We caught up with the brilliant and insightful China Orr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, China thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I started working full time as a licensed leasing agent in 2021. While working there, I was pursuing music on the side. I traveled as a solo artist, worked as a studio and live background vocalist, lead worship at my local church, and performed weekly at private and corporate events. In the spring of 2022, I was presented with the opportunity to audition for Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir in LA and ended up landing a spot! Shortly thereafter, I decided to leave my full time job, that I had only worked at for 6 months, and pursue music full time. After making that decision, a world of opportunities were unlocked for me! In that year alone, I performed for the Bulls halftime show, performed at the Grammys as a background vocalist for John Legend, performed at the BET Awards as a vocalist for Diddy and Maverick City Music, performed as a background vocalist for Snoh Aalegra while also traveling the country for various private events. It was such an exhilarating time in my life, and everything seemed to be aligning perfectly! This year, I was invited to go on tour with Grammy award winning artist Jonathan McReynolds for his national tour. We just wrapped the 2022 run, and will be going back on the road next year! This all transpired once I decided to take a chance on myself and launch into the deep without knowing what would come of it. All I had was a dream, belief in myself, and faith in God!

China, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For those who do not know I am a singer songwriter. I’m also an actress, dancer songwriter. And I just love all things creative. I went to Columbia College Chicago where I got my Bachelor of Arts, in music, and I graduated in 2018. I got my start in music singing at my childhood church. On the west side of Chicago. My grandmother got me heavily involved with singing in the choir. Had my first ever solo when I was about three years old. And I have been in love with singing ever since. I am so drawn to music that embodies a soul music that encompasses the human experience with intricate lyrics and unique melodies. I’ve always loved musicals, I’ve always loved theater. I love drama. I love all things dramatic lol. I believe that, my attention to detail as a vocalist sets me apart the most. I may not be the most acrobatic with my style of singing. I may not have the highest or lowest range. But what I believe is special about me is my ability to connect and to tell a story with my voice. And I believe that people are drawn to emotional experiences, especially through art. I have been blessed to perform on music’s biggest stages such as the Grammys I performed at the BT awards I have. I was able to sing with John Legend. And that was an incredible experience for me. I’ve also been a part of musical productions in the city of Chicago. hose are just a few of my accomplishments that I am extremely proud of. And I pray that I am able to continue on this journey!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As a creative what is most rewarding for me is the way I impact people with the art that I create. I love the opportunity to express release, relate and provide healing to those who encounter my artistry. As a singer, I have a unique opportunity to connect with different stories, different backgrounds, different walks, of life, and it brings me so much joy. When I can find a common ground with music I can find a point of relation through art. What’s rewarding about that is we no longer focus on what makes us different, but we focus on what unifies us at the heart. And that is so special to me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

There are many things about my journey that would not make sense to someone who does not work in the creative arts field. I personally decided to leave my full time job where I had great relationships and worked at a great company made good money. I decided to leave all of that to pursue music to pursue artistry. And that is something that doesn’t make a lot of sense because it’s almost like choosing instability and uncertainty. However, I have a belief in myself that cannot be shaken or questioned and I chose to sacrifice those things in order to see my dreams come into full fruition.And I believe that people will also see my wins the opportunities that I’ve been granted and assume that it’s easy to navigate those moments, when in reality, it’s actually pretty difficult and scary because there is so much uncertainty, but there is so much fulfillment and joy that rest in those spaces.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @chinaaorr
• Linkedin: Tahlia Orr
• Twitter: @chinaaorr

Image Credits
Matt Wiley Ashley Mia