KRUNK's Very Own—Najj Andrea
When Najj Andrea joined Center of Life’s KRUNK Movement four years ago, she was a girl who enjoyed music but didn’t have the technical knowledge that went into creating it. At KRUNK, she learned about writing, composition, stage presence, and much more.
Today, she creates the magic all on her own—writing, composing, singing—a fact that she is immensely proud of. The melodies, however, remain her favorite part and where she usually starts the song writing process. This is evident in her work so far where the songs move the listener through melodic journeys charged with as much meaning and emotion as her voice and lyrics do.
Through KRUNK, Najj also found a wonderful community of friends and mentors. Having always felt like an outcast at school for her interest in the creative arts, Najj describes KRUNK as a family. “When I came here, I felt like I was among people like me that wanted to create.... The friends I have found, we all boost each other up, support each other. Even if it’s going to take away from us, we always choose to help each other.” Along with her mother, it is this support system that pulled through for her and made her benefit concert on Saturday a success.
The benefit was at The Glitter Box Theater on Saturday, October 12th. The show featured several KRUNK Movement alumni and current students. The money raised from this concert will go towards her post high-school travel plans to California where she will be auditioning for ARTS International. This is a golden opportunity to meet and perform for the top agents, managers, casting directors, and record labels in the industry. It’s a five-day program interspersed with workshops and auditions for the categories of singing, photography, and theme runway. It’s a daunting task and one that, understandably, makes Najj a little nervous. But she is full of hope, energy and an infectious determination. It’s clear that this strength of spirit will take her very far.
Najj will also be performing at the Pittsburgh’s Very Own concert on November 2nd. This show will feature several established artists (some even twice her age), ones that Najj looks up to herself. “Just for me to be able to share the stage with them is amazing!”
In addition to preparing for the ARTS International audition, Najj divides her time between school, an internship, KRUNK, and rehearsal for other shows. This busy schedule, however, hasn’t affected her excitement or the joy she gets from making and sharing her music. Najj’s next project is an EP that travels through the different stages of love. Though it is still in the works and she can’t say much more about it, you can listen to her music on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud and other platforms.
But there are some bittersweet moments as this is her last year at KRUNK. When asked about what advice she would like to give other students (who will look up to her) she says that it’s all about hard work and not letting your spirit waver. “Where you are now does not determine where you’re going to be—in two weeks, two months, maybe even two years. You don’t stop at anything until you get what you want. But you have to put in the work. You have to get down sometimes, before you get up.”
-Arista Engineer