CONWAY — When Alondra Johnson first heard Jimi Hendrix music at the age of 12, she wanted to play the guitar. She is now bringing her love of her music to the world stage.
“I think it’s great that he was one of the first to create that new sound, that new vibe,” said the late American guitarist from Charleston, West Virginia. “He led me down a rabbit hole of various artists in the style of classic rock, and then into metal and jazz pop.
Seventeen-year-old Johnson is a freshman at Coastal Carolina University, majoring in commercial music and jazz. In November, she became one of her 50 students accepted into the Sony Music Group Global Scholars program.
The program aims to help underrepresented students advance in the music industry through educational partnerships, internships, and career advancement opportunities. According to Sony Music Group, this year he had students from more than 70 countries apply.
Towalame Austin, executive vice president of philanthropy and social impact at SMG, said: in a statement.
Emilio Terranova, CCU’s commercial music and jazz program coordinator, introduced Johnson to the opportunity. He said he first heard about her audition last spring, and she demonstrated her great work ethic while attending classes this semester.
“From the moment I heard her play and had the opportunity to talk to her, I knew she would be a great fit for our program and would be a successful musician,” Terranova said. “For us here in Conway, South Carolina, it’s really exciting to have such students working on such a global scale.”
Alondra Johnson, 17, of Charleston, West Virginia, performs on stage.Alondra Johnson/Courtesy
Through this program, Johnson will receive a regular $5,000 scholarship for three years or until graduation. She said she felt she was allowed to continue pursuing her goals when she was accepted.She eventually became an entertainment attorney, specializing in copyright law. I hope to
“I am happy to know that Sony has faith in me,” Johnson said. pushed me to pursue what I wanted to do.”
Despite the worldwide recognition for her pursuit, Johnson said she maintains strong ties to her hometown of Appalachia.
“Appalachia” refers to the 13 state regions along the Appalachian Mountains that extend from New York to Mississippi. The area contains some of the poorest counties in the country, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Appalachia is famous for bluegrass, folk and country music like Dolly Parton and Etta Baker. But Johnson said the region has a lesser-known music scene, including rock, jazz and metal.
Johnson drew inspiration from these various sounds to develop his self-proclaimed blend of Billy Joel, Santana, Led Zeppelin and the White Stripes. She was also inspired to write songs on her first EP, Diamond Eyes, which was released in December.
But Johnson stresses that Latinos are still underrepresented in Appalachian music, and she wants to change that.
“I was determined to do something and inspire a younger generation,” Johnson said. will be represented.”
Follow Nicole Ziege on Twitter @NicoleZiege.
