Aspiring singer gets taste of fame

It began with her singing the Barney theme song at birthday parties and family gatherings at her father's behest.

Who knows where it will end.

A YouTube video, a series of cross-country flights, a hit-making producer and, uh, Nick Lachey: These have been some of the signposts in Erika David's life over the past year.

A young R&B singer who went to high school in Vegas and who also attends the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in pursuit of an education degree, David got her first big break last summer in the form of a grainy video clip where she belted out an a cappella version of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" like she was standing in some imaginary concert hall with thousands of Bics in the air.

The Web is teeming with moments like these, snapshots of song from this aspiring singer or that.

But not quite like this one.

David entered the clip in the nationwide Max Fresh Video Competition, sponsored by Colgate, the toothpaste manufacturer.

And this past June, David learned that she had won the contest.

Soon, she was jetting to New York City, where one of the perks of winning was cutting a song with Grammy-winning producer Bryan-Michael Cox, who has worked with such big names as Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Aaliyah and dozens more.

"At first, meeting Bryan, I was real intimidated. I didn't know what to expect from him," David says, her voice still tinged with a bit of awe, like someone who has just seen a UFO land in her backyard. "I was getting kind of nervous, I wasn't relaxing, and he just told me, 'Be cool, have fun.' He told me that this was just the start. This is the first thing -- not the last thing -- that you're going to do."

David also got to perform at the pre-party for NYC's annual Z100 FM Jingle Ball, a huge holiday concert that features some of the biggest names in pop and R&B, and this year was headlined by Kanye West, Katy Perry and others.

At her show, David shared the stage with the likes of Lady Gaga, The Veronicas and Brandy.

"I had never performed on a stage like that," recalls David, who has been singing at talent shows and the like since elementary school. "I was so surprised when I went for sound check, I was like, 'Wow, I'm doing this big venue that everybody goes to.' "

There were assorted celebs in the house -- and the aforementioned Lachey. And afterward, David signed her first autographs.

Nowadays, she's still going back and forth between Vegas and New York, continually recording new material. Unlike many of her peers, David pens her own songs.

"You write all your emotions out -- it comes real easy that way," she says. "It's a refreshing feeling, writing a song."

You know, kind of like brushing your teeth.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.