Debut

As the California sun glistens through the curtains and shines on his face every morning, Skye Stevens wakes up determined and one step closer to living out his dream. His dream is becoming the first and youngest mainstream Armenian pop entertainer of our generation. His days are filled with voice lessons, singing rehearsals, dance routines, and quality time in the studio practicing his sets. The music industry isn’t cut out for every aspiring little boy or girl to become a successful recording artist one day. In Skye’s case, however, all it takes is one listen to see that he stands alone from his pop-music peers. Watch out Justin Bieber, Skye Stevens Dancing might just steal your thunder. Text Sauline Kojababian topto the

40 | January/February 2013 he industry of big dreams. As many have been and pay for studio time instead of spending it on games or swallowedT whole and spat back out, Skye Stevens knew going to the movies,” he explains. the business wouldn’t always be kind. Still, the 19 year-old Trying to break into an industry that is impossible to Skye doesn’t care about having a backup plan. Within less break, Skye’s music somehow landed in the hands of music than a year of breaking onto the scene, Skye has scored over managers Jules Dougall and Dawna Zeeman who have one million YouTube video views, a record deal with Rock worked with musicians like Rihanna. Plain and simple, Society Records and a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Dance they saw a spark in Skye and quickly flew him out to Los Charts. His first single “Takes All Night” has been circulating Angeles to create a star. Moving to the City of Angels has throughout the international dance music scene, placing him been an adjustment for Skye, but he thanks God every day on the musical map. He is not even old enough to drink, yet for the opportunity. “Los Angeles is different. It’s hard to clubs and DJs all over the world have been blasting his music, find real connections with people, but my music family has including Grammy-nominated producer and re-mixer Dave made the city feel like home,” he says. Audé who has worked with U2, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez and Coldplay. New to the game, Skye is already setting himself up to be more than just a trendy one-hit wonder. Although it is spot on that music has changed a lot over the Stevens has scored a record years, and upcoming artists are put under so much scrutiny for integrating auto-tune and disguising their actual vocals deal with Rock Society Records with club beats. “Using auto-tune doesn’t mean I am working any less. It can’t miraculously make you sound good. It can and a Top 20 hit on the create a note, but not a singer,” laughs Skye. As a kid, Skye owned a toy cash register. He soon transformed Billboard Dance Charts with that cash register into a bank for his future album release party. “For album, saving money for the future,” it read in his first single “Takes All Night” kindergarten scribbles. From the age of five, and before he knew how to tie his own shoe laces, Skye knew he wanted to be a star. While all the other kids wanted to become “Skye is one of the most driven artists we’ve had the astronauts and superheroes, he wanted to be just like his icon opportunity to work with. He is very artistic and always has Michael Jackson. “I would sit in front of the television and great creative ideas. He wanted to perform more than most watch Michael Jackson music videos over and over again. artists, and as managers we know the power of that. We’ve When I watch him dance, I feel a magical energy transcend seen a lot of talented artists come and go because they lack from his body into mine,” he says and pops his chest with a that dedication,” says his manager Jules Dougall. Through suave dance move. Like many other kids, he participated, not his management team, Skye got in touch with the famous always successfully, in numerous baseball and soccer teams, artistic director/choreographer Jamaica Craft, who has been but his ever-present love for music led him to a dance class involved with successful artists like TLC, Usher and Ciara. that completely changed his life. Teachers recognized that Many sleepless nights were spent in a dance studio in order to Skye, aside from all the other kids, was blessed not only with perfect his talent. “She was really captivated by my drive and talent, but with an artistic vision. As the stage became his my desire. We spent hours in a local studio not always dancing playground, voice lessons soon followed. From one rehearsal but talking about culture and the world. When it came down to to the next, city to city, Skye lived a very different life from my dance style, we drew inspiration from Usher and Ne-Yo who other kids his age. “I definitely had to give up a lot. I missed move so effortlessly. We even flew to Atlanta for a few weeks a lot of sleepovers because I had performances. I did have and participated in underground dance battles. I experienced to give up normal kid things but I didn’t feel sad about it. I the art of dance in its rawest form,” he says. wanted to be on TV, radio and in movies. I remember I was His mother, a former performer herself, gave up her passion for out of school for three weeks in the fifth grade; I would fax the arts at a young age under unfortunate circumstances. “My my math homework at eight in the morning and then attend mother and I have a really strong connection. She was a dancer an audition for ten hours. I loved it; I loved every minute of and singer until the age of 18. As her father was dying, he it,” he says. At age ten, Skye performed at the 76th Annual asked her to stop performing. He was worried about her being Macy’s Day Parade on the official Macy’s float. On weekends, in the industry as a young girl. It was tough for her to quit, but he would road trip with his family to New York and perform she did it to fulfill his last dying wish. I think when she saw me in theatres. “Summer after high school, I went on a cross- falling in love with music; she began living her dream through country Broadway tour. I sang in clubs that I wasn’t even old me. She knew it wasn’t a hobby from day one.” Growing up enough to be in. Theatre was fun but it was almost more of a in a household very encouraging of the arts, Skye’s journey gateway to performing music. Each city that we would visit I has had its struggles, but unlike most true Hollywood stories, would find a recording studio and record music that I created his experience has been nothing less than thrilling. “I feel so on my laptop five hours earlier. I would take my paychecks blessed and privileged. I thank God every day for my fans.

2013 January/February | 41 Debut

Skye Stevens Although it sounds like a stage name, Skye Stevens is his real name. His grandfather, the pioneering disc-jockey I call my parents every morning and say thank you. I have had Chuck Stevens, worked my struggles, but my experience has been so positive,” he says as a radio personality in with a sincere smile. Being so young, Skye has a large number Rhode Island and legally of fans who look up to him as a role model. The one thing that changed his last name he tells other aspiring artists is to really dig deep and make from Abejian to Stevens sure they are going to keep fighting even when the fighting for commercial reasons. gets tough. “You have to ask yourself is this really what I During the “rock ‘n roll” era want to do? Not every day is going to be interviews and photo of the 50’ and 60’s, Chuck shoots; most of the time it’s you by yourself. It’s you figuring Stevens was known for his out how to enhance your voice and improve your dancing. famous “Hello, you” at the No one else is going to do it for you,” he says. If you ask him, beginning of every show. drive and the perseverance to be taken seriously in the music industry is something that you are born with, almost like an addiction or something as natural as brown hair or blue eyes. There are soaring highs but also very low lows. “One day you feel like a champion and the next you ask yourself where your life is right now.” Skye sees making music as a form of

videos. Within the last decade, music videos have become less The dance style of important when it comes to creativity and importance for an artist’s success. Not until recently have videos made a come Skye Stevens is a back. “They aren’t as powerful as they once were, but at the same time I disagree with myself on that. I feel now we are in cross between Usher a place where people are online and instead of television we have YouTube, Vevo, Twitter etc. If you look at the views on and Chris Brown with a some videos online, they have 500 million views. The Internet almost recreated the music video. I am noticing that artists sharp edge that hits hard. are putting more money into that business. It’s not a dying art, now it’s just in the artists hands,” he explains. Just wrapping up his summer tour, this year has been an responsibility to his fans. He wants to stand for more than unforgettable year for Skye, filled with growing pains and just singing songs and performing on a stage. “I want to make life-changing experiences. Being on tour has taught him people truly happy. Music has always been my outlet and my everything a closed studio rehearsal space can’t. It’s real connection has been so personal. I know others turn to music life without the breaks; it’s a real crowd with real reactions. too when they are going through emotional times in their life. A good show in Boston does not guarantee a good show It’s not always about you. I think that is what separates you as in New York. As an emerging artist, as soon as he hits the a serious artist from the dreamers” he says. stage, it is his job to win the crowd over. “I remember after Coming up in the era of social media, Skye sees the new the introduction to one of my shows was done, and the Internet future as a plus for emerging musicians like himself. first verse of the opening song started, my eyes filled up. Witness the fact that one in five divorces are now blamed At that moment, a part of me said to myself – man, after on Facebook, and that Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Britney all the blood, sweat and tears, I am on my way. Girls were Spears have more Twitter followers than the population of holding signs with my name on them and singing along Sweden, Israel, Greece and Chile combined. Musical figures to all my songs. I even had girls chasing me through the who once were so unattainable are now your friends. As out of stadium for an autograph. It was a day I will never forget.” control as social networking can get sometimes, Skye wouldn’t Now that summer is over, he is fully engaged in working be where he is today without it. It helps him connect with his on his debut album and in full swing with his winter tour. fans on an individual level. “Artists can be links and mentors to Skye Stevens works hard. He creates music within a new their fans, and you are constantly able to share with the world. genre called Urban-Pop. His dance style is a cross between I read every tweet, every e-mail, and every shout out. I recently Usher and Chris Brown with a sharp edge that hits hard. received an e-mail from a girl who told me her parents were He is a loving guy who enjoys going to the movies by going through a divorce and every morning she would put on himself. He also finds the Justin Bieber comparisons quite my song to make her feel better and help her get through the flattering. Above all, he is an American-Armenian crossing day. I love to lift spirits; it is the greatest feeling in the world.” the boundaries of music as a mainstream teen pop star and Skye’s favorite part about being an artist is creating music melting young hearts along the way.

42 | January/February 2013