By: Jordyn Tilchen//
At just 15-years-old, Whitney Woerz, a student at LaGuardia Arts High School, has a lot to celebrate. After growing up in Connecticut, Whitney and her family made the move to New York where Whitney would attend an arts-based school and follow her dream of pursuing a career in music. Already Whitney has accomplished so much, getting attention from Z100‘s Elvis Duran, The Today Show, and having her music played on Sirius XM Radio. We got the chance to speak with Whitney one-on-one about her recent accomplishments!
At what age did you and your family first recognize your musical ability, and how did you recognize it?
I have been singing since I can remember and recognized at a pretty young age that I loved music and performing for people. When I was in elementary school, I performed in my first show. I was a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz and after that I really knew that I wanted to perform.
At what moment in your life did you decide you wanted to pursue music?
The moment I decided that I wanted to pursue music was after I wrote my first song. I was around 10 and I just sat down with a notebook and started writing a poem for my grandmother who was recovering from cancer. Since it was such a close topic to my heart, the words, even at such a young age, just flowed onto the page. After I had finished those lyrics and read them over, the thought crossed my mind that I could see myself doing this in the future.
Who in your life have been the biggest supporters of your music career?
The biggest supporters have been my family. My Mom and Dad have always supported me from the first musical theater show I did. They just want me to be happy which I’m am so thankful for. But they aren’t crazy obsessed parents like some are when their kid is into music. They are just so loving and I’m just so thankful for them.
We saw that you recently heard your song ‘6 Second Love’ being played on Sirius XM. What was it like to hear it on the radio?
The Pulse and Velvet have been HUGE supporters of me and I owe them so much! To hear myself on the radio is a dream come true. I always pictured myself sitting in the car and hearing my song come on, but I never thought it would be a reality which is seriously mind blowing.
What is your favorite song off of your EP ‘Behind the Smile,’ and why?
My favorite song on my EP has to be Ghost Story. This has the most meaning out of all of them and is the closest to my heart. It has the message to stay strong during times of sadness and struggle and to inform people to not give up.
Do you write all of your own songs? If so, where do you get your inspiration?
I do write all my songs. I get my inspirations from experiences that I have gone through, people I have met, and sometimes even little objects I pass by. I find that writing about real stuff that’s going on in my life really impacts the song and the meanings it could have to me and different people.
How did you come to be Elvis Duran’s Artist of the Week? Describe what it was like to perform ‘6 Second Love’ live on Today.
It was such an exciting experience to perform on ‘Today’. I had to get to NBC studios at 5am with a sound check at 5:15. I was so excited and I thank my fans on social media and YouTube for making this moment happen. Elvis hears about artists through friends and social media and someone we know made contact with him and show and it just happened…. quickly. I was a little nervous right before I went on but once I started talking with Kathy Lee, Hoda and Elvis, I was comfortable. They made me feel so relaxed because they were so nice. Then I preformed 6 Second Love and I don’t think it could have gone better. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I will always remember it.
What song is currently stuck in your head?
So many songs get stuck in my head! Right now the song ‘Semi-Automatic’ by Twenty-One Pilots. is stuck in my head. They are my favorite band so I find myself thinking about their music a lot.
What’s your favorite album at the moment?
My favorite album at the moment is the new 1975 album ‘I Like It When You Sleep for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.’ It’s so simple and I really love it.
Who would your dream collaboration be with?
I would love to collaborate with Gnash. He is an emerging artist and I would love if we could work together one day.
If you had to choose a couple of artists that inspired your current sound, who would they be?
Twenty-one Pilots are my main musical inspiration. Their lyrics are so empowering and inspirational. I love their message and they inspire me every day. Also, Tori Kelly I feel resembles my style and she is a big Inspiration as well because she’s down to earth.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Some advice I would give other aspiring musicians is to always put yourself out there. Start a YouTube channel because you never know who will find it!
Tell us about what you’ve been up to most recently, and what we can expect from you in the near future.
I am writing all the time. People can expect a lot of new music in the coming year. I’m also rehearsing for some live shows coming up!
Billboard will be premiering Whitney’s new music video for her song, ‘Ghost Story,’ this Thursday, June 24th. You can find Whitney on Facebook (Whitney Woerz), Twitter (@whitneywoerz), and Instagram (@whitney.woerz).
