Remember that Black Space // Style mashup that went viral after Taylor Swift herself tweeted it? With the trendy half-bun blonde and the leather jacket clad brunette? Meet Louisa Wendorff: a California girl pursuing her dreams of music.
For just turning 21, Wendorff has had an incredible journey breaking into the music scene. She got her start on YouTube, and now is beginning a tour around the country with original music. Yet Louisa is more than just a beautiful face and a talented singer; she has a heart of gold and a passion for others. From her YouTube mashups including a variety from Beyonce to Ed Sheeran, to her album "Arrow", she is an inspiration for others in the music industry and beyond.
“ My favorite part is how I inspired someone; I gush and I cannot contain myself. Thats what Im doing this for, that's why what's in my heart is to be an influencer and an inspiration to people. My biggest dream is to change society, be a culture shifter, and just make moves through music, and knowing that I am already inspiring people means the world."
How did you know you wanted to pursue music?
LW: I started getting into music when I was seven, my step grandma was an opera singer. She invited seven or so of our girl cousins to a Sound of Music medley during one of her concerts. I ended up doubling as Gretel since I was the littlest and Maria since I was the singer...but I was only seven. After I sung 'The Hills Are Alive' at the end of the concert, there was a standing ovation. It was in that moment that I knew this is what I wanted to do, I knew I wanted to be a singer. As time went on, this translated to elementary school assemblies, musical theatre, training in dance, and acting. Before I moved to college, music was really hard to pursue on my own since there weren't any other musicians in my hometown that were successful. I was unique because I knew what I wanted to do with my life at such a young age, so I focused on dancing, since that was more accessible at the time. However singing became a priority in college when it finally was more accessible to me.
In regards to making your Taylor Swift mashup that went viral, can you walk us through the process of making it and how long it took?
LW: So I've been doing mashups for a while, and I heard Taylor Swift's new album, Blank Space, so I thought it would be cool to one with that album. I had done a mashup with the same artist kind of strategically, pulling two different types like Ed Sheeran and Beyonce— two very opposite spectrums. I heard the two songs and was thinking about how they could together.
Over Thanksgiving, I was talking with Devin (my creative director) and his wife after dinner, and we started jamming. Devin had never heard the songs before, so when I was teaching him I realized that they had the same structure when played on top of one another. When we tried it--it was sick. We didn't touch it for three weeks and it was three days before I was leaving for Christmas break to go home to LA when we realized that if we were going to do something, we had to make a move. So we got together and finished the arrangement in twenty minutes. That night we recorded it, the day after we filmed it, and I moved my flight to a later date so we could film the video.
I edited the video over Skype when I was in LA and Devin's wife was in DC. We knew it was the best one so far, we just didn't know how far it would go.
"We put the video online, and two weeks and four days after that, Taylor tweeted it. Within minutes there were calls, interviews, articles— It just grew like a tidal wave."
Since the mashup, Louisa's career has escalated at a very quick pace from singing at venues across the country to the Red Carpet at The Grammy's. She has so much going for her, enjoying her lifelong dream of singing, not worrying about what others think of her, and having fun.
Louisa spoke about the heart behind her music and how she wants her songs to communicate a message of positive reinforcement to girls around the country. Growing up was not the easiest thing for Louisa. Because she was creative and driven, she stood apart from many of her peers, and she could not relate to a lot of girls.
Growing up in Los Angeles where image and credentials are so important, living up to that perfectionist standard is incredible difficult. Because of that, Louisa wants to send a message to every young girl:
"You are beautiful and you are worthy because you are, period. That there is nothing you have do to prove that. You do not have to prove yourself to obtain a level of worth," said Wendorff.
Louisa's music gives energy and encouragement to her listeners. She wants to be a breath of fresh air and wants her shows to be entertaining and make people feel good. Louisa's goal is to be inspiring to others, and to encourage people to pursue their dream whole heartedly.
"I want young women to follow their passions because that's what makes you happy, and full of life."
Millennials are under this pressure to go to college and get a good job. What advice could you give someone who is deciding to pursue their dreams, or not?
LW: Millennials have an expectation, and college has become a must for everyone. From what I've lived through, I've learned that there is no box or checklist you have to fit into to be successful, or to be a respected person. When you hear "college dropout", there is no conventional way to be successful. That's what our society says. if something is hindering your dream, whether it's school, an internship, a nannying job or whatever, it's not worth it if its sucking your life away. Just because society says it's the right thing to do, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do for you. I believe in living abundantly and that everything can bring you life; whether it's relationships, a job, or school. If it's not any of those things for you, then that's something you might want to look into.