Azra, also known as Clara Lee, is a singer, songwriter, author, model, speaker, and a business woman. Her unfortunate history with glaucoma in college expanded her perspective on human relationships, resulting in her book The Cupcake Theory. Her practice as a management consultant and foray into modeling eventually reminded her of her deep passion for music. Now, she embarks on a new journey with the release of her first EP Freedom.

I had an amazing time with Azra during the interview. She was incredibly passionate about her career and always inspires people to believe in what they believe in, and follow their heart. As the interview proceeds, I gradually discover how her experiences as an author, a businesswoman and a model culminate in her musical expressions.

Listen to her new EP Freedom on Spotify!

Keep up with Azra on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her official website!

All photos are taken by Dani Sacco. The following interview is abridged and edited for clarity.

Vic: When did you find out that you want to pursue in music?

Azra: I’ve always wanted to do something about music and I've done musical theater, choir, band and girl group during my high school and college. But then, I woke up one morning and I couldn’t see from my right eye. Having glaucoma in college put a stop to my passion because the doctors said, in order for your eyes to get better, you have to stop [pursuing] your passion. So I had to stop the music, stop dancing, and focus on studying and different things. That's when I turned my focus to books and really invest in my relationships because when you have a really hard time, relationships are very important. That inspired me to publish a book called The Cupcake Theory.

Relationships are important, Self-Worth is very important too.

Vic: Wow! What happened next?

Azra: And then my eyes got better. I graduated from university, and I got into management consulting, a corporate job (laughs). I’ve always wanted to do music, but I went with the traditional route. The first year out of college, I got approached by a fashion photographer and asked me if I wanted to be a part of a supermodel competition, I was like ‘what?’ I was just half-blind for a little bit, there’s no way that I could do that. But I did, and I actually ended up winning the show. And then I was Miss Asia, got picked for Korean Amerian Idol, and I went on doing more modeling.

BUT I DID.

But eventually, I realized that at some point I needed to own up to my passion of music so I said goodbye to corporate. So I left but I never gave up on music and began doing music full time.

At some point, I need to own up to my passion.

Vic: That’s so inspirational! It’s very interesting to see that your path to pursuing your passion is not linear, but changing between different career paths to kind of zig zag your way to what you want to pursue. And I’m very interested in how your experience in the corporations help your way in your artistic, musical path.

An untraditional route for an artist?

Azra: It totally helps. I know I took an untraditional route for an artist, but it helps because I got to learn a lot about business, [about] being professional. I think as an artist today, you have to know the business aspect [of the musical industry] in order for you to be successful. Especially if you’re an independent artist and not a major artist yet, you need to know [the business aspect]. I think that going to college for business, and having that job in business afterward really helped me. The job really opens up your perspective. And the thing is, who says the first job you get out of college is forever, right? That’s what I believe in: you have a passion, or a desire to do something, so at least give it a shot, go after it. For me, it took a while to be a musician, but I’m happy for it.

Vic: How would you characterize your musical style? What has influenced how you do music?

Azra: I love pop rock and pop. I grew up listening to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. And there’s Britney Spears! She’s a performer and a singer, which is what I do right now. I think I definitely got the variety of style growing up. I was also trained as a pianist when I was young. (I can’t really play now.) So definitely classical music. I would even say Disney music. They are so well put together and inspiring.

Pop, Rock Pop, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Classical, Disney

Vic: Being a Korean American, would you say the Korean side of yours has influenced your music?

Azra: It definitely has. I actually listened to more pop music in Korea than after I came to America, that’s when I was introduced to K-Pop. I moved to California when I was nine. K-Pop is very catchy, you can dance to it, it’s very dynamic, it has so much character. American Pop, on the other side, has so much soul and substance to it. When I write music, I definitely feel a blend of these two styles, but they’re still within the overarching genre of Pop and Pop Rock.

Vic: You recently released your first EP Freedom. Why did you name your EP Freedom?

Go out there, be ourselves, be shameless, be bold.

Azra: It’s about everything that’s going on in this world. On a personal level, since I’ve always loved music and have always wanted to do it, I felt that my first EP should be a message for me to come out, to break free and bring the Azra within out. On a non-personal level, I really love the idea and I want to help people and say, it’s okay, we can go out there, we can be ourselves, we can be shameless, and bold. Especially regarding what’s going on in the world right now socially, I think that it’s important to remember that we are individuals, and at the end of the day we have the freedom to go after what we want and voice out who we are, and shine.

Vic: Wonderful! I know one of the songs in your EP is named “Shine.” Can you walk us through this song and the flow of your EP?

We can all shine.

Azra: I'd love to! “Shine” is an anthem to empower, it’s a message for everyone to know that it doesn’t matter what color you are, what orientation you are, we can all shine because that’s what we deserve. And in terms of the flow of the EP, the first song is “Break Free,” so it’s a song about coming out and letting go of the past. “Gravity” is a relationship song about standing up for yourself. And then there’s “Right Here,” which is a more balanced song: it’s about going through challenges and being strong.

Vic: Wow that seems to all ties in with your experience growing up and the experiences you had before a singer! Where do you see yourself in five years?

Azra: (laughs) Perform more, I hope to continue making music, hopefully, inspire people, and, I don’t know, be myself (laughs). Make more music!

Vic: Aside from personal experience, where do you usually find inspiration in music? How do you write music?

People are my biggest inspirations.

Azra: Um, I write on napkins (laughs). Things come up in my head like I get weird epiphanies all the time, so if I have a pen and I don’t have a notebook, I will just write it on my arm, a napkin, or a notebook. I always carry a notebook, though, I try to now. I find inspiration everywhere, even it’s just people around me or everyday things. People I encounter as well. People are my biggest inspirations.

Vic: One fun question: what do you do first thing in the morning?

Azra: I cuddle with my dog, his name is Blueberry (laughs). And I smother him basically. I get all over Blueberry.

BLUEBERRY!!

Vic: Is there anything that you would want to share to students who are pursuing a career in art?

Azra: I think it’s understandable to be scared and nervous to go after art because the world basically says art is art and it’s not a lucrative career. But I think if that’s your passion, it’s never too late to try. You have your whole life to do what you love, and if you still have that inner feeling to desire to want to do something, you should take the risk. If you’re passionate about acting or drawing or photography or journalism, go get an internship, go join a group, go take a class! Sometimes you think you like something, but then you learn about it and it may turn out that may not be your passion. So always go after it, try it out, immerse yourself in it, and then make the decision. Don’t ever ignore the voice inside of you. Even after years, that voice would always come back. And you don’t want to regret.

it’s understandable to be nervous to go after art ...but don't ever ignore the voice inside of you.

Vic: How does your social life of college life influence the professional side of yours today?

My friends EMPOWER me.

Azra: I think having a very good circle of friends that are supportive of you and each other is very important. I think as far as friends, they empower me. I think college is a very good time to explore your individuality but at the same time really understand where you are with your relationship with others. There’s a lot of partying so a lot of dancing, a lot of music as well if you think that helps with the career (laughs).

Vic: Many would say friends are very good mentors. But there’s also another type of mentor: people who are more experienced, elder people who you would definitely encounter in college or later in professional life. Are there any experiences where people really helped you along the way?

Straight from the get-go

Azra: I think at every stage in my career there was a mentor. There was somebody from the get-go when I was interning at a hotel the summer after my freshmen year. That’s where I met my first mentor, a management consultant. We’ve always kept in touch and he has given me much professional advice. Years after that, he also was there for my book. I don’t think I could’ve gone this far without professionals and mentors and the relationships I fostered. You can’t do it alone. Another thing is I think it’s perfectly fine to reach out in college, in a totally shameless way, just reach out. I need help, how do I do this, just give me a hand.

It's perfectly fine to reach out in college, in a totally SHAMELESS way

Vic: Lastly, do you have anything else that you want to share to everyone that’s out there?

Azra: Don’t be afraid to create your own show. Don’t be afraid to create your own thing. Hang in there college peeps! Break out of your shells! Experiment! Dip your toes into different things because you don’t have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life right now. The first job you get after college is probably not gonna be what you wanna do forever. Maybe, but who knows. That’s just for lucky people. I had to go around and figure it out.

Don’t be afraid to create your own show.

Don’t be afraid to create your own thing.

Just SHINE.