Balancing grit and heart can be tough sometimes, especially growing up, but a Dixon-born teen has found a way to do it, by tilting the musical scales in her favor, not only helping her on her own journey but inspiring others as well.

At 17, McKenna Faith Winters has already found a place on the country music stage, defining her young career with songs of independence and strength and empathy, singing not only from one girl to another, but to anyone who may be dealing with a tough time in their life.

Winters’ music has painted pictures of heartbreak, betrayal and loss that speak to a generation learning to stand on its own, no matter the challenges — and a lot of people have been listening to what her songs are saying. Seven of the Machesney Park resident’s 14 singles have reached No. 1 on various independent country music charts, not only in the United States but Canada, Australia and New Zealand as well.

Her single “Forgot Your Name” won a Josie Award on Nov. 2 for Modern Country/Pop Country Female Song of the Year.

From the self-reliance of “I Plant My Own” to the fiery takedown in “Pinocchio” to the tender reflection of “Can’t Hug a Memory,” comes a voice steeped in honesty and a heart full of stories far beyond her years. She often travels with her family to Nashville to record her songs and network with fellow country musicians who she looks up to, both personally and professionally.

“I’ve always done it because it’s always made me happy,” Winters said. “I’ve struggled with anxiety growing up, and music’s been something that’s always helped me to cope and relax. I think a lot of these songs of mine have spoken to a lot of other girls, or just anyone, maybe parents going through something or anyone going through a breakup.”

Winters’ journey in music began a few years ago when she started sharing her covers of modern country music songs on social media.

“I was doing a lot of songs by Kelsea Ballerini, Carrie Underwood and Lady A,” Winters said. “Any country artist I grew up on, I did cover songs and started posting them on social media, and that’s how that started growing.”

Her covers caught the ear of people in the industry and that led to networking in Nashville and learning more about the music industry. She’s made connections with writers, producers and support staff who have worked with popular artists such as Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson and Gretchen Wilson.

All that prep work paid off: Her first single — “I’m Doin’ Country Tonight,” in 2023 — hit No. 1, and she’s gone from cover songs to a budding career in country music.

Though her time in Dixon was short — she was born here but the family moved to Rockford when she was 2 — her parents’ roots in the area run deeper. Her mother, Nicole, taught art at Lincoln School in Dixon before Dixon Public Schools cut its elementary art programs in 2010; and her father, Mike, taught and coached boys basketball at Rock Falls High School. Winters said she doesn’t remember much about her time in Dixon, other than seeing her dad’s basketball games.

Another memory of growing up, and one that started her down her own country road, was listening to country music during trips with her parents. Her parents also cultivated her interest by helping her post videos of her songs on social media during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I grew up on it, and so it became my thing, too,” she said. “It’s been a great experience from there.”

In 2023, she attended an event at the Full Circle Music recording studio and music academy in Nashville that set that stage for her to connect with people who would play major roles in her career, such as her producer, Cedric Israel, and songwriters Kelly McKay, Nancy Deckant, Maddie Wilson, Christen Cooper and Karen Kiley.

Her Nashville experiences have paid off in many ways, including a recent opportunity to perform some of her songs on July 8 on a radio show at WSM, Nashville’s AM country music station and founders of the Grand Ole Opry. In addition to “I’m Doin’ Country Tonight,” Winters also has hit No. 1 with seven more songs: “Heart Strings Attached,” “Forgot Your Name,” “Someone You Don’t Deserve,” “Kelce,” “Backbiting,” “One Girl to Another” and “I Plant My Own.”

“Pinocchio” is one of Winters’ latest songs, released Sept. 19. Written by Cooper and Kiley, it tells the story of a guy who can’t be trusted — someone whose deception is as obvious as the nose of the fairy-tale character’s face.

“Pinocchio is about a guy who’s a liar,” Winters said. “You know with Pinocchio, his nose always grows when he lies. It’s about a liar, cheater and a guy who did you wrong, and it can just speak to you because you shouldn’t let a guy make you feel that way.”

“I Plant My Own” is one of her favorite songs, she said. Written by McKay, Deckant and Wilson, the song is about finding strength and self-reliance after a breakup, when the hurt still lingers even after that anger has faded.

“‘I Plant My Own’ is about a relationship that ended, but you’re not mad, you’re more upset about it,” Winters said. “You’re just looking back on the memories and everything that happened. My favorite line is, ‘You used to be the one to bring me flowers, but now I plant my own.’ That’s kind of the hook of it. A lot of girls my age go through things like that with breakups and relationships that don’t end the way they want it to.”

Winters has also penned her own experiences into music. Growing up, she had a strong relationship with her grandfather, Don Martinetti, who died when McKenna was in grade school. While it took her a few years to put those memories into music, the reflections resulted in “Can’t Hug a Memory,” released in 2023 and co-written by Cory Barker, who has also penned tunes for artists such as Vince Gill, Tracy Lawrence and Darryl Worley.

The song gave her a chance to turn grief into a lasting tribute, blending heartfelt lyrics with a universal message of remembrance.

“It’s about memories you made with them, and the hook is ‘I can’t hug a memory,’ so you’re just looking back on those memories and wishing that they were here with you,” she said.

Winters has a few more songs ready to record later this fall in Nashville, and is working on an album with Rick Barker, who was one of Taylor Swift’s first managers. It’s all balanced with her senior year studies at Harlem High School in Machesney Park, where she also plays on the Huskies’ softball team in the spring, and plays travel softball in the off-season.

With both parents being teachers — Mike now at Harlem High and Nicole now at Washington Elementary in Rockford — it’s helped keep McKenna’s mind on her studies even as her country music career has taken off.

“With school and music, my family’s made time for it, and they’ve been amazing with being able to take me everywhere,” Winters said. “I make room for music, and make sure I have time for my friends and sports, too.”

Finding that balance hasn’t always been easy. McKenna was shy growing up and struggled with anxiety and moments of self-doubt, but she found inspiration from a fellow artist, Avery Anna, who she’s known since her first trips to Nashville. One day, Anna hosted a chat on Instagram Live and Winters opened up to her about her thoughts.

Anna’s advice resulted in advice that has carried her throughout her career.

“If you love it, you’ve just got to keep doing it,” Winters recalled. “Don’t let anyone stop you, or let anyone’s hurtful words online stop you. People are going to say what they want to say, and they’re going to hate if they want, but if you love it, you just got to keep doing it.”

Which is just what she did.

At first, McKenna found it hard to break into the business due to her age, but her perseverance paid off. She got more gigs, started recording, and even found that her own story was helping others turn the page on trying times in their own lives. The journey was already starting to come full circle for the young performer who had found her own strength in music.

“Meeting people after shows and them telling me their stories, and how much they appreciate me is what I appreciate most,” Winters said. “I posted ‘Can’t Hug a Memory’ on my social media and someone was telling me how they lost their husband, and how a song like this can really help you grieve and get through all of those hard times.”

Mike helps McKenna with her social media and booking, keeping fans updated with developments in her music and letting them know where she’ll be playing next. She performs with a backup band, and her touring schedule is centered on the area close to the Illinois-Wisconsin border, though she has played a few gigs in Nashville.

Dad’s support system with her publicity has been vital as McKenna continues to grow her presence in the country scene. Watching her transformation from a shy student to a confident performer has been especially rewarding.

“She was a pretty quiet kid in high school and terrified about getting up and giving a speech and everything, so for her to do what she’s doing with radio interviews and performing live shows is pretty impressive,” Mike said. “It’s pretty incredible to see it, especially when you think about where you were at as a high school student and being pretty quiet.”

As Winters looks ahead, she’s mindful of how far she’s already come, growing from a quiet kid with small-town roots into an artist finding her place in the music world, her performances and interviews helping her gain momentum far beyond her hometown, building a fan base both at home and around the world.

“It’s a great experience to get on these radio stations and become No. 1, from independent radio stations in the U.S., Canada, Australia and even New Zealand,” Winters said. “It’s amazing how you can start your journey like that, and these radio plays have helped me so much throughout my career. It’s really been an amazing experience being able to be a part of that.”

Find McKenna Faith Winters on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, or go to mckennafaithwinters.com to learn more about the Dixon native’s country music career, and for a concert schedule