ARCANUM — Nine-year-old Mora Menzie, daughter of Sara and Jake Menzie of Arcanum, recently sang the National Anthem at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus at the OHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals game.

A third-grade student at Arcanum Elementary, she was asked by Jerry Snodgrass, assistant commissioner of OHSAA, to perform.

“Mora sang at the Versailles basketball game and was recommended to Jerry Snodgrass,” said her mother, the former Sara Peters.

It wasn’t Mora’s first appearance, however. She has done school talent shows at St. Matthew’s in Gahanna, when the family lived in the Columbus area, and had competed in the Kids Got Talent show in Columbus last year, and was selected among the top 20 out of 100 to compete in the Arnold Classic talent show.

She will be singing at an underclass all-star game in Urbana on Thursday at the request of Jim Dabbelt, and, this summer, Mora is scheduled to perform during the local National Tractor Pulls put on by family friends, the Bargas.

The Menzies had just moved back to this area from Columbus to be closer to family.

In addition to Mora, they have three sons, Bohdan, 7, Pete, 5, and Shepard, 2.

Mora, granddaughter of Bob and Donna Peters and Tony and Laurie Menzie, said she has always liked to sing.

“I love to talk and I love musical shows, like the ‘Sound of Music,’” she said.

“Her Grandpa [Bob] Peters called her Chatterbox from the time she was tiny,” Sara said.

Mora, who has done ballet, tap and acro, said pop is her favorite genre of music. She has finished basketball at school and will be starting softball this summer. And, it’s her first year in 4-H. She is a new member of the Darke County Sheep and Lamb Club and will be showing sheep.

Was she nervous when she sang the National Anthem in Columbus?

“Sorta,” Mora said. “I’m fine when there are a million people out there. When there are only 12, I freak out.”

So, she has bigger plans. “I really want to go on ‘The Voice,’” she said.

In the meantime, she will keep on doing what she does…sing.

“A few years ago at Christmas, my Uncle Scott [also her godfather], got me a huge speaker with a microphone,” Mora said. “This year, he made built me a big stage in my room, with mirrors all around.”

Those wanting to hear her sing the National Anthem can go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ULWG7Kkgyk&sns=em