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KENDRA'SZABO' KENDRA WORSNUP Journalist+
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Writer/Editor/Designer
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! ! Who!is!Kendra!Szabo?! -A journalist striving to maintain high standards in balance, fairness and accuracy, while working in a time-efficient manner -Lover of the art of telling a story and covering the news in an accurate but fresh and compelling way. -Morning Edition Producer at KJZZ -Journalism Student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, set to graduate in May 2014. -Also a student of Justice Studies at ASU. -Formerly, Kendra Worsnup. Married in June 2013. -Woodcarver and sometimes beekeeper
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Website: kendraszabo.com Twitter: @kendraszabo Instagram: @kendraszabo Facebook: /kendraleighw !
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Phoenix(community(gardens(help(fight(hunger( ( By:!Kendra!Szabo! September!13,!2013(
( Long(form(so(please(look(here:(
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20130912phoenixBcommunityBgardensB fightBhunger.html(
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According to the Downtown Devil website, “The Downtown Devil is an online publication dedicated to providing news quickly, accurately and completely to students of Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus and the surrounding community…The Downtown Devil is owned and operated solely by students at ASU. The publication is owned by five students of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication who, along with a staff of more than 80 students, handle the business and editorial sides of the Downtown Devil.” I began reporting for the Downtown Devil in 2011. That fall, I wrote the following stories: A guide to holiday gift-buying in Phoenix Social work professor awarded funding for programs on sex trafficking Phoenix mayor and mayor-elect hold public discussion to address city issues Showcase lets broadcast journalism students share their work Heard Museum pays tribute to southwestern artists at Spanish Market I took a break from writing for the Downtown Devil in the spring when I moved to Seattle for an internship. Starting in August 2012, I resumed my relationship with the Downtown Devil. I occasionally report news articles, but my biggest project is starting and maintaining the Downtown Devil fashion blog, A Tailored Place, which I now write, edit, and manage, including the management of five junior reporters. Articles from this semester: DIY beauty boutique on Roosevelt Row helps customers create personalized scents Growhouse brings gardening, community together Some short articles on A Tailored place: Tailored looks at TaylorFest Student Spotlight: Thuy An Bui Johnny Cupcakes Coffin Tour comes to Phoenix Revera—truly signature scents downtowndevil.com/author/kworsnup, fashion.downtowndevil.com, downtowndevil.com
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Growhouse brings community, gardening together http://downtowndevil.com/2012/09/20/30512/downtown-growhouse-beekeeping/
By: Kendra Worsnup September 20, 2012 A downtown beekeeping hub buzzes with activity on Sunday as community members gather to plant in Growhouse’s garden. Growhouse, a nonprofit community garden blooming with greens and opportunity, sits on the southwest corner of Garfield and Sixth streets. Every Sunday, Growhouse opens up gardening as an option for the community. From 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. during the summer and 10 a.m. until noon starting in October, people can come to weed the gardens, prepare the space for planting and plant vegetables. “Being outside on Sunday is what keeps me sane,” said Kenny Barrett, program manager for the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation. “It’s good for the soul to be outside once a week.” The event brings out people from all different backgrounds who come for various reasons. “We meet the coolest people here,” Barrett added. Stephanie Terrell, a Tempe woman, participated after hearing about the event from the volunteer page of her employer, Wells Fargo. “It brings up this neighborhood,” Terrell said. “I grew up here and it was nothing to look at.” A different group slightly outside of the gardening community is responsible for another facet of Growhouse. This past spring, PBS approached Growhouse about starting beehives for their show SciGirls, which encourages young girls to pursue knowledge and involvement in sciences. PBS gave maintaining the beehives as a challenge for three girls from the Bioscience High School in Phoenix. The taping of the show occurred throughout the month of March and, since then, Growhouse has kept the bees. “It’s pretty easy,” Barrett said. “The basil is blooming right now and they are all over that.” Currently, though, the beekeeping is at a halt. Growhouse does not have the funds for the extractor needed to retrieve the honey, but Barrett still cleans the hives once a week, checking for disease or problems with the honeybees. J uan Sanchez brought his son, Emilio, and Emilio’s best friend, Israel Rubalcava, for gardening at Growhouse to meet community service requirements for their eighth grade social studies class. “We like to be able to help the community and plant things while getting our hours,” Emilio said. Growhouse is helping out by creating a network that is close yet still open to new joiners. Alex Novak, a sophomore studying sustainability at ASU and an intern with Roosevelt
Row CDC, values gardening as “an essential tool to know”, particularly here in downtown. “This area has a very tight-knit group of people, and I think they’re all fantastic,” Novak said. In addition, the vegetables grown by Growhouse are sold to a chef from Scottsdale restaurant FnB, which provides the necessary funds for water and supplies at the garden, according to Barrett. “You know the community is getting fresh food,” Terrell said. Walking by, the aroma of basil floats in the air along with the soft sound of the buzzing bees. Growhouse is more than meets the eye — a beekeeping hub, living space, partner with GROWop (a for-profit clothing store), host of private garden plots available to rent and a community garden. Growhouse offers more than one way to get your gardening fix. It recently made private gardening readily available to the community, renting its plots on a month-bymonth basis. “Collectively, it makes something really neat,” Barrett said. There are currently two plots available for the public to rent. Each plot is available for $10 per month. More spots can be carved out of the community garden if private renting becomes a high demand, Barrett added. Currently, there are several private renters, including the National Organization for Women, who have planted the basil that lines the eastern edge of the property. “I think urban farming is super important,” Novak said. “I think it’s really important that a city can sustain itself, especially in a place like Phoenix. This is an oasis in our downtown desert. It’s nice especially for the people who live here.” In addition, Growhouse partners with the for-profit store GROWop, which is also helping the community. “GROWop provides business opportunities for local artists,” Barrett said. “It’s an incubator space for that.” Barrett talked of ideas for Growhouse in the future, including a garden and/or grocery store to further utilize the space. One thing is certain. Whether it is through providing a space for local designers to sell their merchandise, offering plots to gardeners, creating opportunities to garden with your community, or being involved in the beekeeping process, Growhouse is definitely helping the community. “There’s no point in living in a community if you’re not going to participate and benefit from what it has,” Novak said.
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DIY beauty boutique on Roosevelt Row helps customers create personalized scents http://downtowndevil.com/2012/09/12/30108/phoenix-diy-revera-perfume-shop/
By: Kendra Worsnup September 12, 2012 Harold Studio offers rental space to serious jewelry makers and classes for those seeking to learn the trade. Above all, it provides an opportunity for customers to take creativity into their own hands.
While name-brand products may never go out of style, one recent trend might present some healthy competition: the opportunity to make your own. Revera Beauty is a boutique located on Roosevelt Row near Sixth Street that allows you to create your own custom perfume alongside owners Violet Brand and Susan Kerr.
“We’ve lost this so much,” Brand said of the DIY experience. “People swing by and pick up a microwave dinner on the way home. We give people an opportunity to get away from that.”
“A custom perfume is really unique,” Brand said. “Different scents smell different on different people. The same perfume will smell different on Susan than on me, and it will smell different on me than it does on you.”
The DIY trend isn’t limited to Phoenix. Several shops are cropping up elsewhere, including the U-Fix-It Centerin Tempe, which offers customers the tools to repair their own cars, and theBrush Bar in Scottsdale, which provides materials (and wine) for customers to come in and create their own art. Dippity Do Dog in Chandler provides the facilities for a self-service dog wash, and almost everyone is familiar with self-serve yogurt, where customers can assemble their own desserts.
The perfumes made at Revera are made with all-natural essential oils and products, and ingredients are farmed, not harvested in the wild. “It makes you feel good,” Brand said. “You wouldn’t feel good after playing in a chemical plant, but you would after playing in a field of flowers.”
“Everyone is so saturated with whatever media culture is, and they want to get into being who they want to be, rather than who corporations tell them to be,” Kerr said. “Humans, since we were cavemen, receive pleasure and happiness when we do something ourselves.”
Making customized perfume at Revera is done by appointment only and takes about an hour and a half. “It’s a lot more work, but the product people go home with is so much better, and the overall experience is so much better,” Kerr said.
Revera charges $150 for a 50 mL bottle of custom perfume that can be personally engraved for no additional charge.
Kerr attributes the enhanced experience to customers’ desire to participate in creative expression. It is this creative expression that is driving more and more do-it-yourself shops to open in Arizona.
“It’s expensive to buy (essential) oils at the store, so if you want to make a perfume with 30 different constituents, then ‘Oh crap!’ All of a sudden you’re spending a lot for one perfume and you better hope it smells good,” Brand said.
In addition to Revera, Harold Studio is another DIY shop in Phoenix. Located on McDowell Road and First Avenue, Harold Studio provides equipment and supplies for customers to make custom jewelry.
Revera also offers classes on perfume making for larger groups. If DIY is not for you, Revera sells premade perfumes that start at $65. The shop also sells bath milk, lip balms, scented candles and other products.
“It’s more about the experience,” owner Johanna Ingram said. “There’s a sentiment behind it. It’s pretty therapeutic, and there’s the social aspect, as well.”
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A guide to holiday gift-buying in Phoenix http://downtowndevil.com/2011/12/08/18344/phoenix-downtown-holiday-shopping-guide/
By: Kendra Worsnup December 8, 2011 Holiday shopping is a daunting task that even the bravest of shoppers tend to wrestle with.
Bunky Boutique Address: 1437 N. First Street Light rail stop: Central and McDowell
But never fear! Phoenix is home to some of the most amazing boutiques sure to provide a plethora of choices for all the lovely people on your list, within all budgets. Many of the boutiques are only a light-rail ride away and by shoppping locally, you’re helping Arizona, too. You’ll practically be Santa Claus.
Although Bunky Boutique may be a little pricier than the aforementioned shops, it is worth the extra cost. Bunky Boutique carries brands such as Out of Print, Spindle and Canister, Hippy Tree, Amy Kathryn and Bobi. This Birds on a Wire necklace ($68) would make the perfect gift for any lovely lady in your life — girlfriend, best friend, mom or sister. It’s delicate yet bold enough to make a statement.
Butter Toast Address: 908 N. Sixth Street Light rail stop: Central and Roosevelt
In addition, Bunky Boutique is right next to Giant Coffee, so you can buy gift cards or take a quick shopping break and get yourself a honey vanilla latte.
Butter Toast is a vintage boutique with fashions for both men and women. The best part of Butter Toast is its affordability. Most pieces range between $15 to $30. Your loved ones are sure to look hip in the clothes or accessories you buy.
Frances Vintage Address: 10 W. Camelback Road Light rail stop: Camelback and Central
Take this high-waisted pastel plaid skirt, for example. It is great for going to work or a barbecue. The skirt’s versatility allows it to be worn in any season, and its timeless attributes ensure its will stay in her closet for a long time.
Frances Vintage sells a vast mix of items, including new and vintage clothes for men, women and children, as well as home products, paper goods, books and accessories. You could almost buy something for everyone on your list at this one shop alone. They even carry Toms, so you can join the “One for One” movement without even having to pay shipping. Perhaps the greatest things you can find at Frances are paper goods — you’re guaranteed to find incredible cards to give with all your gifts.
“But there’s no way I could afford such a beautiful item,” you say. Au contraire, my friend: This skirt is only $18. Smeeks Address: 14 W. Camelback Road Light rail stop: Central and Camelback
Stinkweeds Address: 12 W. Camelback Road Light rail stop: Camelback and Central
Smeeks is a “sweet little shop for sweet little folks.” Filled with all sorts of treats from gumballs to wax-bottle candy, candy cigarettes, lollipops and saltwater taffy, you’re sure to find something to satisfy your taste buds — or your friends’ taste buds. Smeeks also has many delicious specialty sodas — and who doesn’t love a tasty beverage?
Stinkweeds is an independent music store that carries CDs and vinyl LPs from genres ranging from indie-rock to blues and reggae, including some local bands. You can also purchase band shirts and concert tickets. Located between Frances and Smeeks, Stinkweeds is a one-stop music shop, and for the music lovers in your life, it is the place to go. I recommend Atlas Sound’s album “Parallax” ($14)
While you’re there, don’t forget to take a couple of pictures in the old-fashioned photo booth.
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Social work professor awarded funding for programs on sex trafficking http://downtowndevil.com/2011/12/01/18011/asu-social-work-sex-trafficking-grant/
By: Kendra Worsnup December 1, 2011 An associate professor at ASU’s School of Social Work has received $30,000 in grants to address sexually exploited children and adults in Arizona.
become involved through the programs and trainings, but the community will, as well. “We aren’t doing anything on our own; we want to build relationships and work with the community,” Roe-Sepowitz said.
Dominique Roe-Sepowitz applied for the grants, which will fund two projects — $15,000 each. The money was awarded by the Arizona Foundation for Women. One project is a treatment group for resolving trauma; the other will provide three training programs around Arizona to increase awareness, responsiveness and intervention. These trainings will take place in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff.
Not only does Roe-Sepowitz plan on utilizing her connections to local companies, but she also hopes to involve the students in her advanced clinical classes in social work. “Some of it is allowing my students to apprentice, and they can attend trainings,” Roe-Sepowitz said. “But a lot of it is just teaching them what’s next and allowing them to be a part of that discussion.”
“They are really focused not just on prevention, which is such a mistake, but on really progressing and advancing treatments,” Roe-Sepowitz said. “We are going to evolve survivors.”
As a student, Hickle recognizes the importance of student involvement to a good education.
The training programs around Arizona are targeted largely to service providers in the state such as law enforcement and social workers. The goal is not only to teach detection techniques but also to teach workers in criminal justice how to interact with victims of sexual exploitation, Roe-Sepowitz said.
“It allows students ownership over their education when they are able to be engaged in what they are learning about,” she said. Hickle believes that it’s a mix of Roe-Sepowitz’s passion and expertise that made her so deserving of the grant.
“It’s a great opportunity to disseminate information to all different kinds of stakeholders,” said Kristine Hickle, a social work student of Roe-Sepowitz’s. “I’m excited for more people to have access to the information and be exposed to how to get help.”
Dana Berchman, spokeswoman for the College of Public Programs, agrees with Hickle. “Dominique is deeply committed to addressing issues involving sexually exploited children and adults,” Berchman said in an email. “These resources will help her to expand the depth of her tireless work to advocate for causes like sex trafficking, among others.”
The first program will give psycho-education to survivors of sex trafficking. It will be developed by graduate students and survivors of sex trafficking and designed to be a personal experience, according to Roe-Sepowitz. “We aren’t just coming in and telling people what to think or what to do but showing them these people and sharing their stories,” Roe-Sepowitz said. “We don’t want to be just an academic or an authority, but really involve people.”
Roe-Sepowitz has always valued student involvement, Hickle said. “She is very engaging and challenging,” she said. “If you sat up in the eighth floor, you would see so many students go in and out of her office. Students want to work with her and learn from her.”
Involvement is a key part of the projects that will be funded under the grant. Not only will survivors and stakeholders
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Phoenix mayor and mayor-elect hold public discussion to address city issues http://downtowndevil.com/2011/11/18/17443/phoenix-in-transition-gordon-stanton/
By: Kendra Worsnup November 18, 2011 Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Mayor-elect Greg Stanton met Thursday for “Phoenix in Transition,” a public discussion on the future of the city.
the city, but it’s simply not the case,” Stanton said. “A champion of downtown supports the rest of the city and the state. Without supporting downtown, things would atrophy and go the other way.”
The event, held at the Herberger Theater Center, was a talkshow style event hosted by The Valley Leadership Community Dialogue Series, in which both the mayor and mayor-elect shared his reflections and plans. Stanton was also able to answer questions from audience members and Facebook friends.
Stanton put a lot of emphasis on governmental transparency as a whole. Stanton “talked about transparency at the document level and that’s huge,” Montclair said. “That, to me, will start getting public involvement.”
“I think it went fine and I was honored to share the stage with Mayor Gordon,” Stanton said. “He’s got big shoes for me to fill but we’re going to work closely together, and the evening demonstrated that well.”
The event was very high-energy, with both Stanton and Gordon joking with one another throughout the event. “Mayor Gordon hasn’t driven in eight years, so stay off the roads after Jan. 3,” Stanton joked.
Many topics were addressed in the discussion including sustainability, job creation, education, pensions and government transparency.
His humor was received with bursts of laughter by the audience.
Stanton talked about his plans for growing local businesses rather than bringing in large corporations to create jobs.
“Greg’s got the right kind of energy for this city at this time,” said Jeremy Stapleton, co-chair of Environmental Quality Commission. “Hopefully he can be as true in action as he was in rhetoric,” Stapleton said.
“What you want to do is create the quality of life that makes entrepreneurs want to create new companies here and thus create new jobs,” he said. “In Phoenix, despite what you’ve heard, we want jobs, we want tourism and we value diversity and view it as an economic benefit in the long run.”
Stanton said he will be. “You’re going to see me be a broken record, a relentless advocate for the city,” Stanton said.
Although Stanton advocated for a “one city, one neighborhood” approach, he also said he wants to focus on downtown. “If you’re a mayor that is a strong supporter and advocate for downtown, the perception is you don’t care about the rest of
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Showcase lets broadcast journalism students share their work http://downtowndevil.com/2011/11/17/17341/cronkite-school-broadcast-student-showcase/
By: Kendra Worsnup November 17, 2011 Students and faculty gathered at the student showcase on Wednesday to view videography done by Cronkite students.
Smith wasn’t the only student who attended with the hopes of being inspired.
Six video packages played during the 45-minute-long event, after which the audience asked questions of each video’s creator.
Senior Kay Maemura said he was looking for the same thing. “The people that get chosen for these events usually are really great at their work, and I wanted to see what I could do in my videos,” Maemura said. “Watching those kinds of things helps me be more creative myself.”
“There’s a lot of work that’s being done by students that no one ever sees,” said Tom Fergus, the host of the event and a videography professor at the Walter Cronkite School. “The class gets to see it, but that’s it. It dies a quick death. It’s cool we can display them here for others to see.” Fergus said he hoped the event would be an inspiration to budding journalism students who attended it.
Their expectations did not let them down. Both students were able to find nuggets of great ideas. For Smith, it was in a video by sophomore Jake Stein about Rita Melamed, a senior at ASU who was born with spina bifida and lost all use and feeling below the waist after a faulty surgery at age 6.
“Sometimes, I get inspired by other news stories, so I’m sure a lot of students come to this to get inspired for their work, and I hope they are,” Fergus said.
“It was inspirational, and had some cool shots,” Smith said. “It really took us as an audience to a whole new level — to see how she operates on a daily basis.”
Broadcast junior Lindsey Smith found the event to be just that.
Fergus recognized the importance of this opportunity for the creators of the videos. “They put a lot of work into these pieces — you can’t even imagine how much work,” Fergus said. “It’s good they can be seen.”
“I was really interested to see what other kids were creating,” Smith said. “I wanted to see if I could get any tips or perspective on how to shoot my videos.”
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Heard Museum pays tribute to southwestern artists at Spanish Market http://downtowndevil.com/2011/11/14/17090/heard-museum-pays-tribute-to-southwestern-artists-at-spanish-market/
By: Kendra Worsnup November 14, 2011 The smell of tortillas and chorizo filled the air as patrons browsed through a maze of booths selling southwestern art and jewelry at the Heard Museum’s 10th Annual Spanish Market.
“I think artists are important to the society and every time you support an artist, you are ensuring that creativity never disappears,” Laczko said. “And solutions to problems come from creativity.”
The Spanish Market was a tribute to southwestern artists with Spanish backgrounds, largely from Arizona and New Mexico, according to Gina Laczko, the event organizer and head of the Department of Education at the Heard Museum.
Andrea Royal, a 2008 alumna of ASU, has been coming to the Spanish Market for five years, continually being drawn back by the artists she loves, specifically the Crafty Chica and Ruben Galicia.
Many types of traditional pieces were available for purchase including santos (figurines of patron saints), pottery, paintings, tapestries, and silver and tinwork. James Girsch, a secondtime attendee, said he enjoys the paintings the most.
“I try to buy one of their pieces every year,” Royal said. “It’s the type of artwork that is good for every time of year. There’s a lot of artists that sell Day of the Dead type artwork, but (the Crafty Chica’s and Ruben Galicia’s) artwork is beautiful and friendly for the home year round.”
“We love the museum anyway, so coming to this, we just especially love to see all the artwork,” Girsch said. “It opens up a part of the brain. You look at other people’s artwork and it opens up a different way of thinking — out-of-the-box type stuff.”
Other artists at the market have loyal followers as well. Faith King, a resident of Cave Creek, said her favorite was santoscarver Pete Ortega. “I own a couple of his pieces so I was hoping to see him here and I did, so I picked up a couple more,” King said.
His wife, Mercedes McVey, said the artwork left her feeling inspired. She added that the Spanish Market is one of the events hosted by the Heard Museum that they love the most.
Regardless of the type of art a patron may choose as their favorite, one thing is certain: It will be unique.
“Most people tell me it’s one of their favorite events because it’s of manageable size, the artists are so friendly and there are things most people can afford,” Laczko said. “I saw something for $2.50, but I know there’s also stuff that costs hundreds of dollars.”
“If you buy anything as a Christmas gift, that person won’t get another one from anyone else,” Laczko said.
Laczko said her love for culture and creativity inspired him to start the Spanish Market 10 years ago.
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Eliza Magazine is an online fashion magazine. Beginning in 2010, I started at Eliza as an intern. By the end of the summer of 2010, I was the features editor. I wrote stories, and assigned, collected and edited others. Read my online archive at: http://www.elizamagazine.com/author/kendra Read my company profile at: http://www.elizamagazine.com/about-us Website: http://www.elizamagazine.com Screenshots from stories I’ve done:
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Lolly Tots Issue 14
By: Kendra Worsnup June 28, 2011 Calories. Carbs. Sugars. These tend to be the spots on a nutrition label that our eyes quickly focus on. However, there are some ingredients that deserve a deeper examination. For example, you may be surprised to discover the health information for the ingredients inside a can of Coca-Cola. The ingredients, as listed in order according to the label are carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors and caffeine, most of which can have adverse side effects. High fructose corn syrup is made from corn grain and does meet the FDA Standards to be referred to as “natural.� It has nearly the same chemical make-up as table sugar. 1 However, any added sugars are bad for the body. The American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons of added sugars of any sort for women and nine for men per day. 2 The next ingredient, caramel color, is even worse. According to Discovery Health, caramel color has links to increasing the risk of both high blood pressure and hypertension. 3 After is phosphoric acid. This may surprise you, but not only is phosphoric acid used in Coca-Cola, but it is also frequently used in detergents and fertilizer. 4 Have you ever seen the experiment where you put a penny in a glass of Coca-Cola and it comes out bright and shiny as new? That is a result of the phosphoric acid. Because of the phosphoric acid, drinking two or more cola products a day doubles the risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a study in the journal Epidemiology.4 Skipping natural flavors, the ingredients list ends with caffeine which, I am sure you know, is pretty commonly used. In moderation, caffeine is not harmful. The average person can handle up to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day. However, it does vary slightly depending on the individual. But for those of you who drink several sodas or cups of coffee a day, caffeine can cause insomnia, muscles tremors, headaches, anxiety and more. 2 Perhaps next time you are at the store, you will pick up a more healthy alternative to soda. My suggestion would be tea or flavored water such as Hint. Or for you creative-types, check out www.hubpages.com/hub/Healthy-Alternatives-to-Soda for recipes on homemade, healthier sodas. 1
sweetsurprise.com mayoclinic.com 3 Health.howstuffworks.com 4 Scifun.chem.wisc.edu 2
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Priscilla Ahn
because she still has her whole family over there. So he’s going to get to meet family and my mom is going to help me get around Korea because I don’t speak Korean.” Yet, through all the excitement, Priscilla manages to keep herself from becoming too wrapped-up in the feedback. “I haven’t gone searching to see what people are thinking or saying (about the album,) that stuff sort of freaks me out,” Priscilla said. “It gets in your head; even good compliments get in your head, you know? And you start to think ‘oh I have to start writing more songs like this’ or ‘that song sucked’ and for me it’s hard.” However, she must know her music is very well-loved with it being featured in television shows such as “Make it or Break it” and films such as “My Sister’s Keeper” and “Disturbia.” “The first film my song was ever on was… ‘Disturbia’ and I was so excited about it but I wouldn’t go see it because I don’t like scary movies,” she said as she was laughing. Having her songs featured in films have not been the only shining moments for this blossoming artist. “I’ve gotten to play with Amos (Lee) and do shows with Willie Nelson and Ray Lamontagne,” Priscilla said. She has also played with other amazing artists such as Joshua Radin and Lenka. “I feel so lucky,” Priscilla exclaimed. With her newest album released, Priscilla is already excited to begin working on her next project. “I’m already trying to write new songs for the new record and hopefully start recording that in the spring and get that out sooner rather than later,” Priscilla said. “There was like three years in between this new record and the last one. I think it was actually a little too long so I want to put the next out a little bit sooner.” After having stretched her comfort zone on this album by adding in several up-beat songs, Priscilla plans on continuing to challenge herself and grow as an artist. “I’m just keeping it really open and just going to see what happens,” Priscilla said. “I definitely want to expand a little bit and try some new sounds out and new songwriting and practices and sort of push the boundaries a little bit to get out of my comfort zone. So hopefully it will sound good in the end.” Since Priscilla draws her musical inspiration from a pool of amazing artists, Priscilla’s music has no choice but to be fantastic. “I’m definitely inspired a lot by Ted Baker,” Priscilla said. “Lately I’m blown away by this band Little Dragon. I think they are like so cool and really inventive and I just love what they do. Neil Young was my first inspiration when it comes to songwriting and the kind of songs I like to write and listen to. And Andrew Bird was the first one to get me to think about looping my voice because he looped his violin.” While we all patiently await seeing what Priscilla has for us next, enjoy her latest album “When You Grow Up” by purchasing it on iTunes or Amazon.
Issue 15 By: Kendra Worsnup October 11, 2011 Talk with singer/song-writer Priscilla Ahn for only a few moments and this becomes undeniably evident: she is a woman full of life and passion and sincerity. “I’m never going to write or do or say anything that I don’t believe in or that I don’t like or enjoy just to make money,” Priscilla said. “So I hope that people actually hear that my songs are genuine and I stand behind them really strongly because that’s the kind of music I’m drawn to and that I believe in. At the end of the day that’s what it’s about for me.” In May, Priscilla released her sophomore album entitled “When You Grow Up”. Although the album may have appeared to be a concept album, Priscilla said it’s not. “I don’t have any goals or ‘this is what I’m trying to get across,’” she said. “I just feel like if it can help anybody in anyway feel comforted or not alone or even just happy or imaginative, then I feel like I’ve done something good.” Contrary to her first album, many of the songs on “When You Grow Up” were co-written by Priscilla and her friends. “It was something I wanted to try because for me, writing upbeat songs doesn’t come really naturally,” Priscilla said. “Cowriting can be really vulnerable and awkward and stuff to be honest to the other person if you hate their idea or not, and so with my friends I felt like I could communicate that more. So what we ended up with was stuff I genuinely loved.” This album also was more traditionally recorded than the first. “With Ethan, we would play a song 50 times so we were able to listen back and be like ‘that’s the one,’” Priscilla said. “At first I was like ‘this is going to take forever’ but then I realized why he works that way and it really does make a difference and it really puts you in tune more with recording and finding that real take and playing as a group together and making that magic take together.” This is not the only challenging change she has faced during the course of the new album. Between her first and most recent album, Priscilla got married. “It immediately made this really beautiful, good difference,” Priscilla said. “But it made song writing a lot harder for me because I’m not sad or lost anymore. I feel very at peace with where I am, and who I am and who I’m with. So it’s really actually challenging me to dig deeper than the emotional surface. I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but I’m working on.” Surely it is not surprising that her extreme amounts of hard work and passion have paid off. Priscilla has plans in the works for U.S. and European tours in the fall and is currently planning two performances in Korea and Singapore. “I’m leaving at the end of the month,” Priscilla said. “My husband is going to come with and my mom is going to be in Korea
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Portfolio for:
THANK'YOU' KENDRA WORSNUP for+your+time+and+consideration+
Writer/Editor/Designer
!
Kendra!Szabo! 602.525.1135! kendra.szabo@gmail.com! kendraszabo.com! @kendraszabo!
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