Stephanie Clavin was a high school junior living in New Orleans when she decided to start posting videos of herself singing on Vine, the six-second video sharing app.
One morning, she woke up and discovered one of her Vine covers had gone viral. Now, Clavin, a graphic design sophomore at the University, has been nominated for the Social Star Award for the 2017 iHeartRadio Awards.
Growing up in New Orleans, music and art were always around the corner, Clavin said. This helped inspire her creatively from an early age.
“I never left the house without my portable CD player, headphones and CD case filled to the brim with Disney movie soundtracks,” she said.
Clavin’s musical influences have since expanded to include Adele, Ben Rector and Tori Kelly, but growing up in a culturally-diverse city has allowed her musical taste to transcend genres and generations.
“One minute I’ll be listening to some Ray Charles and the next, Chance the Rapper,” she said. “It all blends together for me.”
Art has also influenced Clavin’s music. On a normal day, Clavin will take breaks from sketching and designing to write songs or arrange covers.
“Music and art allow a place to be vulnerable with not only myself, but with those I share that creation with,” she said.
Calvin decided to stay close to her roots by attending the University and now calls it her “home away from home.” She said she hopes to book gigs in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans over the summer.
Clavin considers her past shyness as the driving force behind her decision to start posting on Vine. Receiving such positive feedback and support gave her the confidence that she needed.
“As crazy as this might sound, without Vine, I most definitely would not be where I am today, both as a person and in terms of my music,” she said.
Through the app, she was able to connect with people around the world and make friends who she still keeps in touch with today.
Clavin continues actively posting on social media and has accumulated more than 400,000 followers on Vine and more than 140,000 followers on Instagram. She said she sees her large social media following as an opportunity that should be used responsibly.
“I feel I have a responsibility to share my authentic self no matter how many people are watching because you never know who is looking up to you as a role model,” she said.
Clavin said she hopes her story will inspire others to conquer their fears and trust in their God-given gifts.
“You never know what’s going to happen if you put yourself out there,” she said.
She advises aspiring musicians to always stay true to themselves and not get too caught up in the feedback they may receive online.
“As long as you stay grounded in who you are, share what you love and love what you’re sharing, you’ll be good to go,” she said.
Those interested can listen to the iHeartRadio Awards Sunday, March 5 at 7 p.m. Voting is available on the iHeartRadio website for the Social Star Award until then.
Graphic design sophomore Stephanie Clavin, who is nominated for an iHeart Radio Award, is in the sculpture garden on campus on Wednesday, March 1, 2017.
