Utah Starzz point guard Chantel Tremitiere grew up with 14 brothers and sisters, and not one of them was interested in music as much as she was.
"There were no musical influences in my family," Tremitiere said during an interview with the Deseret News. "And I was the type of kid who always wanted to do something that no one else did."Tremitiere will make an in-store appearance at Media Play, 1300 East and Ft. Union Blvd., next Friday, Nov. 26, where she will perform her new Christmas song, "Props for Mrs. Claus." Tremitiere will be accompanied by 30 children from the St. Joseph Choir. The appearance will run from 1-3 p.m.
The point guard's first season with the Utah Starzz was last year.
Before coming to Utah, she attended Auburn University in Alabama, where she graduated with a degree in public relations. In addition, Tremitiere served as an assistant coach at Auburn and then worked at Texas University.
Prior to college, Tremitiere lived in Pennsylvania. Her parents were co-directors of an adoption agency and 11 of her 14 brothers and sisters were adopted.
Since she had so many siblings, she really sought out time to spend alone while growing up.
"During those times I went through a lot phases," she said. "I listened to jazz, gospel. And I listened to rock, mainly for the beat. I really wanted to do something with music. And now that's coming true."
The idea for "Props for Mrs. Claus" came about after the athlete wrote a song for rap music guru Master P, "Hootie Hoo." "That was a Halloween song. And that was a lot of fun. The record went triple-platinum (selling more than 3 million copies). But then I began thinking. I wanted to write a Christmas song. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there was not a song that solely focused on Mrs. Claus. And I also love Christmas music."
The title, "Props for Mrs. Claus," is basically an attempt to give the Jolly One's leading lady some recognition.
"He gets all the credit," Tremitiere said. "He gets all the cookies. But in my song, she's the one who gets all the things ready for the Christmas Eve trip around the world."
Tremitiere, like her other 14 siblings, was adopted and lived in Pennsylvania. And she decided that, not only did she want to record a Christmas song about Mrs. Claus, but she wanted the proceeds of the sales go to a worthy cause.
"All the money will go to the Utah Adoption Council," said Roxanne Hasegawa, a close friend of Tremitiere. "And she's excited about it, because, obviously, adoption is very close to her heart."
"Really, though, I wanted to do something that was important," said Tremitiere. "And to me, making money for myself isn't as important as doing something worthwhile and beneficial to the kids. I would rather do something like this than compromise my beliefs."
Recently, Tremitiere, whose nickname is "Chan," has developed three distinct goals. Two -- playing professional basketball and graduating from college -- have already been realized.
"Number three is still in the works," she said. "I want to win an Oscar and become the first African-American woman to be in an action movie and do all my own stunts."
But for now, Tremitiere is working on her music. And "Props for Mrs. Claus," which actually has been on her mind for a few months -- and which is not a rap song -- is finally beginning to take shape.
Tremitiere and the children recorded the song in a basement studio earlier this week. "It was great. The kids had a great time, and I did, too.
"The cover art is finished and the record is being mastered today (Wednesday)," she explained. "We're just waiting to tie up some small printing details, and then the recording will be officially complete."
Tremitiere hopes the song will be a success, but she's also focused on the smaller victories. "If one child in Utah or Pennsylvania sets aside some cookies for Mrs. Claus, then I've been successful in my message."