Jade Patteri is using her talents to help end racism!
The singer, actress and dancer dropped her latest single “Unity” back in September, which she says “was written to be a hopeful voice of influence in response to the cultural, racial, and political divides that propagate injustice in our current society.”
“I wanted to create a story that challenges us for a moment to learn and to listen to one another, without biases, and perhaps choose to befriend someone from the other side of the aisle,” Patteri tells Celeb Secrets.
In addition to the song, Jade filmed a moving music video (during COVID!) for the tune, which was actually co-directed by the entertainer and her father, and features lead dancers Marcus Mitchell (Step It Up) and Kayla Radmaski (So You Think You Can Dance).
While we wait for the “Unity” music video, Jade is keeping our ears happy with a new single “Butterflies,” out this Friday, October 9th. Later this year, she is set to star in Netflix’s ‘The Prom’ musical, out December 11.
Celeb Secrets sits down (virtually) with Patteri to talk all about “Unity,” her passion for singing, dancing and acting, as well as her upcoming Netflix film coming this December. Listen to “Unity” below and let us know what you think of the track by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can keep up with Jade by following her on Instagram at @jadepatteri.
Celeb Secrets: What initially sparked an interest for you in the arts?
Jade Patteri: “I’ve been singing, dancing and acting from the time I learned how to walk. My parents were both in the industry so I grew up backstage at my dad’s shows, taking dance classes from my mom and doing so much backyard karaoke that our neighbors threatened to move. Through all of these experiences the thing that really inspired me the most was seeing just how much a story could bring joy and/or shed light on the human condition. Observing my parents successfully touch someone with a smile, a laugh, a tear or just ‘feel something’ was the reason that I fell in love with the arts and why I strive to be a part of this ‘tapestry of hope.'”
CS: Aside from music, you are also no stranger to acting and dancing. Do you have a favorite that you prefer working on, or do you enjoy them all equally?
JP: “Musactance! I am adding this word to the Webster dictionary. “An artist who is passionate about all three disciplines, acting, dancing and music, and cannot separate themselves from one.” It’s like asking a Mother or Father, which one of the triplets do you love more? I am grateful for them all and each one compliments the other in my creativity of one. It’s as if the discipline of the one out front is the canvas and the other two complimentary disciplines are the paintbrush and the hand that moves the paint.”
CS: What have been some of your favorite memories where you’ve combined all your talents into one?
JP: “I would have to say musical theater. Musical theater is the perfect combination of singing, acting, and dancing and getting to live through someone else’s eyes live on stage. I booked my first professional musical when I was nine, I played young Jane/Adele in the world premiere of Jane Eyre: The Musical. The rest is history as I have been in countless musicals professionally and in high school since and have been honored with multiple awards for several of those performances. Not only is musical theater an amazing way to reach people through stories performed on stage, but it’s also another amazing way to tap into feelings and emotions that you wouldn’t normally tap into in real life. One of my favorite experiences was ‘The Prom’ The Movie Musical where I had the life changing experience of singing, dancing and acting alongside some of Hollywood’s top A-Listers which will be premiering on Netflix on December 11th!”
CS: When it comes to music, who are some artists that you look up to/inspire your music?
JP: “Alessia Cara has been such a big part of why I got into the music industry. Her lyrics are so intentional and purposeful that they inspired me to make music that would inspire people just the same. So much music today sounds the same or is a knock off of another artist. Coming from a family of artists, I was always encouraged to find my voice…my sound. Alessia simply did not care what people thought about her, she actually shied away from the attention. She was focused on what she had to say and as a young artist, that is a very tough thing to do with all of the societal, industry and peer pressures and expectations. I’m grateful for my parent’s guidance and Alessia’s lead.”
CS: You have a new song “Unity” out right now with a music video coming very soon. Can you talk to us about the song and what made you want to record/release it?
JP: “Well ‘Unity’ was written to be a hopeful voice of influence in response to the cultural, racial, and political divides that propagate injustice in our current society. However, the convergence of all that has happened in 2020 and the inability for people to feel safe about living and voicing their different convictions mandated that we create a story and a mission to bring about healing in Unity. We find ourselves more torn than we have been in sixty years and yet due to the isolation and despair that so many find themselves in I believe an opening exists to teach one another how to love, not hate. We don’t have to agree as diversity of thought is what challenges us to move forward and our convictions are deep, we can’t control how we feel about them. However, we can control how we behave to one another despite them. If we can start there we can create a respectful dialogue and potentially learn from one another. I knew I needed to record and release a song about this a while ago but I’m extremely glad that we are doing the music video now considering the events in our society currently.”
CS: What was it like filming the music video? Can you share some of your favorite memories with us?
JP: “The process of filming this video was an absolute joy. ‘Unity’ was directed by my dad and I so I had a lot of creative control since it was our vision. However, it wouldn’t have come to life if it hadn’t been for the collaborative efforts of the entire team. Let me tell you, throughout the process of filming we had so many different backgrounds come together and create a story that I am hoping and praying will make a dent in this political season. I wanted to create a story that challenges us for a moment to learn and to listen to one another, without biases, and perhaps choose to befriend someone from the other side of the aisle. We might find that we have more in common than not. When we spread an emotional and purposeful mission like this, choosing unity in love, especially during a time like this, is so much bigger than us…it binds us together with faith and hope.
CS: Did you film during the pandemic? If so, what was that like?
JP: “‘Unity’ was filmed not too long ago so yes we ended up filming during the pandemic. Thankfully it wasn’t as stressful and complicated as we originally intended on it being. Everyone on set took extreme precaution and kept their distance while wearing masks when needed. We had an amazing crew lead by the incredibly talented Joseph Lee of Joseph Films that kept everyone on schedule and made sure that everyone was respectful in the safest possible way. If anything the pandemic actually ended up working out as far as the cast of unity was concerned. Our lead dancers, Marcus Mitchell (Step It Up) and Kayla Radmaski (So You Think You Can Dance) and choreographers (Fresh and Outrage), are usually extremely booked but because of COVID we were able to work with them for more than enough time. We were so blessed in the long run and felt like COVID allowed us to make lemonade out of lemons!”
CS: “Unity” is so fitting considering the state the world is in right now. What’s one thing you hope people take away from your song when they listen to it?
JP: “My hope would be for people to not only listen and reflect on the lyrics of ‘Unity’ but to take action and find ways to help unite our world today. Oftentimes we turn a blind eye to hurtful comments, hypocritical behavior, unjust biases and an overall misunderstanding of someone else’s conviction. My encouragement and hope would be for listeners to help change this cycle of hate and division by standing up for truth; with the strength of their conviction while also using a kind voice and an open ear. We can be the change but in order to make a change we must take the first step in love.”
CS: Do you have any other projects/releases that we should be on the lookout for?
JP: “Yes I do! ‘The Prom’ the movie musical will be releasing to Netflix on December 11 and I play one of the principal dancers and high school students in the film. Other than ‘The Prom’ and new music videos releasing soon, there will be a great deal of more original music that I have already produced and am in the process of finishing as well as many more visuals. I am also currently working on a charitable project associated with my song and video, ‘Unity.’ When the video is released we will be launching a website that will be focused on testimonial stories and resources addressing our cultural divides. It will be a place where people can go to find hope and healing.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets (fun facts) about yourself that your fans (and our readers) wouldn’t know about?
JP: “I’m a bit of a neat freak! My friends parents love when I come over because I often clean their rooms. My closet is color coordinated and my drawers would easily pass a military inspection. My friends love to flip my room when I am not around just to watch me in panic try to clean it up again. For me if it’s not 100% clean or in its exact place it’s messy!”
