Finding Her Voice

Lily Alattar’s journey to stadium anthem singer

By Crystal Kassab, Ed.D.

As the only girl with three older, athletic brothers, Lily Alattar had no choice but to like sports. The family was either at a game or watching one on TV. But while her brothers showcased their athleticism on the field, Lily’s talents emerged in a different way—through her vocal cords.

At Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Pontiac, Alattar joined the school choir. Though she was painfully nervous about singing in front of others, she earned a couple of solos. Like many shy teenagers, she feared being judged if she didn’t perform perfectly.

“My anxiety trickled down into my singing,” she said.

Over time, Alattar began to grow into herself. During her first year at Wayne State University, she joined the Detroit Red Wings’ Red Patrol and, two years later, the Detroit Tigers’ Rally Cats—fan engagement teams that dance and energize the crowd.

Meanwhile, she was still searching for direction academically. She worked as a medical assistant but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. She switched her major to psychology and graduated in 2023, only to discover that path didn’t quite fit either. What did feel right was performing in front of Detroit’s sports-loving audiences. The experience gave her the courage she had long been searching for.

So when a co-worker who had done in-game hosting for the USPBL at Jimmy John Field (now known as UWM Field) in Utica connected her with an opportunity to sing, Alattar didn’t hesitate.

“I knew if I wanted to be a performer, I would have to get over that fear.”

She sang the national anthem there during the summer of 2024, and just a few months later performed at a Red Wings preseason game. The positive feedback she received—particularly about her confidence—affirmed that she was conquering the dread that once accompanied singing before an audience larger than a high school auditorium.

One performance led to another. Over the past year, Alattar has sung the national anthem at regular-season games for the Red Wings, Detroit Pistons and Detroit Tigers, as well as at the University of Michigan and for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. She even traveled to Arizona last year to perform at MLB spring training.

In addition to her stadium performances, she recorded three original songs and uploaded them to Spotify.

And last April, she graduated with a Master of Science in Human-Centered Design Engineering from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Education holds deep significance in the Alattar family. Her father is an engineer, and her mother is a pharmacist. Two of her brothers are doctors, and one is an engineer. One grandfather was a respected teacher in Baghdad; the other, a prominent lawyer. One grandmother was a science teacher who later became a principal.

Because the performing arts were unfamiliar territory for her family, Alattar largely trained herself vocally and built her own network. But once her family saw her dedication and talent in action, their support only grew—further strengthening her confidence. A few months ago, she even sang during the mother-son dance at her brother’s wedding.

Reflecting on her journey, Alattar remembers receiving a letter she wrote to herself as a freshman at Notre Dame Preparatory High School, mailed after her 2019 graduation. It read:

Dear Future Lily,

Hopefully you have broken out of your anxiety shell and became a confident person. I believe in you. I hope you are on a path to becoming a singer.

At the time, reading it felt disappointing. By 12th grade, she thought she hadn’t accomplished any of those things.

Today, she sees it differently.

Alattar believes this artistic path was part of God’s plan—a result of persistence and consistently showing up for herself.

“If I listened to those who did not think I was good enough, I would never be performing in front of 10,000-plus people today,” she said.

Ultimately, Lily found her voice.

Follow Lily Alattar on IG @lilyalattar and Spotify @LILYA