YouTube is shaking up the music industry, and for independent artists, it can be a magic maker.
That’s certainly the case for independent musician Clara C, or Clara Chung, who, with the combination of putting her music on YouTube and participating in major music competitions, went from a mostly unknown musician to an up-and-coming artist, now performing and touring throughout the world.
That’s how the University student group APASU (Asian Pacific American Student Union) found out about her, as well as musician David Choi, who they brought to perform last year at the University.
“I heard her on YouTube on a cover of another song,” Gun Kang, outreach coordinator for APASU, said. “At the time she wasn’t that big, but when we booked her she was becoming huge.”
Chung, 23, grew up in Los Angeles playing piano, but picked up several other instruments over the years including guitar, melodica, trumpet, glockenspiel and percussion, most of which she tries to play on stage during performances.
Though a talented artist, Chung described herself as a “closet musician” for a number of years.
“I put myself down about it,” she said. “I had friends who said ‘you’ll probably never do it.’”
When Chung began attending University of California Irvine, the community she found at school pushed her to follow her dreams of becoming a musician. Since then, she has no longer tried to hide her dreams and talent.
“Thanks to them, I’m not a closet musician anymore,” she said.
Chung graduated from UC Irvine this past June with a degree in psychology. Now, along with her responsibilities and performances as a musician, she teaches autistic children.
“There’s so much to do as an independent artist … it’s not surprising if I work 90-hour weeks,” she said.
Another reason Chung rose in popularity is her honest, down-to-earth music and personality. For Chung, honesty is key when composing and writing lyrics.
Her music, she said, is somewhat inspired by artists like John Mayer, Sara Bareilles, Andrew Bird and Ari Hest. But her music is still very much her own, and her lyrics are mostly inspired by her own life.
Many of her songs sound a lot like songs by Sara Bareilles, but with less angst and piano. Like Bareilles, Chung is a natural musician and doesn’t struggle to hit the right notes on vocals or to convey real emotion in her songs. The end result is mellow, mostly acoustic-driven songs that highlight the raw, un-auto-tuned talent of Chung.
“It’s legitimate music. It’s not fake,” she said.
What Chung tries to emphasize through her music is positivity, and on her recently released album “Art in my Heart,” she specifically focuses on themes of love.
“Her music is really laid back,” Ryan Sagawa, public relations rep for APASU, said. “It’s soothing; it’s fun; it’s happy.”
Chung is also very popular among the Asian-American community. Artists like Clara C, David Choi, Charice and Far East Movement are expanding the presence of Asian-Americans in the industry, mostly with the help of sites like YouTube and social media sites.
“All colors do music and feel music,” Chung said.
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Clara Chung uses YouTube to follow music dreams
Daily Emerald
February 9, 2011
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