Check out our interview with triple threat singer-songwriter, actress and dancer Jade Patteri.
She was honored as the 2019 Artist of the year at the National Youth Arts Awards. She is a multiple award winning actress for her portrayals of Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker,” Diana Steed in the world premiere of “THE HUMAN COMEDY,” Millie in “THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE”, Claire in “CREATING CLAIRE” Cinderella in “CINDERELLA” and Marian Paroo in “THE MUSIC MAN”. She received nominations for her portrayals of Mrs. Banks in “MARY POPPINS”, Mrs. Darling in “PETER PAN” and Jennie Mae in “THE DIVINERS”.
Jade is also a singer-songwriter having reached nearly 200K listens on Soundcloud. Two of her original songs “Imperfectly Perfect” and “Drift” won for Best New Song at the NYA Awards two years in a row! Exciting things are on the horizon for Jade with the upcoming theatrical release of “THE PROM” where she worked alongside Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and James Corden!
Follow Jade @jadepatteri
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Hi Jade, please tell us a little about you?
Hi! Thank you for having me! I’m a singer-songwriter, actress and dancer based in Los Angeles, California! I am not sure I had much of a choice as to what path I would forge given my parents met singing, dancing and acting. At age 5 I got my first microphone and the rest is history! There is a lot of sarcasm and joking in my house and with my friends and it has taught me not to take myself too seriously. But more importantly, I was raised to be grateful for what I had and to always look for an opportunity to serve others; whether it was a kind word, a monetary gift or a simple good ear. As artists we have a unique opportunity to be the voice for those who can’t find theirs and or who need to be challenged to see through a different lens. I love being a part of that journey of healing as I have been on the receiving end many times throughout my life and it is healing for me to give it back.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
I would describe myself as empathetic, charismatic, and ambitious.
We’re sure you have been asked this million times but how did you get in the industry?
As I previously mentioned, growing up around parents who were in the entertainment industry allowed me to peek through the keyhole of an artist’s life and journey. It was exhilarating, purposeful and a whole lot of fun! I love to make people laugh and to feel something. My mom says I learned to sing before I learned how to talk…and even when I learned how to talk I still chose singing instead. So, being outgoing and extroverted I fell into the family circle of backyard improv, home made movies and karaoke… and well the rest is history!
Describe your sound in 3 words?
I would describe my sound as raw, intentional and relatable.
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
Other than my parents I would have to say my grandfather was one of the main reasons why I really decided to pursue this career. My Papa is always either humming or singing some tune! Ever since I was little he would sing to me… and when I would sing back I could see how much joy it brought to him and my entire family. At the age of 12, he bought me my first in-home studio; within 3 hours I had my first song recorded and I really thought that SONY Music was going to call me shortly thereafter. I mean, the pressure was on. He told me that if he bought the studio, I had 4 years to become famous. I keep changing his calendar every-time I see him, he still thinks it’s 2015…and I keep reminding him that I still have a year left!
Do you ever get nervous?
Of course! Everyone gets nervous to some degree… and anyone who says they never get nervous is probably too nervous to tell you that they’re nervous!! Now I don’t get scared to the point where I have to force myself onstage but I definitely get a little nervous whenever I perform a new piece or if I happen to know people who are sitting in the crowd where I’m performing. Then again having those nerves usually works out for me since I do pretty well under pressure!
What is your next goal as a musician?
My next goal is to open for one of my favorite artists! I think performing and opening up for someone who inspired you to create would be such a rewarding feeling!
Tell us about your new single “Unity?”
I wrote this song to be a hopeful voice of influence in response to the cultural, racial and political divides that propagate injustice in our current society. This song is about bringing people together despite their differences…in Unity! Aside from the single, we are also in production for the music video which will be releasing very shortly! So stay tuned!
What’s the story behind this song?
With the incredible amount of disunity in our culture today, I couldn’t not write about this issue. We live in a world where if someone has a different conviction, if someone loves differently, looks differently or doesn’t think the same way as us we refrain from healthy debate and we lean towards condemnation and hate. I wrote “Unity” to hopefully shed light on this subject matter because it is something that we need to change. I told myself that if my music was no longer purposeful then I would stop… so I will continually strive to bring up topics that need attention and hopefully touch people in the way where they feel the need to fight for change.
How was it like to work with big names in the industry like Paul Toweh, Kayla Radomski and Marcus Mitchell?
It was an absolute blessing! Paul and I have been friends for quite some time actually! We met a few years ago on the set of a short film and when it came to needing a rapper for “Unity” a couple years later he was the first person that came to mind. I’m so glad he wanted to collaborate because he delivered even more than I had expected! Now Marcus and Kayla on the other hand I met not too long ago. They immediately saw and believed in the message and the vision of the music video of “Unity” and are now our lead dancers choreographing alongside Fresh Redding!
On the acting side, tell us about your character in “The Prom” film?
My character in The Prom was very interesting! I’m not sure how much I can give away about the film and what you’ll be seeing on screen from my character…but I will say that you won’t miss me! If you’ve seen the episode of Friends where Ross gets a spray tan… yep I will be his twin from head to toe! As far as what I did in the film, I was one of the principal dancers so you’ll be seeing a lot of live numbers throughout the movie that are very hip hop heavy, which I was thrilled about as it is by far my favorite style!
What kind of roles do you like or would like to play and why?
Movie musicals, musical heavy TV series or all things comedy! A dream role for me would be a Rachel from Glee type! Anything along the lines of “Glee” to “High School Musical” the series are both projects that fit me perfectly! Aside from Film and TV, musical theater has been a huge part of my life. After that I did everything from High School Theater, Regional Theater to performing in live showcases off broadway. So a project that incorporates musical theater and that’s filmed would definitely be a job I would love to do any day!
What is fun and rewarding about what you do? And what’s not?
I believe the most rewarding feeling is reaching out and making a difference in someone else’s life through storytelling. Having someone come up to you and say, thank you…I needed that. Whether I profoundly help to change someone’s thoughts, perspectives, ideas or simply change the trajectory of a tough day with a smile, that is why we create. It is my air. What’s difficult on the other hand is auditioning and hearing no. I almost have to change my mindset when walking into an audition because like many artists, I can get so hung up on the word no that I forget to think about all the preparation, all the good work that went into the audition. Or for instance, when I release a song or video and it doesn’t get the attention or love that I had hoped it would! However those are also reasons I keep pushing and I never give up because that no might lead me to my next yes and that song that at first didn’t receive any attention could years later hit an audience in a way it didn’t before!
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would absolutely love to meet Alessia Cara or Demi Lovato! Both of these artists have done an amazing job at not only inspiring this generation but future generations who will continue to listen to their music years from now. The example they set, regardless of what people think, is to be true to my lyrics and in doing so I will be true to myself, despite the temptations of compromise in the industry.
What’s next for Jade Patteri in 2020?
A lot more original music! Many more music videos and merchandise coming very soon! In general you will be seeing a lot more content from me and you can stay updated with what I’m doing by checking out my website jadepatteri.com 🙂
What book should every entrepreneur read?
I believe everyone should read “The Servant” by James C. Hunter. It’s a book my dad recommends to everyone including me! My parents raised me to show love to others and always give back and in an industry that is very hung up on oneself. I think a big part of being an influence and being able to be an entrepreneur requires great leadership. So I would have to say “The Servant.”
What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?
I would have to say the toughest decision I’ve had to make in the last few months was whether or not I was going to go through with the music video for “Unity.” I had released “Unity” in 2019 but I didn’t really promote it as much as I would have liked too! So when we decided to re promote the EP we were thinking of possibly doing a video for “Unity” which we were actually supposed to do in 2019! The hard part wasn’t filming the video but it was coming up with a concept behind it that would do the song and concept of “Unity” justice given the magnitude and impact of our current climate. In the end, I couldn’t be happier because this project is truly special and the people working on it right now are beyond a blessing!
What are the five things you can’t live without?
My faith, my family, my friends, serving (art, people, cause) and naps!
What music do you like?
I’m pretty much a fan of all genres of music! Each genre can serve a different purpose, evoke a different emotion and serve a different need. So I make a lot of different playlists for different moods I’m in!
Best advice ever given?
Don’t forget to apply your own oxygen mask first before you help someone else put theirs on… you can’t help someone else properly if you’re not breathing.” I never forgot that piece of advice. It is the undertone of Unity. If we can choose to love ourselves, only then can we choose to love others…because we know the difference!
What is your favorite food?
My two favorite foods are Sushi and Spaghetti but definitely not together!
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
“All I want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey 100%!
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
Church and açaí jungle right after!!
What is your own definition of happiness?
Happiness for me is temporary in my opinion. You can be happy while eating ice cream…until it’s finished! But Joy lasts! So instead of finding things to make me happy I look for things that can bring me long lasting joy!
How would you describe your fashion style?
Ooo! Now this will be tough to synthesize. I love fashion! I have a pretty large variety of clothes in my wardrobe and I absolutely love shoes! (Preferably boots and heels!) I would say I have a few different looks… I wear a lot of sundresses, skirts, crop tops and rompers when it’s warm outside! When it’s on the cooler side I have a lot of extra fluffy and big jackets that I’ll wear with boots and fun jeans or pants…even my winter boots have heels…being 5’3 might have something to do with it, LOl! But yes I love fashion…make up and hair is also a must in completing a look so I would say dressing up head to toe is usually an everyday thing for me!
What do you think of Social Media?
Social media is an amazing way to share your work and build connections with people you might not have met without it! I’ve gotten work from connecting with people through social media and I’m extremely grateful to have met them because they’ve in turn introduced me to others who I’m currently working closely with to this day! It’s also another great way to build your own brand! As a young artist, I can do so much marketing and content creation myself that it gives people insights into who I am outside of just music. They can see me as a real person rather than just a singer, a dancer, or an actress.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram- @jadepatteri
Twitter- @jadepatteri
YouTube- @jadepatteri
And my website! jadepatteri.com 🙂
Quote: “Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.” – Dwight Schrute
Song: “Marry You” by Bruno Mars
Movie: The Theory of Everything
Travel Destination: Switzerland
Food: Sushi or Spaghetti
Sports Team: Broadway LOL!
Photo Credit: Lenore Brown
