Search for Beautiful Voice Leads to UCLA Custodian Singing in Stairwell
"It's kind of like God gave me a gift and I try to give it back by singing," she said.
By Jessica Rice ••
George Foulsham was sitting in his office the week after UCLA commencement — the campus quiet with students gone — when he first heard the incredible singing voice. He didn't think much of it since the theater school is nearby. But the next day, he heard the voice again with his windows closed. It sounded louder.
"I could tell already that it was a great voice," Foulsham said. "So I thought, I've got to go investigate."
The voice brought him to Bunche Hall, a building next door.
"I walked up one set of stairs and there, sitting on one of the stairs .... was this woman singing," he said. Foulsham creeped up the stairs cautiously trying not to disturb the woman who seemed somewhat oblivious to him, sitting with her headphones in and iPhone in hand. When she finished singing, he asked if he could record her and she agreed.
Foulsham and another man stood watching Amanda Strohecker as she broke into "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables, sitting on the steps in the stairwell.
George Foulsham, Amanda Strohecker
Amanda Strohecker sits on stairs at UCLA singing during a recording, and is also pictured on the right.
Strohecker is in her fifth year of working as a custodian at UCLA, and works as a gardener one night a week. But the 25-year-old from San Dimas loves to sing, and dreams of being a singer someday.
"Music has really helped me," she said. "It's kind of like God gave me a gift and I try to give it back by singing."
Strohecker was 4 years old when she and her sister were removed from an abusive home and put into foster care. About half a year later, they went to live with a foster mother, who officially adopted them when Amanda was 8.
"My mom didn't know I could sing until she heard me sing along with the 'Sleeping Beauty' movie," she said.
Other than a year or two of coaching focused on stage presence and stage fright before she turned 20, she has received little instruction. She sang at church, contributed to a family friend's Christmas and lullaby CDs, and sang in concert choir while she took some classes at Citrus College.
She tries to get herself out there with videos online, but mostly she's "just been singing in the stairwell," she said. "I like the acoustics, and … I try not to disturb people."
Singing during breaks, or while cleaning the restrooms when a song comes on that she likes, Strohecker uses a karaoke app on her phone most of the time when she sings. She loves classical music and love songs.
"I've just found that classical music, … my voice fits it, God made it for that," she said.
"Can you imagine that?" Foulsham said. "Being able to follow her around all morning and listen to her clean, and sing."
When Foulsham, the executive director of communications at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, asked to record Strohecker, she said she stared at her phone to concentrate.
"I wanted to sing it well because I've never had someone ask me to record before," she said.
In the video, she sits unfazed as someone steps past her, subtly tapping her feet as she belts out the lyrics on the steps.
Casey Christopher
PandaBear is a 7.5yr old spitfire survivor that was saved from a backyard breeding puppymill. She is going through medical and behavioral rehab after spending her entire life in a puppymill box. After being rescued by QBSDR, her hind legs were so infected, they had to be amputated to save her life.
Casey Christopher
Lester is a 7-year-old that is going through behavioral rehabilitation with Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue. He was previously adopted and returned for behavioral issues including herding, which resulted in biting. He’s a smart boy that is eager to learn new commands and tricks.
Casey Christopher
Lester prefers lounging around to running the fields. He’d be ideal as an only dog with a dedicated individual that will continue and maintain his training.
Casey Christopher
Cowboy is a 10-year-old that was surrendered to QBSDR after his owner moved away. Soon after, he tested positive for heart-worm disease, for which he is currently undergoing treatment. He will be on bed rest for the next two months, passing his time with chews and belly rubs.
Casey Christopher
Cowboy gets along with dogs, cats, livestock and just about anything that breathes. He is an affectionate and mellow boy that would make an ideal dog for a first time pet parent or corgi parent.
Casey Christopher
Leo is an 11-year-old who was on death row at a shelter for biting his family and having aggression issues. He’s been in behavioral rehabilitation with QBSDR for almost one year and has made a significant improvement.
Casey Christopher
Leo gets along with dogs, but he views his relationship with humans in a different way, according to Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue. He loves working through his obedience commands and lounging around.
Casey Christopher
Comet is a 4-year-old boy with a beautiful and unique coat. He is also a prime example of an irresponsibly-bred corgi. Comet went to Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue with a full body infection that was so severe, half of his fur was missing, and he could not be physically handled.
Casey Christopher
Comet is an affectionate and playful boy who likes to herd flies. Due to his poor breeding, he will be susceptible to future health issues. He currently requires daily supplements and pain medication for arthritis and spondylosis in his back.
Casey Christopher
A.J. is around 10 years old. Animal control found him as a stray with a deeply infected wound on his back. Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue saved him from the shelter and got him cleaned and stitched up before discovering that he has cancer.
Casey Christopher
A.J. is permanently with the rescue, where he enjoys a bucket list of adventures. This privilege is something gifted to all QBSDR terminal dogs. A.J. is affectionately referred to as "The Bulldozer" because of his large stature and ability to push through baby gates.
Casey Christopher
Indy is a 2-year-old going through behavioral rehabilitation with Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue. He was saved from being euthanized at the shelter, where he was given up after biting two different families and having food aggression.
Casey Christopher
Although sweet, Indy has classic corgi tendencies and will need continued training with a dedicated owner.
Casey Christopher
Indy is a very high energy dog that loves to play fetch and is always ready to make a new friend.
Casey Christopher
Corey is 6 years old and was on death row at the shelter for biting his family and having other behavioral issues. He’s been with QBSDR for two years, where he has made vast improvements with training and behavior modification.
Casey Christopher
Corey is a very athletic and agile dog who is smaller than an average corgi. His greatest joys in life are window surfing, car rides and playing fetch.
Casey Christopher
Panda Bear is a 7-year-old spitfire survivor that was saved from a backyard breeding puppy mill. She is going through medical and behavioral rehab after spending her entire life in a puppy mill box. After being rescued by Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue, her hind legs were so infected that they had to be amputated to save her life.
Casey Christopher
Panda Bear runs with the big dogs and loves to play with squeaky toys. Despite the cruelty she endured, she’s incredibly sweet and trusting, and she loves a good snuggle.
When Foulsham finished recording, he told her, "You really need to do something with that voice, you have a gift."
"It made me feel good about myself because sometimes I kind of doubt if I sing well or not," Strohecker said. "And that is my dream, to become a singer."
Referencing what she experienced during her childhood, Strohecker says her ability to sing makes her feel like,"there's a purpose, that you're not trash, that you're worth something." She believes the same applies for other talented men and women affected by bad homes.
It seems Foulsham saw her passion for music clearly, in a stairwell of all places.
"When I came back to my office and I was processing the video, I could still hear her singing ... and it sounded wonderful," Foulsham said. "Made me sorry I didn't stick around for that one, too."
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
"L.A. Landmarks: Lost and Almost Lost" is on view at the History & Genealogy Department, Central Library LL4, from Thursday, July 13 through Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
"L.A. Landmarks: Lost and Almost Lost" is on view at the History & Genealogy Department, Central Library LL4, from Thursday, July 13 through Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018. Pictured: The Pan-Pacific Auditorium, opened in 1935 and lost to fire in 1989.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
The Central Library Goodhue building even gets a cameo in the exhibit it is set to house for several months. Cindy Olnick, director of communications for the LA Conservancy, is the exhibit's curator and the author of a new book about our city's fabled structures, here and now gone. The exhibit is also made possible by the work of the LAPL Photo Friends.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Edna and Nick Stewart, founders of the Ebony Showcase, stand before the historic theater, which was torn down in 1998. The vision and spirit of the Washington Boulevard venue live on through The Ebony Showcase Theatre and Cultural Workshop, Inc. Visit www.ebonyshowcase.org for more info about fundraising, projects, and history of the theater.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
The Valley Museum Theater was constructed in 1963 and demolished in 2007.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
The Brown Derby, a stylish meet-and-be-scene spot near the Ambassador Hotel off Wilshire Boulevard, was the home of the Cobb Salad. The dome of the hat was incorporated into a shopping center after the restaurant shuttered.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
The Cinerama Dome of Sunset Boulevard, which opened in the fall of 1963, still stands today. It continues to serve as a mega screen for blockbuster releases, as well as sometimes appearing in the movies and on television.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
The neon still shines, and the vintage cars still show up, at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. On the menu? Classic burgers, fries, and milkshakes, like the days of yore.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered in December 1937 at the Carthay Circle Theatre near the mid-city. It's gone, but a replica of the building's exterior may be found inside Disney California Adventure in Anaheim.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
The Lasky-DeMille Barn has had more than one home in our city, and it still may viewed, and visited, in its location across from the Hollywood Bowl on Highland Avenue. See photos from our city's landmarks that still remain, and those landmarks now long gone, at the Central Library's new look-back display at LA's important architectural story.
