We were lucky to catch up with Karen Waldrup recently and have shared our conversation below.
Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The most meaningful project I have ever been a part of is working with Mission of Hope: Haiti. I got involved with Mission of Hope in 2018 and was very surprised by the request to partner with the charity. I felt like it was a huge compliment but I had no idea how God was calling me to help. I agreed to travel to Haiti and let God figure out the rest. We travelled to Haiti and went village to village playing country music with my saxophone player, Chris Schaffner, and my co-writer, Mel King. We wrote a song called “Tell Them We Lived” about our legacy when we are no longer here. The idea behind the song is that life has ups and downs but at the end of my life, I wanted people to know that I lived life to the fullest and encourage others to live their lives to the fullest! We created a music video for the song showing clips of us traveling throughout Haiti and giving the gift of music to the communities that are enduring so much suffering. People had told me about Haiti, but there is no way to understand the magnitude of suffering happening in these third-world countries without seeing it yourself. Every night when I went to sleep, I felt saddened by the grief-stricken community and I just felt like it wasn’t fair; the suffering that somebody has to endure just because they were born in a specific country. I knew that there was something I could do to help because I have such a large online platform. We call our platform “Waldrup Worldwide” and we are one million strong. We started by reaching out to friends and family for contributions to help build homes for single women with children with locks on their doors so they could be safe. As a female, I was greatly saddened by the blue tarp tents that women were raising children in after their men were nowhere to be found. I saw children with no shoes or diapers and women caring for other people’s children while they hiked five miles to get food. There was no clean water for these people to drink. I am in tears recalling this experience. It was horrific. I wanted to do something, so we built two homes in Haiti with the charitable contributions from my supporters across the globe. It was important to me when picking a charity to partner with a charity outside of the U.S. since our platform is global. My work with Mission of Hope continues and if you are interested in contributing to this incredible charity, visit missionofhope.com.
The second most meaningful project I have been blessed with being a part of is our song “Normandy” that I co-wrote with D-Day World War II veteran Jim Martin and Hunter Jergens. We had been asked to play Jim Martin’s 100th birthday and after I met them, we traveled back to Ohio to sit on Jim’s front porch and write “Normandy”, a song about his experience jumping onto the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6th, 1944. After we wrote the song, we gave it to Jim Martin on his 101st birthday and I got to sing it for him live in Ohio. We added “Normandy” to our Kendall County Road album and two days after the album was released, Jim Martin passed away. A week later, I was in Ohio at the Dayton National Cemetery singing “Normandy” at both his celebration of life and his funeral. Standing in front of his flag-covered memory was one of the most humble and beautiful experiences I have had in my career. After I sang, the organization raising funds for his statue in Dayton, OH informed me that they would like to include our song “Normandy” at the statue with a button for people to press and hear our song for years to come. On Veterans Day, November 11th 2022, we will be releasing a remastered version of “Normandy” as well as playing in Dayton, OH again to raise money for Jim Martin’s statue.
Being involved in these meaningful projects are the most fulfilling part of our journey as musicians. It’s not about us, it’s about other people and the impact we can make through music.
Karen, 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?
I am a Louisiana-born, world traveler, scuba diver, dart thrower, dog lover, music junkie. I love music. I love listening to music, writing songs, and I love performing the songs for people in a unique environment each time. No two shows are the same- I think that’s part of the fun. As the performer on stage, it is my job to pull everyone together into the same emotional feeling for each song. It is my job to move people’s hearts whether it is joy, sadness, reflection, or laughter. It is quite the thrill to arrive in a town that you have never been to and leave with hundreds of people you call family. Music has been the greatest gift of my lifetime.
What sets me apart from other artists is that I view each and every day and song as a gift that I am giving. I begin a cycle with each and every fan by starting with a gift of song. Then, it is their choice if they want to give me a gift back which could be applause, buying an album or telling a friend. I whole-heartedly believe that is the key to success in our business. If an artist makes the music all about them, it will be all about them and not about the people. When you make music about the people, that’s when God really moves in our lives and careers.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
When I first moved to Nashville, someone told me about a book called “Six-Figure Musician.” The idea behind the book is that we can create businesses, live a great life, and still do what we love. The book made a profound impact on me because it talked about the dangers of playing cover music for too long. It’s very risky to play original music and takes growth, but it works. The reason why is because you are the only person on the planet who plays this music. That means, if somebody wants that song or vibe, there is nobody but you to do it. That creates so much value for songwriters.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I’m not sure that non-creative people always understand the contentment that musicians have. To me, being content is the secret to life. As people living in the 21st century, we can get very focused on constantly striving for the next materialistic object or financial gain. My time with Jim Martin (D-Day World War II veteran) taught me that. If we are content and satisfied with what we have, we are more free to live the lives we really want to live. If we are satisfied and thankful for what we have, it reduces our stress and allows us to use our God-given talents to make a legacy that can last after we’re gone. I think creative people see that a little bit clearer.
Contact Info:
- Website: karenwaldrup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenwaldrupmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenwaldrup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-waldrup-124a1319/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenwaldrup
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarenWaldrup
Image Credits
Ron Kaplan Victoria Metzger Sherry Adams