The Voice of Audrey Chu
Audrey Chu, an 18-year old vocal powerhouse and New Jersey native, recently featured on a commercial for the Google Pixel (0:47), shares her insights about the music industry through her experiences as a young Korean-American woman.
This interview is part of RISE’s Voices series, which aims to empower rising artists by bringing light to accomplished, young, Asian-American voices in the arts.
Justin: Can you tell me about your background? Where are you from and how did you get your start in music?
Audrey: I’m Korean-American — my parents were born in South Korea and moved here during the ‘80s. My mom was 11 at the time, and my dad was 18. I’ve lived in NJ all my life. As for singing, I can’t even remember when I started, but my first real performance was singing America the Beautiful at the US Open Tennis in 2009.
J: How did that lead to your more recent accomplishments, and what are those specifically? What were the most pivotal events that have gotten you to the point in your career that you’re at right now?
A: I really just fell in love with singing and music in general growing up. My dad always had a passion for it, even if he didn’t do it as a job. I did a lot of anthem singing at basketball and baseball games as a kid and continued to be a part of the school chorus while doing musical theatre in New York City. My most recent project came from just uploading YouTube videos — an ad agency found a cover of mine and asked to use it in a phone commercial. The most pivotal moment so far has been discovering songwriting. Good songs are the bloodline of the music industry, so getting into the actual making of original music was an awakening for me.
J: What is your perception of diversity in American media and how do you think that has affected the way you’ve grown up? Do you think you’ve always been very conscious of the lack of Asian representation in the media?
A: Regarding diversity in the media in our country — I think we’re getting there. Of course, we need to keep trying harder and the struggle never truly ends, but I definitely notice more diversity in the media industries than back when I was in elementary school. In a short span of time, we’ve made strides, but I do think a lot of ethnicities get boxed into certain roles or certain sounds because of their race, strictly. So that’s something we can work on. I haven’t always been conscious of the under-representation of Asians in the media. It really wasn’t until high school that I started noticing — wow, I can’t name a single Asian-American singer who’s really really made it in this country. I never questioned it because nobody really talks about it; it’s just sort of accepted and overlooked. I do think Broadway, though — with shows like Miss Saigon and Allegiance — is making great strides.
J: Have any preconceived notions affected opportunities that have arisen for you? How has your race affected your own experience as a rising Asian American woman artist?
A: Personally, I haven’t had a negative experience with this. Growing up, I went on auditions for voice overs for kids shows, and those were often for Asian characters. So I guess it got me more opportunities, but at the same time, I wasn’t considered for anything but those roles.
J: What advice you would give to your younger self, or any young woman of color wanting to get into the music industry?
A: I would just say it’s up to us. I truly believe that this is the generation that will break through the current trends that encourage such an exclusive cycle. We need to use the fact that there aren’t many who have come before us as a strength, not a vice. To me, the prospect of being one of the first is not stressful or disheartening — it’s thrilling and it’s truly a blessing that we are at a time now where breaking through is very much possible. It’s so close. We’re so close.
J: Where do you see the diversity in the American media and government 10 years from now? Do you think the Trump administration is going to set that back, or that after this administration the country will have undergone a progressive shift?
A: I see us, as a nation, just continuing to push the boundaries. I know, for sure, I’m always going to challenge them as an artist and individual. I don’t think any administration can set that back. The spirit of creativity in a free country like ours really can’t be monitored or checked. Especially after seeing the Women’s Marches that happened recently around the country, I had the realization that the Trump Administration can be a good thing for these movements celebrating equality. Because now, the people who value the ideals of diversity and tolerance have adopted a stronger sense of duty to protect those ideals from any threatening forces.
