Syesha Mercado was barefoot in a garden when we caught up with her, surrounded by fruit trees and enjoying the outdoors. It was a fitting setting for a singer whose life has taken turns since millions of Americans watched her compete on “American Idol.”

In 2008, the Booker High School graduate—who now goes solely by Syesha—finished third on the show's seventh season, launching a career that would take her across the country and onto Broadway. She played Deena Jones in a touring production of Dreamgirls and, later, Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon, building a career that extended beyond the television competition that made her famous.

Today, at 39, Syesha and her family are back home in Sarasota, where she's channeling her creative energy into children's education, music and nature. Through her initiatives Sing2theChildren and CocoRootz, she's developing songs, books and outdoor experiences to help young people learn, build confidence and connect with the natural world.

And she's hardly finished performing.

On Thursday, Nov. 5, Syesha will headline “Ladies of Soul,” a concert celebrating the music of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Anita Baker at the Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota. For Syesha, whose earliest musical ambitions were shaped by some of those very voices, it's an opportunity to reconnect with her hometown audience.

We spoke about life after “American Idol,” the challenges of Broadway, her evolving definition of success and the surprising role a Toyota Corolla played in her singing career.

For people who remember you from "American Idol" but haven't kept up with you since, who is Syesha in 2026?

"I'm a more evolved version. I’m moving through life with more boundaries, clarity, intention, focus [and] wisdom that naturally comes from lived experiences.

"I’m an artist, an educator, a mother, a nature enthusiast and a woman who has grown to define success on my own terms. Music has always been at the heart of my life, but my artistry has expanded into creating educational resources, and children's music and experiences that nurture connection and creativity.

"I'm still very much an artist, but today I am equally inspired by what I can create that will live beyond me."

You grew up in this area and attended Booker High School. What did Sarasota give you as a young performer that has stayed with you on bigger stages?

"Sarasota gave me a place I can come home to. Attending Booker High instilled within me an important message that I still carry: success is when preparation meets opportunity.

"Growing up here shaped my relationship with the arts, and it taught me the importance of community. No matter what stage I stand on, I always carry those roots with me. There's something special about returning to the place where your journey began and being able to share that growth with the community that helped shape you."

In a 2012 Playbill interview, you talked about losing touch with your artistic identity after "American Idol." What helped you find it again?

"I learned that singing someone else's songs and making them your own is a skill. You have to go into a deep meditation to allow your heart and soul to connect with the frequency of the music. You have to allow it to speak to you, and that's how you bring authenticity to the music while honoring the original artist.

"Over time, I became more intentional about trusting my own voice and allowing my experiences, my perspective and my interpretation to come through."

What's something about working on Broadway that would surprise people who only see the finished performance?

"I think people may be surprised by just how collaborative a Broadway production is. There can be six or more directors! 

"It's many people working behind the scenes. There are directors and creative leaders involved in one show alongside the music team, the choreographers, stage managers and more. It’s teamwork magnified, and you have to be open to receiving direction from multiple people, sometimes with very different perspectives.

"You have to learn how to incorporate that feedback while staying connected to the heart of what got you the part in the first place.

"You're serving someone else's creative vision, which requires you to be adaptable while also remaining grounded in your own artistic identity."

This concert honors Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Anita Baker. Which of these women has had the greatest influence on you, and why?

"I would say Aretha Franklin. To me, her voice was the embodiment of pure soul.

In the past, she was my go-to for audition songs. In 2008, I did a competition called Florida Super Singer where I won my first car: a 2007 Toyota Corolla that I ended up giving away. For that competition, my audition song was 'Chain of Fools,' and my performance song was 'Think.' And then we move on to “American Idol,” and my audition song was more Aretha Franklin." 

When you look at the ambitions you had at 21, how has your definition of success changed?

"At 21, success may have looked more like achievements, opportunities, reaching certain milestones, like getting a certain part and then moving to this specific city, and then auditioning for these specific genres of television and film and movies. My way of thinking back then was 'I am going to take whatever opportunity comes my way and use it as a stepping stone.'

"But today, I value opportunity as a beautiful gift I have the power to create. Today I value peace, presence and purpose, and the freedom to create a life that feels aligned with who I am. I still have ambitions, but I no longer measure success only by what I accomplish or how the world sees me."

You've been putting much of your energy into children's education. Tell us about Sing2theChildren and CocoRootz.

"People have asked me, 'Are you still singing?' And I tell them I sing every day.

"I live outside and I sleep inside. From the time I get up, my intention is to put my feet on the earth with my children, to get outside and connect with nature. Everything that I do with my children, I incorporate song.

"Nowadays, much of my focus is on creating the soundtrack for the next generation through Sing to the Children. I founded the initiative to use music as a tool for education, literacy and empowerment.

"I've created a growing collection of original songs. We have chants, affirmations, and they're all designed to support children's learning, their self-expression and a healthy identity. We teach core values, and my vision is to complete a full album that children and families can sing along to, carrying these songs into their homes, classrooms and everyday life.

"I also founded CocoRootz. The message is that nature is the culture. We help close the nature gap by connecting children and families, particularly in Newtown, with nature, creativity and wellness. CocoRootz is where I implemented the Sing to the Children song curriculum, bringing music and nature-based education together for meaningful hands-on learning experiences, especially in the garden."

And this is happening at a community garden in Sarasota?

"Yes, on Orange Avenue. There are papayas out here, there's a moringa tree, citrus, ginger, we have a whole fruit forest. We're starting to grow some herbs. It's our little safe haven out here."

Sarasota even gave you your own day: May 8, Syesha Mercado Day. Did you ever figure out how you're supposed to celebrate it?

"Yes! By just celebrating everything that I love: art, music and nature.

"The last time we celebrated it, I had local artists come out to share their music, their art, visual art. I encouraged people to take their shoes off, get comfortable, put their feet on the earth and just enjoy fellowship and community. This was at MLK Park. The mayor came out and gave me a plaque for my contribution in connecting nature and the arts within the community.

"The vision is to utilize that day for everyone to come together within the community, get outside, enjoy fresh air, sunshine, connecting to the earth and each other."

Will Sarasota be seeing more of you onstage after "Ladies of Soul?"

"Yes. We have the Nov. 5 show, and that's an opportunity to reconnect with audiences through the music we love, while bringing my own artistry to the experience. I look forward to continuing to share that with Sarasota, my hometown, while also building something meaningful for the next generation. For me, life is the stage." 

A Tribute to The Ladies of Soul is Thursday, Nov. 5 at 3975 Fruitville Road in Sarasota. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35. To keep up with Syesha and learn more, click here.