An Interview with Lauren Carney
We recently interviewed a teen singer/pianist/performer for the Cliché Teen Journal Interview Blog page.
Read about the interview below!
*A conversation between Anna L. and Lauren Carney, a 13 year old singer/pianist/performer.*
Question 1: When did you first start singing or playing your musical instrument?
Lauren: When I was basically born, I was singing. Singing was a thing in my family because my mom sang my aunt sang my dad sang and my brother did as well. I started playing trumpet in the fifth grade and piano a little under a year ago. I’ve been pretty successful with trumpet and piano.
Question 2: What’s your favorite genre of music to play?
Lauren: I really enjoy playing classic rock. In band we don’t do a lot of that,so that is why I chose jazz band as well in my school. I love theatrical songs like songs from Annie and RENT. I LOVE the Beatles and Queen and all of the oldies. Classic rock is my happy place basically. I really like Billie Eilish which is , I guess, alternative rock. Rock and roll dude. That’s where it’s at. I can perform Whitney Houston and stuff like that but it’s harder.
Question 3: What artist would you say inspire you?
Lauren: Um, that’s a hard one. I have a lot of famed people that inspire me but the on top godly figure in my life is probably going to have to be Freddie Mercury. He’s very very very inspiring and I think he’s getting forgotten with the new generations. He didn’t care about what people thought of him, he lived in the moment, thought of great songs, didn’t let one bad thing get him down, performed to many without nerve, and blocked out the haters with a simple AOH. His vocals and power with the crowd inspired many and impacted many. He was also gay. Freely gay, that is. He really inspired me to be who I wanna be and letting people take me down isn’t the way to go.
Question 4: How do you feel when you play music?
Lauren: When I play music the feeling is indescribable! Music just does things to people that are crazy and unbelievable. I really get into it and I close my eyes and head bang to a rock song and cry to a sad one. If there’s a happy song on, it changes my day into a happy day. There have been many moments in my life when I would be playing a sad song and it would make me come to tears and my mom would say that is a very moving performance. The song moved me. Every time I listen to a song it moves me. Every time I’m without a song I can’t think right. When I perform the energy that rushes through me is wonderful and you feel connected with every person standing before you. It’s a magical feeling, really.
Question 5: What qualities do you believe a good musician should posses?
Lauren: A good musician? That’s a difficult one to answer. You need to have your basics and you need to be able to sing good. That is basically a big thing of stinging you have to be able to sing good you can’t sing pleasingly and the audience is not gonna want to listen to you. You would also want to find your own style if you don’t have your own style and you just sound like everyone else no one is going to want to listen to you because they’re all going to say I’ve heard this before. But I think the thing that goes on spoken with singing is your performance. If you don’t perform good and you don’t connect with your audience they’re not going to enjoy it. Audiences want to feel the music they want to be in the music with you and you seem to drag them in if you can’t do that and then They can enjoy it.
Question 6: What is your goal in the musical career pathway?
Lauren: My goal the music career pathway is probably getting big you know like getting famous. Fame is probably my main strive. But I think that is everyone’s goal as a singer. I want to be able to perform to a huge audience and be able to conquer a crowd in like a talent show maybe like American Idol or something. If I can’t do any of that in the famous world is too full , I would want to move on and just record maybe little soundtracks for my family or small fandom.
Question 7: Who is your biggest supporter when it comes to your music?
Lauren: My biggest supporter is probably my mom. She’s always telling me ways to get better always telling me ways to capture the audience and perform. She is part of the audience so she can tell me how she would react to a performer and she would tell me if I’m bad or need a little work. She’s very supportive and she helps me run my Instagram and Facebook and everything else and helps me get out there. She shows my videos to her friends, she tags me in things and she helps me get from place to place for talent searches and such.
Question 8: What is the best advice you have ever received regarding music?
Lauren: When I was about to arrive onstage, my choral teacher said just breathe and sing. I had that in the back of my head at that performance and at every performance from now on. It had affected me so much and I breathe and sing every time I perform even if it’s just in front of the mirror. I’ve gotten advice from my friend Madi Scarvelli to just do it. Just go up there and do it. These things have stayed with me
Question 9: Do you find it hard to juggle school and music, if so what advice do you have about it?
Lauren: It can be hard especially if you are trying to manage an album or something big. I would say if you have a successful album that brought some fame and your parents are ok with it, start online school where you can bring a laptop and check stuff online while you are on the go. This obviously hasn’t happened for me but it has for close friends. If you are stressed over school and music and you know for a fact your parents won’t let you go homeschooled then drop some music because school is very important and will probably impact you more than music will. I’m not saying forget about music but just focus a little harder on school until you have things under control. I don’t personally find it hard, and you caught me on a busy week aha but it can get tough, but I just keep going.
Question 10: What advice would you give to a young musician who wants to purse music?
Lauren: Um keep going sweetheart. The road is tough but there’s always someone who loves you enough to help you through it. Music is one of the most beautiful things and if you have the capability to display talent and musical anything, do it. Don’t drop it and say oh this isn’t cool or oh I don’t think I’ll get far. Just ask Katy Perry. She performed at the same coffee shop for so many years until her breakthrough of fame. Things may not go right for everyone but you still have a voice and you can become famous in your community. Who knows? Maybe there is a little boy or girl aspiring to be just like you. Keep going, never stop.
Anna: Thank you for taking this interview! Do you have anything else to add?
Lauren: Be you!!! I can’t stress that enough. For anyone reading this, don’t be fake. Be who you are. If you act like everyone else you won’t get anywhere. If you like to play piano and stand up and really feel the music, do it. If you like to be exuberant and crazy when performing, do it. If you are super emotional and want to display that to an audience, do it. Be you cause nobody else can get the job done quite like you.
Lauren's Instagram: @laurencovers___
Click button below!!!
Lauren: When I was basically born, I was singing. Singing was a thing in my family because my mom sang my aunt sang my dad sang and my brother did as well. I started playing trumpet in the fifth grade and piano a little under a year ago. I’ve been pretty successful with trumpet and piano.
Question 2: What’s your favorite genre of music to play?
Lauren: I really enjoy playing classic rock. In band we don’t do a lot of that,so that is why I chose jazz band as well in my school. I love theatrical songs like songs from Annie and RENT. I LOVE the Beatles and Queen and all of the oldies. Classic rock is my happy place basically. I really like Billie Eilish which is , I guess, alternative rock. Rock and roll dude. That’s where it’s at. I can perform Whitney Houston and stuff like that but it’s harder.
Question 3: What artist would you say inspire you?
Lauren: Um, that’s a hard one. I have a lot of famed people that inspire me but the on top godly figure in my life is probably going to have to be Freddie Mercury. He’s very very very inspiring and I think he’s getting forgotten with the new generations. He didn’t care about what people thought of him, he lived in the moment, thought of great songs, didn’t let one bad thing get him down, performed to many without nerve, and blocked out the haters with a simple AOH. His vocals and power with the crowd inspired many and impacted many. He was also gay. Freely gay, that is. He really inspired me to be who I wanna be and letting people take me down isn’t the way to go.
Question 4: How do you feel when you play music?
Lauren: When I play music the feeling is indescribable! Music just does things to people that are crazy and unbelievable. I really get into it and I close my eyes and head bang to a rock song and cry to a sad one. If there’s a happy song on, it changes my day into a happy day. There have been many moments in my life when I would be playing a sad song and it would make me come to tears and my mom would say that is a very moving performance. The song moved me. Every time I listen to a song it moves me. Every time I’m without a song I can’t think right. When I perform the energy that rushes through me is wonderful and you feel connected with every person standing before you. It’s a magical feeling, really.
Question 5: What qualities do you believe a good musician should posses?
Lauren: A good musician? That’s a difficult one to answer. You need to have your basics and you need to be able to sing good. That is basically a big thing of stinging you have to be able to sing good you can’t sing pleasingly and the audience is not gonna want to listen to you. You would also want to find your own style if you don’t have your own style and you just sound like everyone else no one is going to want to listen to you because they’re all going to say I’ve heard this before. But I think the thing that goes on spoken with singing is your performance. If you don’t perform good and you don’t connect with your audience they’re not going to enjoy it. Audiences want to feel the music they want to be in the music with you and you seem to drag them in if you can’t do that and then They can enjoy it.
Question 6: What is your goal in the musical career pathway?
Lauren: My goal the music career pathway is probably getting big you know like getting famous. Fame is probably my main strive. But I think that is everyone’s goal as a singer. I want to be able to perform to a huge audience and be able to conquer a crowd in like a talent show maybe like American Idol or something. If I can’t do any of that in the famous world is too full , I would want to move on and just record maybe little soundtracks for my family or small fandom.
Question 7: Who is your biggest supporter when it comes to your music?
Lauren: My biggest supporter is probably my mom. She’s always telling me ways to get better always telling me ways to capture the audience and perform. She is part of the audience so she can tell me how she would react to a performer and she would tell me if I’m bad or need a little work. She’s very supportive and she helps me run my Instagram and Facebook and everything else and helps me get out there. She shows my videos to her friends, she tags me in things and she helps me get from place to place for talent searches and such.
Question 8: What is the best advice you have ever received regarding music?
Lauren: When I was about to arrive onstage, my choral teacher said just breathe and sing. I had that in the back of my head at that performance and at every performance from now on. It had affected me so much and I breathe and sing every time I perform even if it’s just in front of the mirror. I’ve gotten advice from my friend Madi Scarvelli to just do it. Just go up there and do it. These things have stayed with me
Question 9: Do you find it hard to juggle school and music, if so what advice do you have about it?
Lauren: It can be hard especially if you are trying to manage an album or something big. I would say if you have a successful album that brought some fame and your parents are ok with it, start online school where you can bring a laptop and check stuff online while you are on the go. This obviously hasn’t happened for me but it has for close friends. If you are stressed over school and music and you know for a fact your parents won’t let you go homeschooled then drop some music because school is very important and will probably impact you more than music will. I’m not saying forget about music but just focus a little harder on school until you have things under control. I don’t personally find it hard, and you caught me on a busy week aha but it can get tough, but I just keep going.
Question 10: What advice would you give to a young musician who wants to purse music?
Lauren: Um keep going sweetheart. The road is tough but there’s always someone who loves you enough to help you through it. Music is one of the most beautiful things and if you have the capability to display talent and musical anything, do it. Don’t drop it and say oh this isn’t cool or oh I don’t think I’ll get far. Just ask Katy Perry. She performed at the same coffee shop for so many years until her breakthrough of fame. Things may not go right for everyone but you still have a voice and you can become famous in your community. Who knows? Maybe there is a little boy or girl aspiring to be just like you. Keep going, never stop.
Anna: Thank you for taking this interview! Do you have anything else to add?
Lauren: Be you!!! I can’t stress that enough. For anyone reading this, don’t be fake. Be who you are. If you act like everyone else you won’t get anywhere. If you like to play piano and stand up and really feel the music, do it. If you like to be exuberant and crazy when performing, do it. If you are super emotional and want to display that to an audience, do it. Be you cause nobody else can get the job done quite like you.
Lauren's Instagram: @laurencovers___
Click button below!!!