PAULA DeANDA

By Christopher  Mygrant (with assistance from Miranda Mygrant)

 Paula DeAnda may not be a common household name such as Brittney, Christina or Beyonce, but her music is being heard across the country thanks to a generous rotation spot for her Walk Away. Her voice is strong and her performance is energetic. Although new to the music industry, she appears to be well grounded and with sound guidance, Paula should have a fulfilling career.

World of Fandom had the opportunity to meet Ms. DeAnda prior to a performance in Clearwater, Florida. Although the airline she was flying had misplaced her luggage, which left her stranded without her essentials, she was gracious enough to keep the scheduled interview.

World of Fandom: In order to achieve success in the music industry, a singer or band must standout against established artists as well as all the other artists vying for the top position on the charts. How will your talent and style enable you to dethrone competitors?

Paula DeAnda: I’m trying to dethrone (chuckling), it’s funny you say it like that. Well, I have to offer a lot. I mean, I have been singing since I was six and it’s not just something I started doing out of nowhere because somebody discovered me or anything like that. So, I’ve always wanted to do this (sing). It’s my passion, I love it and I have a lot of messages in my songs as well as fun, upbeat tracks you can listen to anywhere and they relate to any age group. So I think that is unique about me.

WOF: You mentioned there are messages in your songs. Are they autobiographical or do you and others have roundtable discussing ideas and writing songs? How much of the givens songs are actual experiences from your life thus far?

Paula: Some of the songs I can relate to, but most of them I write from other people’s experiences as well as the person I am co-writing with. If they have an idea, we just work together.

WOF: Do you have specific goals that you have set for yourself with regard to your music career? Madonna once replied, “to conquer the world”, when asked what her goal was.

Paula: (laughing) I haven’t really looked that far. As long as people love my music, I’m going to keep on making more hits and more hits for them guys (the fans). This is what I love to do (make music). However, I don’t think I am here to conquer the world though. I wouldn’t say that, I just love music and people that share that interest with me can grow up with me and develop with me.

WOF: You have been singing since six-years-old, but when were you signed and what adversities have you faced in the very competitive, very business like world of music?

Paula: I was sixteen when I got signed and I know a lot about the business because this has always been something I wanted to do. But as far as recording and the percent and how people can get gypped off (pause) like just because I was sixteen, I’m seventeen now, they think they can cut you out of your percentages but I do my research about that and I like to know what’s going on with that part of the industry.

WOF: That’s the thing. It is not only just entertainment for the artist; s/he also needs to be very business savvy in order to survive and be able have their product pushed to the consumer. You mentioned you do your research, but who advises you on what to do and where to look for the answers needed to stay afloat?

Paula: It’s me as well as my family. You know, this is something that I have always wanted to do, but I know that there are snakes out there and you know there are good people as well. I like to surround myself with positive people that are going to be doing good for me.

WOF: Excluding your family, are you able to choose those “positive people” or are individuals assigned to you? Do you have a say if there is a person or persons that are not to your liking?

Paula: I do. I mean if there is somebody from the label that I really don’t feel is going to do the best for me, we can go other directions with it, but everybody I have worked with so far from the label as well as from my own family have been great. No complaints.

WOF: And your family has supported you 100%?

Paula: 100%. Just like the label. We’re all a big family.

WOF: Thus far, what has been your most memorable moment that will be in your memories for years to come?

Paula: There’s so many right now. I do need to keep a journal, but I don’t right now. I’m just taking everything in at one time and do it day by day and there are so many amazing things that have happened to me. Like getting to meet some of the people I grew up listening to…

WOF: Such as?

Paula: I got to meet Alicia Keyes and who better to meet than Clive Davis. He has helped so many people and he is very powerful. 100% behind his artists and I think that is one of the things that I love about being on this label Arista Records as well as J-Records.

WOF: Now that you have mentioned Clive Davis, what does he mean to you and your career?

Paula: Well, at first I didn’t know exactly who he was. I mean I had heard his name and I knew he was big in the music business, I just didn’t know exactly what he did. Now that I am figuring that out it’s like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I am sitting in front of him.’

WOF: You are on a label that Mr. Davis has signed many well known artists, but the label also supports several newcomers such as recent contestants of American Idol. From the standpoint of an artist such as yourself that did not have the advantage of building a fanbase via television, what is your take on that process and those artists’ success? Do you feel gypped?

Paula: No actually. You know what, I think, good for them if they want to go that route, but that is something that I didn’t choose to do. I have always had family and friends tell me that I should get on American Idol and that I could do it, but it seemed to me like the easy way. I know they have to do a lot of things and I just met Katherine McPhee at a City of Hope function that we did and she is really cool and she’s worked as hard as I have, but once you get on a show like that, you have viewers and that’s who buys your CDs and that’s why they’re so successful. So for me, I started from the bottom and I’m still trying to reach the top and a lot of people have helped me so it’s kind of like American Idol in a way because Clive does help those people that are just regular artists.

WOF: Shifting gears here, the average 17-yr-old is (or should be) attending school and for the most part, other than concentrating on their studies, does not have to worry about schedules or stringent deadlines. Adults have jobs and families and are pretty much on a schedule. What is it like for you, being 17, to be on a schedule that mandates you need be there at a certain time, must participate in an interview at another particular time, must be on stage at this precise moment, and then you need to catch a flight right after a performance?

Paula: Well, the flying gets me; I won’t lie to you about that. I won’t lie to anybody about that. If you really do wanna know how hard the flying is, it’s pretty hard. But you know I get through it because at the end of the day I know that I’ll be performing in front of people you love my music.

WOF: And that is the ultimate payoff.

Paula: Yes

WOF: Even though you must endure that strenuous schedule?

Paula: Yes, it is.

WOF: Do you feel you will be able to handle this business for years to come?

Paula: I will. I am getting to meet all the people out there it’s just like so amazing. I would have never had this chance just sitting at home.

WOF: Do you feel like you are missing out on the “normal” teenage life?

Paula: No, not really. I am only 17 and I have fun on the road. We make it fun.

WOF: At 16, who were you listening to that perhaps inspired you to become a performer?

Paula: Well, I was actually playing the piano and that’s the reason why I started singing. So I started singing at churches. But I started singing a lot of Country songs; a lot of people don’t know that about me. I sang Shania Twain, Jo Dee Messina, LeAnn Rimes, and Jessica Andrews, that’s just a couple. I also used to listen to a lot of Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey. I would be cleaning my room trying to sing like Mariah or try to sing like Christina Aguilera and I would enter contests and sing Mariah Carey songs and Alicia Keys.

WOF: As you mature, will you take your singing and style to another level in the sense of a different genre versus pop? Perhaps Country?

Paula: Definitely. I don’t know if I would go a whole different route like Country, but I would love to do put it together with something that I’m doing. But my music is going to change as I grow older. That is something that happens with every artist.

WOF: How does Paula reward herself with regard to accomplishments thus far?

Paula: I may splurge a little on shopping (laughing). I got me some Baby Phat the other day. I love Baby Phat. I want to get sponsored by them.

WOF: How have you been able to thank your family for the support they have provided thus far in your career? Not necessarily by gifts, but how do they know you are appreciative of them?

Paula: I think they know I appreciate them very much because, you know, we moved from San Angelo West Texas taking a chance on Corpus Christi to see if I would ever go anywhere and that’s when I actually met my manager. They left their jobs, left their friends, maybe even their boyfriends, you know, like everything. They made that sacrifice for me. They’re very supportive of me. So they know I love them.

WOF: As an aspiring artist trying to make a name for herself, what advise would you give to young children that are wishing to become the next famous person in the world of entertainment?

Paula: I think for anybody that wants to reach any kind of goal or wants to be a singer, they need to focus and be sure that’s what they really want. But, it’s all about the timing. I’m not gonna lie and say that I’ve always thought, ‘Yes, I’m going to make it.’ I’ve had my times where I was like, “Man, am I ever gonna get signed? Is anyone ever going to see me or hear me?’ So, but, I think it was meant to be and if you really work at it, then you can do it. But it does take time.

WOF: Paula, it has been a pleasure. Thank you for allowing the interview on such mishap circumstances and on behalf of World of Fandom; wish you a very successful career.

Paula: Thank you so much.

I would like to take this time to personally thank Paula for allowing me to snap a photo of her and my daughter Miranda. Both of us really appreciate it and the photo now hangs on Miranda’s wall.

Special thanks to Alice at J-Records for setting up the interview.