While most teenagers worry about coordinating their daily wardrobes, 17-year-old Darcie Miner instead chooses a selection of hit potentials from her 90-plus songlist to perform for nationally known record executives. She's currently the talk of the town among major recording labels. But regardless of rumors that Miner is a signed act, she says, "I haven't signed and we have to keep it quiet."

"There are two (record labels) that are extremely interested," she continues. "... These things take time. They're not stopping my deal. We got it, they're laying it on the table, we just need to pick which one's better."

According to Miner, the team of manager Ricky Leigh Mensh, vice president of Hits Magazine in Los Angeles, and her lawyer, who also represents Jon Bon Jovi, are in direct contact with the labels.

"He (Mensh) puts the word out," Miner says. "He shops my record and gave it to everybody. Everyone knows who I am (in Los Angeles)." So what is it about Miner that has caught the attention of so many beyond her realm in Hershey?

Miner's vocal abilities and her self-titled four-member band bring diversity to the local as well as national music scene. She perfects the musical prowess of manipulating her voice to complement each musical style attempted on every song. The five-foot Miner sings from her soul, caressing every word.

According to keyboard player Ryan Gottshall, "When people hear her album without seeing her, they expect someone bigger." This is due to Miner's ability to project a powerful, commanding voice despite her soft-spoken nature and tiny frame.

On the usual band sound, with bassist Matt Milhouse and drummer Chris Heilig, Miner strums her guitar and blends the vocal styles of greats like Alanis Morrisette and Sarah McLachlan into a newly created signature sound.

With the inclusion of Gottshall on several songs, Miner transforms her voice to a deep Celtic style characteristic of Sinead O'Connor. On the lighter side, Heilig and Gottshall sit out while Miner and Milhouse play a less aggressive-sounding format, with Miner shifting her vocals to a soft, sassy style reminiscent of Shania Twain.

Milhouse, who shares his name with a "Simpsons" character, is another audience must-see. Instead of acting the part of his given name, Milhouse appears as a real-life Bart Simpson, blonde, spiky hair and all. From squeezing whoopee cushions to disappearing while performing, Milhouse antagonizes Miner in the same way that Bart antagonizes his cartoon-animated sister, Lisa. He says he became a musician because, "I wanted to annoy my parents."

Heilig says he drew inspiration from an already-famous musician. While at a Bon Jovi show during the Slippery When Wet tour in 1987 at Hersheypark Stadium, Heilig says, "I saw him (Jon Bon Jovi) fly across the audience. I was like, 'I'm doing that.'"

Gottshall, on the other hand, says, "Music's my life, that's all I know. Music's like water. I live music."

"Hopefully music will eventually pay my bills," he continues. "That's always been my dream. When I was little, I used to tell people that I wanted to be famous when I grew up."

Miner says with two older brothers and a father who all play guitar, she had no choice but to be a musician. "I had to do something to be like the guys, because I always wanted to tag along with them," she relates. "So I started playing the guitar."

Miner picked up the guitar for the first time at 11. With the combined efforts of her brothers, her father, and a book to show her basic guitar chords, Miner began playing songs by Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana. And when Jewel debuted on the scene, Miner learned to play her songs, too. "Whatever was out at that time on regular radio I pretty much learned," she says.

In the early guitar-playing process, Miner began composing her own songs. She says, "I'm constantly writing," adding modestly that although, "not all of them are good," she has currently written close to 100 songs.

Miner says she writes about family, friends, and other people's lives - anything and everything gets her creative juices flowing. "I could be looking at that speaker right now and if something happens, I could write about it. It would come out ridiculous, but I got a song at least," says Miner.

Following two years of guitar instruction, Miner began as an acoustic artist at 13 and started her performance career at Media Play in Harrisburg. Since then, Miner ventured out into several musical venues.

With the help of the Badlees on backup, Miner completed and released a seven-song independent album, Down to Earth, in February 2000. All 1,000 copies have since sold out. Miner says contract negotiations with record labels forbid the re-release of the album since some of the songs may reappear on her next album, once under contract.

She says her family, friends, and peers determine album-worthy material. "I take every song I have and play it for everybody I know ... 'Let me know what 10 or 12 songs you like the best,'" says Miner.

Continuing, she says, "Artists are too close to their songs. I have songs that I would love to be on the record, but there are other people that say, 'It's not a hit.'"

While Miner wants to be successful in the music business, she says, "I don't want to be a one-hit wonder."

Gottshall says that although receiving recognition for your talent is rewarding, working in the music industry is difficult. "Everybody has a different opinion of how things should be. There are so many different visions and you all have to come to that common agreement."

By the same token, Milhouse says musicians should recognize and appreciate the diversity of music. "Don't go out with the idea that somebody is better than you. Everybody plays different," he says.

Two months following the album's release, Milhouse, who Miner identifies as "the first bass player to audition," joined Miner. Heilig also joined in spring 2000, left for a brief period, and rejoined in the fall. According to Heilig, "I left for a while to do my own thing and she (Miner) was gracious enough to take me back."

When she was 14, Miner had met current bandmate Gottshall at HACC for a music program for high school students. And, although the two lost touch, Miner contacted him when she decided to add a keyboard player. Gottshall joined the trio of Miner, Milhouse, and Heilig in January.

Miner says the band is currently working on new material. But, until the contract negotiations are finalized, they cannot begin recording the album. Heilig says the process of performing and composing new material is time-consuming since, "we still have to work on cover stuff, too."

According to Miner, "Everybody wants to hear cover songs and we do them. But we do really obscure ones so that no one knows what they are."

Some of the band's favorite musicians to cover sparingly include Beth Hart and Patty Griffin. "Why take an hour to learn someone else's songs when you can write your own?" says Miner.

Despite Miner's apparent brink of success, she realizes already that nothing is possible without some sacrifices. She dropped out of Lower Dauphin High School in her junior year. She says attending school and working on a music career do not go hand-in-hand. In addition to a lack of time for both interests, Miner alleges that her high school as a whole is not supportive of music. "We didn't even have music class at my school. Everything that we've learned so far about the business, performing, meeting new people, is nothing that I could've learned, (in school)" she says.

However, she concludes, "If you love what you're doing, then it's worth staying in your life."