{"id":5758,"date":"2014-04-18T00:29:28","date_gmt":"2014-04-18T05:29:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alexz.net\/?p=5758"},"modified":"2014-04-18T00:29:28","modified_gmt":"2014-04-18T05:29:28","slug":"former-teen-star-alexz-johnson-chases-dreams-as-indie-artist-livestarringyou-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.alexz.net\/?p=5758","title":{"rendered":"Former Teen Star Alexz Johnson Chases Dreams as Indie Artist — LiveStarringYou.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a really great article\/interview at LiveStarringYou.com<\/a> about Alexz and her career, the ups and downs, and why she continues to keep going. <\/p>\n

\nSource<\/a><\/p>\n

Former teen star Alexz Johnson chases dreams as indie artist<\/u>
\nBy Ashley O\u2019Leary <\/p>\n

She\u2019s starred on Disney Channel\u2019s So Weird and CTV\u2019s Instant Star.<\/p>\n

You may have seen her \u201criding the same roller coaster hundreds of times\u201d in Final Destination: 3.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s toured North America and Europe performing her music.<\/p>\n

Canadian-born actress and singer-songwriter Alexz Johnson has an impressive resume.<\/p>\n

But the dulcet-voiced entertainer\u2019s career hasn\u2019t been totally smooth. TV series inevitably get cancelled. Record deals fall through. (That\u2019s happened to Alexz twice.) Through it all, the 27-year-old has managed to remain focused on her goal: to create beautiful music for her fans. You can check out her recently released EP, Heart, by clicking here.<\/p>\n

Here are some important lessons about fame and success we learned in a recent interview with Alexz. (Side note: For fun, we used her song lyrics to identify each lesson!)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Everything\u2019s Hopeless, You Follow A Compass.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite her success, Alexz hasn\u2019t always been winning. Though she signed two major record label deals, neither resulted in a big album. (That\u2019s common in the music industry \u2014 artists are signed and dropped all the time as executives switch jobs and plans change.) And while she was waiting for the labels to decide what to do with her career, she could have been playing shows and building her fan base.<\/p>\n

Alexz felt vulnerable, but remained strong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had lost two major record deals, and at that point I had no leg to stand on,\u201d Alexz said. \u201cI felt like I wasted so much time signed, and not actually touring. I remember being like, \u2018#### this, I\u2019m going to find a way to go on tour and connect with my audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

She found the right leg to stand on, moving to New York City in her early 20s and pursuing a career as an independent artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told myself, \u2018If I don\u2019t make it by the time I\u2019m 25, I\u2019m quitting the music industry,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m 27.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why didn\u2019t Alexz give up? Why wouldn\u2019t she let her dreams slip from her fingertips? Lots of small but important signs have encouraged her to continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fans, seeing people at my shows cry, people that continue to buy my music,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce in a while, that check comes in from iTunes and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh my God! I can pay my rent!\u2019 Enough things have happened where it\u2019s just like, \u2018Why stop?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexz realized that facing constant challenges is a key to being successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing is going to be easy from this point on,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve given my life to this. Everything is going to be hard and I can\u2019t see myself doing anything I\u2019m going to love as much as this. Why not keep going?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexz succeeded because of her dedication and love for music. She didn\u2019t let the negativity overpower her. She remained patient and did all that she could to come out on top.<\/p>\n

And yes, she definitely came out on top!<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I would have never suspected how fulfilling it can be to conquer things that really scare you,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can\u2019t have fear of failure. I think people can sense that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll Use What You Give Me, Like Kites When It\u2019s Windy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alexz doesn\u2019t believe luck alone has gotten her to where she is today. Her determinations and unwillingness to give up when times get tough have pushed her to succeed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think luck is something to do with it,\u201d she said, \u201cbut you\u2019re only going to run across luck if you have persistence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou Can Always Believe With A Dream Up Your Sleeve\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

Alexz told us about the differences between being part of a big label and having a \u201cteam\u201d and working as an independent artist. She\u2019s had both experiences, but prefers the control she has now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really good for me to go the indie route,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s really important to build your own ship that you can sail without having to rely on people.\u201d
\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s All On The Table I\u2019m Willing And Able.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alexz has sacrificed and dedicated all of her time to writing lyrics, recording, and connecting with her fans through social media. She hasn\u2019t seriously considered doing anything else with her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t have a backup plan,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can\u2019t have, \u2018I\u2019ll try this and if that doesn\u2019t work then\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like if you really want this, you have to make sacrifices and bite the bullet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexz doesn\u2019t just perform for attention and money. One of the many reasons her performances are so popular is because she conquers the stage with her heart, and sings with her soul.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason why you stand up on stage like a fool, open your heart out and share everything inside of you is because you literally feel like there\u2019s nothing else here you can do,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like that\u2019s what makes music and entertainers, since like the circus. That\u2019s what makes it so interesting to watch people on stage, when they\u2019re so vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley O\u2019Leary is a senior in our program at Mount St. Mary Academy in Buffalo.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a really great article\/interview at LiveStarringYou.com<\/a> about Alexz and her career, the ups and downs, and why she continues to keep going. Source Former teen star Alexz Johnson chases dreams as indie artist By Ashley O\u2019Leary She\u2019s starred on Disney Channel\u2019s So Weird and CTV\u2019s Instant Star. You may have seen her \u201criding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13],"tags":[72,302,825],"class_list":["post-5758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-article","tag-interview","tag-livestarringyou"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t