HHNLive.com writer Tanya M. Fowlow sits down for a chat with newcomer Karina Pasian to discuss her new album, balancing school and a music career, her musical godfather Quincy Jones, making powerful music and more.

Karina on "16 At War": "...it like speaks out to people. It was a good song for all the young people who are looking for a role model or something...the song is talking about what everybody goes through...peer pressure and just trying to fit in..."

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Tanya M. Fowlow: So I guess let’s start with you sharing how long you have been singing and how long you have really been involved in music.

Karina Pasian: I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I started playing the piano when I was 3 years old…. I started singing when I was about 7 years old; I have just been involved in music a lot! I’ve been dancing since I was 3 also, so my whole life has been based around music.

TMF: How did you get started at such a young age?

KP: Well, my dad and my mom; they figured that it was a good idea for me to be involved in music so they put me in piano lessons. I went to a school that was especially for classical piano and I went there from kindergarten to 8th grade and that’s where I learned a lot of piano. Also, outside of school I had a vocal and piano coach since I was like eight years old and I’m still with him now.

TMF: Ok, so that leads me to ask you some questions about your family’s involvement in your music. When I was doing some research I “Googled” you and I found a ton of videos and it looks like, for the most part, your father was the man behind the camera who seemed to capture your every move. [Laughing]

KP: [Laughing] Yeah!

TMF: Can you share a bit about how involved he is with your career and sort of what he’s doing right now?

KP: Well, he’s always been the main person behind my career; he’s always been pushing for everything and without him I know I wouldn’t be where I am today. He’s just very, very dedicated! He’s the one that’s been taking me everywhere and getting me prepared for everything I do. Even now he still takes me everywhere; I just had an acting lesson and he’s the one who picked me up from school and took me to my lesson. You know, he’s just always involved in everything, he’s very dedicated! He’s involved in a lot.

TMF: Ok, so are there any other family members that are involved in what you do and what do they think of what you’re doing?

KP: I have an older brother who’s 23 and he’s basically my Road Manager; whenever I’m on the road he travels with me and he’s a producer as well and a rapper. He helps me in writing and producing…and he’s also an artist who is gunna put out stuff. We have a studio in the back and he helps me a lot in writing and stuff because he writes a lot of songs. I guess he sees it as this is what we have been working for our whole lives. He still sees me as his younger sister and of course he’s gunna bring me back down and he keeps me grounded and everything but he feels that I write very positive and he’s really happy for me. As well, my other siblings like my other brother he’s 18 and he’s an artist…like an artist like drawing; he makes cartoons and he’s won a couple of medals, actually a lot of medals in the NAACP. Umm, my sister; she’s like a little mini me! She sings, she acts, she dances, she plays the piano and everything. My whole family is supportive.

TMF: This is like a real family affair! [Laughing]

KP: [Laughing] Basically, yes!

TMF: I was reading that Quincy Jones is your godfather. Is that true?

KP: Yeah, he’s basically my musical godfather. I met him when I was 11 years old and I sang a couple of songs for him. We kept a close relationship and he took me to an event called “We are the Future” in Rome when I was 12 years old. He took me to tributes and different kinds of things that he felt got me experience.

TMF: Nice. How involved is he with your music right now? I mean, is he in the picture a lot or is he more like a mentor?

KP: He’s more like a mentor now, he’s not really involved in the music but he’s definitely there to guide me and assist me. I still have a close relationship with him. He’s gonna make an album where he’s like making remixes of songs with new artists and I’m gonna be featured on it.

TMF: That’s hot! Alright, what’s this I hear about you speaking a ridiculous amount of languages? Like seven or something?

KP: Well I don’t speak seven languages; I sing in seven languages but I’m fluent in two and I understand one. I don’t know, I just had an open ear for cultures and for different languages. My first language is Russian which is the language I understand now; I speak English and Spanish. Just having that diversity in my home is what helps to open my ears to different cultures and languages.

TMF: Before I get into some of the more music based questions, do you mind telling the readers a bit about who Karina is when she’s not singing? You know, what are you doing when you’re not on stage, you’re not on tour, and you’re not up in the studio?

KP: I’m still 16 years old and I go to school. I actually just came from school. Hmmm, I hang out with my friends and go to the movies and stuff; just regular teenage stuff. I’m at home with my family…[Laughing]…just regular stuff. I’m still a regular girl.

TMF: How do you manage to balance everyday life with music? I mean, really, what about school, how does that work out? How do you get it all to fit together?

KP: My teachers are very understanding; I go to a professional performing arts school and when there’s travel dates they adjust to it. I get a tutor when I’m on the road and they certainly understand my situation. Like if I have a late night then I can make up for it. Also there’s a website that I can look on to catch-up.

TMF: Back when you were 10 you and your sister performed and played for Alicia Keys right?

KP: Yes!

TMF: Have you maintained any relationship with her since?

KP: Yeah well, we kept a close relationship with her manager. They were also interested in signing me when I was about 12. I did sing in a couple of her events; like I sang in “Keep a Child Alive” and we just kept a close relationship. I haven’t seen her very recently but we still have that relationship.

TMF: Aside from singing for Alicia, what has been the biggest thing that you would say has happened in your career so far?

KP: In my career since being signed to Def Jam or…?

TMF: In general; before, during or after. Just something you look back on and say like “Man that was amazing!”

KP: Well the event in Rome when I sang in front of 800,000 people with Andrea Bocelli when I was 12 years old. It was just an amazing feeling to be doing what I love and singing with one of the most talented opera singers in the world. It felt like a very great accomplishment because it was before anything; like even before I got signed. Also, when I sang at the White House last year for Black Music Month; that was also a great accomplishment for me ‘cause I didn’t even have a album or single out and I was singing at the White House.

TMF: Big things! I’m going to touch on the label for a moment. So, you’re signed to Def Jam but, that wasn’t always the case and there was a time when labels were fighting over you…people like Diddy even. Share about the bidding wars that went down and maybe some of process you went through.

KP: Well, the bidding wars were like a two week process where I was just going around to a lot of different record labels. I went to LA; I went to Interscope and I went to Warner Bothers. It was just a lot of going to a lot of different labels, a lot of different producers and A&Rs and stuff. It was a cool position to be in because it was me going around singing and doing what I love to look for a deal. It was a great position to be in when I was 13 years old, I finally felt like I was achieving my dreams and stuff. When we went to Def Jam….[pause] well I’ll tell you the story. LA Reid, he was on his way to the airport because he was going on a vacation in France but when I went up there and sang for his A&R they called him and told him he’d have to turn back ‘cause he needed to see me. He turned around, and he watched me sing and everything and they made such a great effort and eventually they ended up signing me.

TMF: Ok, you’re at Def Jam now. Touch on what it’s like and what’s going on over there for you.

KP: Def Jam is such a great place! The office is right here in New York City, it’s just a couple blocks from my school and I feel welcome there all the time. Everytime I go to the office everybody’s really supportive and they definitely help a lot in everything I do; they are just a great team. Def Jam is a great label to be singed to and I am very happy to be signed to that label!

TMF: Right now you’ve got a hot single out and it’s a pretty deep track. What inspired “16 at War?”

KP: Well, all the songs I record they all have to have a message and substance because music can be very impactful. “16 At War” has a great message, it like speaks out to people. It was a good song for all the young people who are looking for a role model or something. You know something that is positive right now because the song is talking about what everybody goes through like peer pressure and just trying to fit in, trying to be cool and it’s the same stuff that goes on nowadays that younger people can relate too…not only younger people but older people too. It’s just a song that I thought would help my generation.

TMF: Ok, tell me about the album that’s coming. What’s the title? What’s the vibe? When can we expect to see it?

KP: Well the title is “First Love” and it’s expected to be out August 19th! The album, it’s a great mix of slow songs and up tempos. Just songs that a lot of people can relate to; happy, sad, and songs that people can look to for comfort. I hope that it can have an impact on a lot of people, just anybody out there. I think it’s a really, really great musical album.

TMF: Being over at Def Jam there’s obviously some really great connections. I hear that you are working with some pretty big people; any artists, producers, writers or anybody that you want to highlight?

KP: Well…The Dream; he wrote “16 at War” and he wrote a couple of other tracks on the album and he’s also my label mate. I worked with Ne-yo who’s my label mate as well and Gordon Chambers who’s one of the first people I worked with. Ummm, Troy Tailor, The Architect, Rico Love….just an amazing team of producers that I’ve had the pleasure of working with.

TMF: How did it feel to be working with all those people? I mean, were you ever scared or nervous?

KP: Well not exactly nervous but more excited that I got to go through the process and be in the recording studio with such talented people; it was just a great process to watch the writers in the studio and how they lay the vocals and everything.

TMF: I know this question might be tough, but if I told you that you could only collab with one artist and that would be it; like you couldn’t work with anybody else and this was your last chance to work with someone for the rest of your life… who would it be and why? Only one person! [Laughing]

KP: [Laughing] Ummm, that’s hard! Hmmmm, it would be Stevie Wonder because he’s a person that had a lot of influence on me and I really admire him. It’s such wonderful, beautiful music that he writes and I know that he plays the piano and I just love him and admire him a lot.

TMF: Good stuff! Ok, so it’s 5 or 10 years from now and we’re looking into the future; where do you see yourself?

KP: In 5 or 10 years from now I would really want to be touring, on my second album and giving back to the community and reaching out to my fans and getting a lot of my fans involved. Just keep on doing what I love to do; I mean acting – definitely really want to pursue my career in acting and yeah… just keep on doing what I love.

TMF: Is there anywhere your fans can go right now to check you out a little more and sample some of your music…like a website or a Myspace?

KP: Oh yeah! I have a MySpace and a blog. My MySpace is www.myspace.com/karinapasian and my blog is www.meetkarina.net.

TMF: Just before we get to the end of this interview I’d like to ask you to address the young ladies for a minute. Is there anything you’d like to say to them?

KP: I just encourage all the young ladies to just stay positive and to not let anybody tear you down or make you feel like you are not good enough for anything. Always have self-respect and chase after your dreams. Be dedicated to what you want to do, not only if you want to be a singer, but if you want to a teacher, or an actor… you always have to work hard in anything that you do.

TMF: Is there anybody you want to shout-out, say hello to, give a high-five to…?

KP: [Laughing] I wanna say hello to my family and all my friends and my school, anybody that supports me, and all my fans and my vocal coach.

TMF: Any final parting words you’d like to leave for the readers at HHNLive?

KP: The sky’s the limit, always be hopeful and always have faith in yourself and God, and just keep God first!