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Features May 2016
Next Great Composer Katya Richardson
Julia Tran News Editor
Sure , you ’ ve heard of Matthew Morrison , but have you heard of OC- SA ’ s next up and coming alumni Katya Richardson ( IM ‘ 15 )?
Richardson , who received OCSA ’ s top arts scholarship , The Sunny Brown Award , is currently on a full-ride scholarship at the USC Thornton School of Music .
In addition , she recently started to intern for musician , singer / songwriter , and film / TV composer Craig Wedren . Some of his projects include “ Fresh off the Boat ,” “ School of Rock ,” and “ Wet Hot American Summer .”
“ Although I haven ’ t been working long , and it ’ s difficult to balance an internship during the school year , it ’ s amazing getting first-hand experience in the media industry , especially since I want to pursue film scoring ,” said Richardson .
Richardson has received countless awards and honors for her exceptional works . A quick list : a Los Angeles Philharmonic premiere of her orchestral work , “ Undefined ,” at the Walt Disney Concert Hall ; original compositions performed by OCSA and LACHSA symphony orchestras and Calder Quartet ; a premiere in Vienna and Prague of her original composition “ anima mundi ”; features in the
Orange County Register the Los Angeles Times ; and multiple top prizes at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival .
While she doesn ’ t label herself a feminist , the fact that her major consists of mostly white males and that she has experienced multiple accounts of prejudice has inspired her to adopt a political agenda for her music .
“ In a society that supposedly promotes social justice , it ’ s surprising how traditional the composition field still is . Only three women have won Academy Awards for their film scores — and I intend to change that ,” she said .
Richardson credits OCSA for her successful career , smooth transition into college , and growth as a musician . Her father , Kevin Richardson , is a teacher in Instrumental Music . He believes OCSA helped his daughter nurture her musical talents and academic skills .
“ Diligence and hard work combined with her passion for creating music have taken her far with many new opportunities at college . She has been a good role model for OCSA students to follow . Some have told me how they were inspired by her compositions and work ethic ,” said the proud papa . Katya also said the academic environment here at OCSA “ prepared [ her ] for the amount of personal motivation expected of a college student .” Recently , Richardson has been working on junior thesis student films , became an award recipient at YoungArts LA , and was featured on a public radio . She is currently working on an orchestral piece that will possibly make its debut at the Hollywood Bowl . In the summer , Richardson will taking part in the NYU / ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop .
Katya also said the academic environment here at OCSA “ prepared [ her ] for the amount of personal motivation expected of a college student .”
What made you become interested in music and composition ?
I started piano when I was eight , and whenever I ’ d make a mistake while practicing , I ’ d start improvising on that mistake and turn it into a piece , despite my parents ’ protests . From that point on it became clear that I was a rebel : I preferred coming up with my own music rather than having to follow the notes in front of me .
Compare your life experiences at OCSA vs . USC .
USC is a HUGE sports school . And as an OCSA student , naturally , I had no idea what I was in for ... I haven ’ t had to wake up before 8 a . m . [ at USC ], which has been nice . At OCSA , I was always so busy with academics and conservatory that I hardly had time for leadership positions beyond a few clubs .
Since my classes are more evenly dispersed throughout the week , I ’ ve made an effort to involve myself in different positions on campus . I ’ m a research assistant at the Brain and Creativity Institute , a Floor Senator in my dorm government , I work for the school newspaper and am part of a professional music fraternity .
In many ways I feel like USC is an extension of OCSA , because of its comradery and spirit , and that has definitely made the transition into college easier .
What is your preferred genre of music to listen to and compose ?
I ’ ve been so conditioned to analyze music that I can ’ t multitask or do homework to it . But generally , I listen to a lot of classical and jazz : from Bach to Stravinsky , Bill Evans , Snarky Puppy , or John Williams and Alexandre Desplat . But I also love Queen , Earth , Wind , & Fire , and Fleet Foxes .
Any words of advice to OCSA students and aspiring musicians ?
I visited OCSA recently and it was really shocking . In college , I ’ m a puny freshman that no one knows . But when I came back to OCSA , I was overwhelmed with hugs … I felt like a celebrity !
College is an opportunity to learn more
Katya Richardson Photo courtesy of Katya Richardson
Fun Facts :
Katya speaks Russian and some Ukrainian . She has been a vegetarian for two years . She tries to avoid coffee monopolies like Starbucks . Katya grinds her own beans and French presses her coffee , even in college . She likes to make coffee or tea for her floor mates , and gets called a “ grandma ” for it . She met an Iranian princess at Costco who invited her to her mansion . When she was younger she wanted to be an archeologist because Indiana Jones was her hero .
about yourself and be anyone you want . Even if you don ’ t know what you want to make of your life , college will help you — there are so many opportunities and not enough time ! But confidence is the key .
Sure , I could imagine so many parallel universes where I ’ m studying computer science or underwater basket weaving . However , it ’ s that very self-doubt that prevents you from being successful .
Life , and your education , is what you make of it , and if you want to try something , then go for it ! For the most part , it doesn ’ t really matter what college you go to , because you ’ ll always end up where you belong .
Q . Any interesting classes that you ’ ve taken at USC ?
Because I had an extra unit last semester , I took a ping pong class just for fun . It was one of my favorite classes and I looked forward to it every week since it was a nice break from my otherwise rigorous coursework .
Some of my friends didn ’ t think it was a serious class , but it really was ! We had to learn the rules of competitive ping pong and study the facts about its origins . They even have a sailing class , but I might save that for senior year .
If you could visit any place in the world , where would your first choice place be and why ?
I absolutely love traveling and I ’ d like to go backpacking at some point in my life . If I could visit anywhere right now , it ’ d probably be Bali or someplace tropical because I ’ m in dire need of a vacation that involves scuba diving and turtles . But then again it ’ s been my dream to visit Europe in the winter , like those beautiful snow scenes in the James Bond movies .
If you were an ice cream flavor , which one would you be ?
If I were an ice cream flavor I ’ d probably be coffee because I ’ m a coffee enthusiast .
If you had a time machine that would work only once , what point in the future or in history would you visit and why ?
I ’ d prefer to visit the future since it would mean knowing the unknown . At the same time , however , visiting the past wouldn ’ t be bad either . People always tell me that I ’ m a “ grandma ” or an “ old soul ” or that I dress like a hippie and watch too many mid 20th century musicals . In that sense , since I ’ d fit in with the culture , it ’ d be fascinating to travel back to the 1950s and experience one of my favorite historical time periods .