Terri Fletcher (
Hilary Duff) is a small town girl with big time dreams. Blessed with a naturally joyful singing voice, Terri has her sights set on attending the Bristol-Hillman Conservatory in Los Angeles - the most celebrated summer music program in the country. Although she has plenty of raw talent, her lofty aspirations are quickly dashed by her overbearing father, Simon (
David Keith), and the tragic loss of her beloved brother, Paul (
Jason Ritter), who had secretly submitted a demo video of Terri that results in an acceptance letter to join the prestigious program.
A despondent Terri resigns herself to staying home for the summer when her mother Frances (Rita Wilson) and Aunt Nina (Rebecca De Mornay) intervene and covertly devise a plan to keep her from missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.
Upon her arrival in Los Angeles, Terri is quickly introduced to the ultra-competitive, high-stakes environment of the big city. Lacking any formal training, she struggles to make friends and to find her voice amongst the highly-gifted group of musical students. Mentored by Mr. Torvald (John Corbett), Terri pushes herself to prepare for her final performance, which will determine the winner of the school's $10,000 academic scholarship.