohling said.
While Bohling has been taking guitar lessons since she was 12, she began playing piano, singing, writing and collaborating with her friends around 15 years old.
Tyler Heaton, Bohling’s childhood friend, also began acquiring a love for music as they entered high school. After experimenting with producing and writing, Heaton and Ava started working together and collaborating on songs.
During high school, Bohling would send Heaton demos, and he would bring them to life through production. In 2021, Ava released her first song, “Not My Baby,” under the name “Adair,” with the Heaton’s help.
“I recorded her playing and singing them,” Heaton said. “And then the process is actually kind of interesting because she had written them on an acoustic guitar and was pretty flexible on how she wanted them to sound. She kind of just wanted me to do whatever came to mind.”
“Not My Baby” was followed by the release of two other singles, which ended up becoming an EP titled “4AM Headspace.” Since then, Bohling has released three other songs: “Flannels,” “I Love You, Sorry,” and “ghost of you” all with the help of Heaton.
With heart-wrenching lyrics, ear-catching melodies and beautifully unique production, Ava said she encapsulates the feelings of adolescent growing pain and the experiences that accompany it.
“I write a lot of songs about stories that people tell me about themselves because songwriting has always been a way that I’ve processed my emotions, how I understand,” Bohling said. “And what people are going through and how I connect with God best.”
Bohling’s song “Flannels,” which she wrote about a breakup with her first love, is about those feelings. With its acoustic sound, the track takes on a Phoebe Bridgers-like production.
“What she doesn’t know in your flannels darling / You kissed me underneath the stars / So when you see her in your flannels darling / Don’t forget how you broke my heart,” Bohling wrote in her song “Flannels”.
Once Bohling began posting about “Flannels” online, she said it immediately took off and ultimately helped jumpstart her career. “Flannels” now has over 59,000 streams on Spotify.
“She’s got a gift, she really does, and she’s able to take her feelings, her emotions albeit in a very difficult situation, and apply it to something that helped her heal,” Joseph Bohling said.
While Ava Bohling’s songs tell stories of heartbreak and mending that resonate so loudly with many people, at the core, she said they are written as vessels of healing for herself.
“Music is more than just a sound,” Bohling said. “It’s more than something that just sounds nice and makes you feel good; it’s more than me wanting to impress people. Like I said before, music is for me; it’s how I process my emotions. And I want people to know that that outlet is always there for them. And I think that anyone can get involved with music, and it can be beneficial to anyone in whatever way.”
