At two years old VanHoose started playing the piano and humming the gospel classic , " '' Jesus Loves Me . '' " Her first major performance was in 2012 in which she sang the National Anthem at a University of Kentucky Women 's Basketball game . A spectator filmed the performance and placed it on YouTube and the video went viral . VanHoose joined the Artists Music Guild , a professional artists relations and protection firm in 2011 and they currently handle her career and have launched her to a worldwide audience . In 2013 the CBS Evening News aired a complete story on VanHoose entitled , " '' Teen 's Big Voice Shatters Obstacles . '' " She has been featured on other entertainment shows such as Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition . A feature story about VanHoose and the UK Women 's Basketball , entitled , " '' Loud and Proud '' " was aired by ESPN-E-60 . VanHoose sung for the 2015 NBA Playoffs and game six of the 2015 NBA Finals . She has performed at three various NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Races . In 2016 VanHoose performed at Carnegie Hall as a premier guest . She was the official anthem singer for the 2016 Republican National Convention and appeared on Good Morning America the next morning from the floor of the convention center . In December 2016 VanHoose opened the New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden to an audience of over twenty thousand in attendance
2016 Republican National Convention
2016 Republican National Convention
Marlana VanHoose