Danielle Ponder releases debut album

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — On Friday night, rising Rochester singer and songwriter Danielle Ponder released her first album.

The release party happened at the record archive. The album is called “Some of us are Brave.”

Dozens of people showed up to show their support for the Rochester native.

Ponder says she took a leap of faith by leaving her successful day job working in the public defender’s office to devote herself full-time to sharing her powerful voice with the world.

“It’s such an accomplishment, I feel like she’s one of our hometown heroes. I saw her when she was still doing her small shows, when she was just starting out, when she still had her public defender job. I mean it was through this whole transition and I told everyone I knew around the country that something was going to happen…and it is!,” said Heather Gray, a concertgoer.