Connecticut Families: Guilford 10-year-old perseveres with music career after death of her father, a Yale police officer
Remy Adair, just 10 years old, wrote a song called 'See You Soon.'
9-year-old singer-songwriter provides comfort when performing her special songs
The piece has taken on new meaning in the last two months since the tragic and unexpected loss of her father, longtime Yale Police Officer Greg Swiantek.
'I would be playing a song, and he'd be like, 'Yeah, keep doing that; that song is great,'' she remembered. 'I would just look over at him and smile and just keep playing my song.'
Swiantek was the biggest cheerleader of his daughter's budding music career, which she wasn't sure she could continue after his death.
But her mom urged her to maintain a sense of normalcy.
Public wake for Yale officer who died during his shift held Tuesday
She also supported her through a recent Battle of the Bands at Toad's Place in New Haven.
'I got up on that stage, and I had most of my friends there with me,' Remy said. 'Then, I didn't think about anything but that music.'
'The outpouring that came from the Yale community, so many people showed up, Greg's co-workers, Greg's friends,' her mom Michelle said.
Singing 'See You Soon,' Remy won a round and then moved on to the finals, taking second place in the competition.
'Being runner-up was the most best thing that happened in my life so far,' Remy said.
'It's crazy to see her up on stage because when she's in her element, her moment, it's kind of like he's still there,' Michelle said, referring to her ex-husband, Greg.
New Haven restaurant brews special beer in honor of Yale Police Officer Greg Swiantek
Swiantek's belongings adorn Remy's studio.
'That's his honor guard hat, and that's just his police hat,' Remy said, pointing to her baby picture stuck on the inside of the hat. 'I'll never forget the day he cut it out and put it in the hat,' Michelle said.
Remy inherited her musical talent from her father.
'He could pick up any instrument, any instrument at all, and play it,' Michelle said.
The young girl will move forward bravely in his honor, thinking about the outpouring of love she's received and her bright future shaped by a loving dad.
'This resembles how hard he tried to do everything and how hard he tried to keep everyone safe, never unhappy,' Remy said. Follow Remy on Instagram (@RemyAdair) to see where she will appear around Connecticut this summer.
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