Interview: Karina Pasian - Singer and Pianist - Page 2

Well, as sad as it may sound, positive messages are hard to find in the current musical landscape, especially for young women. What responsibility do you feel artists should have to make responsible music?

I feel like other artists should be in this because it is what they love and they want to inspire other people through music. Music is really powerful. People listen to music and maybe follow what it says. I feel like my music inspires people and gives them positive messages, gives them songs that they can relate to and hopefully songs that can steer people in the right direction, change people’s lives. Not too long ago, there was this girl who was about to commit suicide and she went to MySpace to leave a message about saying goodbye. She heard "Can’t Bring Me Down" and she changed her mind. Stuff like that is really what I’m in this for – to inspire people through my music.

Wow, that’s really powerful. What do you think the biggest issue is for young teenage girls to combat and overcome?

I feel like many girls try too hard to fit in and do stuff that they think is right, trying to live up to the standards that guys – not all guys, I don’t want to be general – put out there. I feel like girls don’t need to pay attention to that. They need to follow what’s right for them, what they feel is right. I feel like that’s the problem there. They just need to stop trying to be cool.

You recently participated on the Russ Parr Bus Tour. Tell me about the experience. How did you enjoy it?

I enjoyed it a lot, but I had to wake up really early in the morning [laughing]. Every single day, we were on a bus just driving. I love long car rides, though, so it was cool to be able to have that experience and travel to a different city every day and see all the fans that came out. Performance after performance, we would get right back on the bus and hit the road again, so it was definitely a cool experience.

While you were on tour, First Love had yet to be released, although parts of the album were available on your MySpace page. Is there a particular song that the crowd instantly connected with?

Article Author: Clayton Perry

Clayton Perry's mission parallels that of John Hope Franklin, Marcus Garvey and Carter G. Woodson. As the founder of the NUBIANO Project, Perry facilitates the design of projects that give voice to the Black diaspora, empower the Black community, …

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