On Saturday, November 26, the Streets of Brentwood will be hosting their annual Christmas Tree Lighting event and will have a special performance be Carina, an up-and-coming new artist.
The event will begin at 7:00 pm which along with Carina, includes Santa and a special opening performance by Gehringer Elementary School.
Carina, 19, who attended elementary school in Antioch now lives in a small town outside of Seattle, WA in pursuit of a musical career. She returns to Brentwood after performing several years ago as a new artist.
Since her last performance in the area, Carina says she has grown as an artist with more original material.
“Since my last performance in Brentwood, I have become more proficient on my two instruments, guitar and piano. I’ve continued my vocal and songwriting training and find myself learning new things each time I sit down to practice! When I performed in Brentwood two years ago I was only beginning my career as an original artist, had hopes and aspirations to release music, hear myself on the radio and someday go on a tour, and here we are,” says Carina.
In July, she released her EP with the help of family and friends and has the hit song “Murphy’s Law” which is being played on the radio. Her first week of sales put her on the National Pop Charts topping out at Number 54.
She even remembers the exact moment she was informed she was on the charts.
“I was on stage at my album release, mid-set when the announcement was made to the entire venue that I had reached #54 on the charts!! Everyone in the venue was beyond ecstatic and added even more to the excitement of the evening,” says Carina. “Being listed on the Pop Charts seems pretty surreal to me and is an incredible honor to be included among people who have been such an inspiration to me for many years.”
She calls hearing her song on the radio a monumental moment in her life and career.
“All I could think was wow, that’s my art. I made that,” said Carina.
Her music is now on over 50 radio stations nationwide and even streams on Pandora. She currently holds the No. 3 spot in Seattle Pop Chart’s and No. 83 nationally.
The future is looking bright as she was recently signed to a producer in Nashville whose team will be producing her next single which she anticipates will be released in early 2017—she will be debut it at the Streets of Brentwood along with her original music off her EP and future releases.
Carina admits the journey has been long and not so easy to getting her music on the radio. At one point put her music on hold when she found out her mom was sick.
“I was 16 when my mom became very ill. We were faced with the news she was dying so I chose to put my dreams on hold on heels of having just made it through 4-rounds of American Idol,” says Carina. “I left high school my junior year and attended online school, while I was caring for my deathly ill mother, and raising my brother.”
She was also trying to keep her mother’s dream alive by keeping the family business open which trained youths to sing and perform.
“In 2014, my mom had lifesaving surgery at the University of Washington after having a very low chance of survival but she was able to pull through. Today she is healthy and we have a thriving business which I help run with her,” said Carina.
Still, following the 2014 surgery she considered it a tumultuous time in her life and she struggled with getting back into music saying she was apprehensive—but in the end realized after High School that it was all she ever wanted to do.
For Carina, growing up she had a step-father who was activity duty in the military and in total attended 16-schools across the country. She says through her struggle to settle in each new state, trying to fit in, and find friends, she held on tight to music and pursue her dream to become a musician.
“Moving around the country had a huge influence on the music that I was exposed to growing up and it taught me to appreciate so many different genres and cultures,” says Carina. “This really helped me develop my own style as I took from everything I loved to create my sound.”
She highlighted that while living in Hawaii for example, there was a huge musical culture with artists who were more famous to the island residents than stars on the mainland. She also noted the music was all about love, the land, family and food.
“I have a bit of an eclectic taste in music and can appreciate the beauty and art in all genres. I am deeply influenced by musicians who make me feel something. A few of my very favorites would be Ray Lamontagne, John Mayer, Panic! At the Disco and Cold War Kids. By following in the footsteps of these artists, I can only hope to inspire people the same way they inspired me,” explained Carina. “My music is an eclectic blend of pop, blues and soul and my travels around the United States taught me to hear and appreciate cultures and genres and how they are connected to certain areas.
She says she writes for love, for healing and for happiness.
“All the same reasons I write are the same reasons others listen. Creating music is what gives me purpose. Life is hard, but love has the power to heal all brokenness. All I can ask for in this life is to make a difference,” says Carina.
She also highlighted how much she learned from American Idol and the process of making it through 4-rounds saying it was a much different experience that she expected it to be.
“It was absolutely incredible to be a part of the behind the scenes aspect of such an iconic show, however, I’m not much of a fan of competing with others who share my same dream. I love to support other musicians,” says Carina. “Music is love, not a contest”
She says through the experience, she learned the importance of individuality and having confidence in oneself.
“Being a musician it can be difficult to not compare yourself to others or become discouraged by someone else’s talent. American Idol helped me embrace all the things about myself that make me different and I understand other people and their complexities all the better because of it,” says Carina.
She says having an amazing support system is important and that she is thankful for who has supported her in this journey, her message is to showcase that no matter how hard life gets or how impossible it may seem to reach your dreams, she is proof that it can be done.
“To some this may look like an overnight success story, to me it has been a long and winding road that has lead me back full circle to my home in the East Bay,” says Carina. “
She says the road is long and hard, but she gets her inspiration to continue from life.
“There is so much beauty in life. There is beauty in love and in friendship, and I believe very beautiful things can come from pain. I’m inspired by life in that every little thing that goes on around us has a story. Observing other people and their interactions is great fuel for music making, but when something happens to me in my personal life that I am deeply affected by, that’s when I find it the easiest to create something,” explained Carina.
When asked what her musical bucket listed included, she says her goal is to inspire as many people as possible with her music and help support her family.
“As for a bucket list item, it’s always been my mama’s dream to go to the Grammy’s, and I plan on one day taking her with me to walk the Red Carpet as my guest,” said Carina.
You can find Carina’s music iTunes or visit her online:
Streets of Brentwood Tree Lighting & Santa Event
Saturday, November 26
7:00 – 8:00 pm
2455 Sand Creek Road, Brentwood
www.shopstreetsofbrentwood.com/events
