We had the pleasure of sitting down with Crystal Starr, a native Angeleno, who shared with us how her hometown of Los Angeles has influenced her musical style. In honor of Women’s History Month, we asked Crystal to talk about her insights and inspiration for her incredibly moving song, “SHE” and her concert series, “SHE SESSIONS.” As the daughter of a domestic violence survivor, Crystal wrote “SHE” as an anthem celebrating women around the world.
Crystal shared with us, “The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities for women and young girls around the globe. Conflict and climate emergencies are on the rise, resulting in limited access and availability to basic resources needed for survival. This scenario threatens their independence and earning potential greatly. I wrote my song, “SHE” as an anthem for celebrating women and in honor of my mother who is an inspiration for the song and a daily inspiration to myself and other women around us.”
Crystal’s song reflects on challenges that women face and spotlights everyday female heroines. The Live version of the video features a ten piece all woman string orchestra with Crystal Starr featuring singers Andra Day and Judith Hill. Crystal produces her concert series through her LA based non-profit, Little Voices, in which she invites other female artists to come and perform for a theater filled with girls in foster care; uplifting them with the message of, “You Are Enough.” To date, Crystal’s organization has impacted over 1 million children in Foster Care worldwide, supporting women not just hroughout the month of March and inclusive of International Women’s Day, but year round.
Celebrities have flocked to record music in Los Angeles for the past century as the city has long been regarded as a haven for musical geniuses. Crystal revealed that she had been fortunate to have come from a city that nurtures the music of generations past and future. “It is a blessing to walk down the street and meet musicians and producers responsible for creating some of the best music in today’s society,” she shared.
The inspiration behind her latest project was personal. For Crystal, it was important to sing about the love her grandparents had, as Stevie Wonder famously put it: “Loves in Need of Love Today.” She referred to a quote saying, “The love of two greatest friends growing up together and keeping that love there out their age until they left each other here on earth.”
Crystal shared her creative process from the studio to the video for her newest single and music video, “Head Over Heels,” released on Feb 4th, 2022. For Crystal, the song is always the starting point. And once she’s completed the lyrics, she usually hears and sees the video in her head as she listens to it. Furthermore, Crystal believes that the music “always told the story.” She usually tells her director, Jane Lawalata, about her vision for the video when they finish a song, and together they can bring it to life. That’s where she excels the most.
Crystal isn’t the average “pop” artist, so she made it her mission to incorporate music into her Foundation and entrepreneurial ventures. When asked to share how she brings music to the lives of foster children and the role of her Foundation, “Little Voices,” and through “She Sessions” play in our youth’s daily lives, she replied, “I think I was meant to speak up for the voiceless, and I have made it a priority to involve children in everything I do musically and as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.”
She revealed that she was once a child who felt isolated because of her uniqueness. She said she had the smallest voice in the entire room. Crystal named her charity “Little Voices” since she is now the loudest and most prominent voice in the room. In the words of Crystal, “You are not your past, and this too shall pass. “For the past many years, her non-profit, “Little Voices,” has been putting on Grammy-style uplifting performances for foster children throughout Los Angeles. Her Foundation’s primary program is called “SHE SESSIONS.” You can find out more on their website.
The “Little Voices” Founder spent time on Broadway early in her career. We asked her to share how that experience broadened her perspective on the music industry and what it was like to come home to LA after her time in New York City. According to Crystal, seeing a Broadway show is like nothing else. As a result, she matured and developed a sense of accountability. She advises that being on time and having a good idea of her lines benefited her. In addition, she had to learn on the fly because she had no formal training. “They had to keep an eye on the other talented actors and dancers as well. As one student put it, she learned so much about the art of performing from it.” When Crystal returned to Los Angeles, she was relieved since she had missed her family so much.
Who are her top three choices of artists and/or producers that she would love to work with in the future, and why?
The first artist on her list is Bruno Mars. According to Crystal, he’s fun, brilliant, and talented. She specifically says she loves his writing skills. Next on the list is Quincy Jones. She says he embodied everything she one day would love to be. And then there is Jennifer Batton. Crystal claims, “She’s a dope guitar player that played on all of Michael Jackson’s hit records!” She considers her a fantastic talent and someone that she would love to create with someday.
Over the last few years, Crystal and her lifelong friends came together as they embarked on a mission to keep artists working through the Covid-19 Pandemic. Crystal called upon her dear friend Myra Washington, a veteran DJ and fellow recording artist and performer. While providing a safe environment for concert attendees, Crystal and her team launched the Airstream “Roll Up” Concert Series. These concerts were instrumental in keeping musicians working during the lockdown. Crystal’s team funded the project by solely donating their unemployment checks for production needs, and their first concert sold out in under three days.
Together, they promoted, produced, created, directed, and recruited talent while headlining the concert. The second drive-in concert was held at the Westfield Mall in Van Nuys and sold out to 300 cars, again, all in under three days. In addition, they expanded the Roll-Ups to a filmed series called “Inside the Airstream presented by Roll-ups,” which features various artists performing inside the newly renovated airstream, which will air in the fall of 2022 on her YouTube Channel.
This past December, Crystal and her team produced a Roll Up Christmas concert for over 10,000 people in her hometown of La Puente, Ca. When asked about what she’d want to accomplish in the next 3 years with her music and with her Foundation, she had this to say, “It is a dream and goal of mine to tour headlining stadiums worldwide and bring ‘Little Voices’ around the globe. I would also like to speak to foster kids from all over the world to let them know that I am here to support them and their dreams and that they are loved.” Her album release party was held in Los Angeles earlier this month at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood, California.