The expectation of A Levels, university and a well-paid job is unshakable for most teenagers. For 18-year-old Mia Rozelaar, this was never going to be an option.

Under the stage name Mia Power, she would rather follow in the footsteps of Amy Winehouse, dreaming of becoming the next big thing in the world of pop music. With the release of her debut single this week, she might be on her way.

Ms Power, from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, is currently searching for a record company after launching her career after releasing the song Far Away on Monday.

She hopes to achieve the same success as Ms Winehouse, a fellow Brit School graduate.

“Amy Winehouse really inspires me,” Ms Power said. “I think her music and her lyrics are everything I aspire to be like.”

Dropping out of Yavneh College at the age of 16, Ms Power successfully applied to the famous Brit School in Croydon. She said: “A Jewish girl from North West London doesn’t just go off to Croydon to study music. Yavneh wanted me to take my A Levels but when you’re that passionate about something, nothing anyone says is going to stop you.

“I got in and studied there for two years. It was the best two years of my life. I learnt everything about everything. Just before I left, I got in touch with a music producer who was trying to develop new artists and write new material for them. From there I’ve released my first single.”

Far Away, produced by Sikeyo, has been released independently on Spotify and iTunes, where Ms Power hopes to attract the attention of the major record labels.

With no official manager, she considers herself lucky to have the support of her family.

“I think my parents want me to do well because I’m their child but they obviously want me to do well because it’s my career.

"Any other Jewish family would not let their child not go to university and pursue a music career. My family have got a certain pressure on them because everyone else my age is at university. I think they feel a bit looked down upon."

She continued: “A lot of my friends don’t understand the process. They think you go to the Brit School and next day you walk out and, boom, you’re Adele. It doesn’t work like that. It’s about graft. I’m only 18 but I can also see how much hard work it’s going to be.”

Looking to the future, Ms Power is aiming to release more original music as well as her first album: “I’m working on my next tracks already. After my EP is hopefully released, it will be more performances, more exposure and hopefully performing on bigger stages, singing to people and making them feel what I feel when I perform.”