While most freshmen have few responsibilities other than getting to class on time and doing laundry regularly, Sara Chen '08 spent much of her first year at Princeton creating an Indie record label and developing herself as a Rhythm and Blues artist.
As an R&B and hip-hop singer and songwriter, Chen has devoted the past five years to pursuing a professional music career. Chen is known in the industry by her Chinese name, Baiyu (which means "white feather" in Mandarin), having grown up in Xiamen, China until she moved to Gaithersburg, Md., at age eight.
The daughter of two recreational musicians — her father is a flautist and her mother a vocalist — Chen said she has "always aspired to be a singer." She began dancing and acting at a very young age.
Chen started singing pop music in high school, with a group called Sweet Dreams.
"It was really just a bunch of friends having fun," Chen said, but the group recorded several songs and The Washington Post wrote an article about them. "We were five Asian girls and one Caucasian girl — they thought that was an interesting dynamic."
The recording experience inspired Chen to think more seriously about music. Her junior spring in high school, she responded to a flyer advertising auditions for a group that had lost two members. The group saw potential in Chen, and she became one of four women in N.V. (New Voices), despite the fact that they were looking for a 21-year-old and Chen was only 16.
Chen dropped out of school in Maryland and moved into a loft in New York City with the three other group members. It was the first time she had ever lived away from her parents.
"Before I left, my mom taught me how to do all sorts of housework and make every single dish she knew how to make," Chen laughed.
In New York, Chen did mostly preparatory work. On a typical day, her producer made N.V. go running in Central Park, rehearse its dances and practice its songs exhaustively.
"Everything was in excess," Chen explained. "It's really hard to break into the [R&B] industry as an Asian artist, so it's understandable that he was really hard on us." Still, she added, the producer "definitely pushed people to the end of their physical and emotional limits."
Chen said there was a lot of power-playing in the group. She describes her producer as "money-hungry" and remembers how he often threatened to replace any girl who acted up with the model who lived upstairs. Overall, Chen says, "It was not a healthy environment."
Still, Chen describes that period as a "great experience" and feels she benefited from undergoing the intense conditioning and rehearsal process. Among other perks, she got to work with Rhapsody, who choreographed one of the music videos for Destiny's Child, and with Janet Jackson's stylist. "At one point, I had rainbow-colored corn rows!" Chen recalled.
Chen's experience also shaped her personally. "I was really, really shy in high school," she said. "I was the type to keep my eyes on the floor. I didn't even really realize what the high school looked like until I came back from my experience in Brooklyn! I'd gained all of this self-confidence and started looking people in the eye."
Before she left New York, Chen got into contact with producer Kip Collins of ALC Productions, whom her friend had met in a Karaoke bar in Chinatown. Collins, who had already worked with stars like Jennifer Lopez, Faith Evans, and Lil' Kim, had just finished composing much of the music for MTV's "A Hip Hopera: Carmen," featuring Beyonce Knowles, Mos Def, and Mekhi Phifer.
Chen's audition for Collins was successful, and she began commuting to New York City for photo shoots, recordings and meetings with executives on the weekends while completing her high school credits back home. Chen then moved out to Long Island to be closer to ALC Productions, but was able to walk with her class at graduation.
Unlike Chen's first producer, Collins focused on mapping out her career and on developing her individuality and goals. She became an integral part of the creative process.
Said Chen, "He really tried to bring the artistry out of me, and part of that meant writing my own music and putting personal meaning into it, understanding musical structure. He encouraged me to write lyrics and listen to different types of music."
Chen deferred from Princeton for two years to develop as a solo artist. Toward the end, she started a new Indie record label, Blackdraft, with Collins. Chen helped build the studio and created the label's website: blackdraftonline.com.
Chen ultimately decided to come to Princeton, a choice she attributes to her parents and her perfectionist nature. She had given herself two years to accomplish what she wanted, and felt that her parents had supported her generously throughout.
"Even if I wanted to pursue a music career after Princeton, I really just wanted to have a good foundation and make my parents proud before I could go out there and do what I want to do," Chen says.
At Princeton, Chen has served as the Mathey College Council Publications Chair and was an active member of the Chinese Student Association last year. She currently comanages the men's lacrosse team and dances with the Black Arts Dance Company.
An economics major, Chen initially hoped her studies would contribute to her work with Blackdraft, which she continued until last fall. Chen is focusing more on academics this year and on her summer plans, which she hopes will involve an internship in the entertainment industry. Last summer, her plans to tour with Mary J. Blige fell through at the last minute.
"I feel that not being part of Blackdraft has made me seek out other things and take control of my creativity and where I'm headed as an artist," Chen says. At Princeton, she sings in Café Vivian and at various events and talent shows hosted at the University.
Chen has also held lead vocal parts in the Jazz program and is in close collaboration with program director Anthony Branker, with whom she hopes to write a few songs. Time permitting, she may try musical theater this year.
Chen remains devoted to a career in music with a positive outlook. "For a musician or for someone who's really into their creative art, I feel like the process, along with the persistence, is what makes you happy," she said. "All I knew going into it was that I was motivated and I wanted to be there, but I loved singing. So whatever the outcome, I knew I would have the experience to look back on and would know I had done something I really wanted to do."
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