Reaching the high notes


Courtney Fortune’s hard work is paying off.

When the Daily Trojan spoke with Fortune as a freshman, she was just beginning to explore the fiercely competitive LA jazz scene where she has since blossomed.

Songstress ·  Jazz vocalist and USC senior Courtney Fortune continues to shine in the LA music industry. - Photo courtesy of Shedding Dog PR

Songstress · Jazz vocalist and USC senior Courtney Fortune continues to shine in the LA music industry. - Photo courtesy of Shedding Dog PR

“Luckily I was able to find my team of people and meet a wonderful producer; it makes LA a lot smaller,” she said with confidence in a recent interview.

The petite blonde powerhouse traces her formidable drive for musical self-cultivation to her artistically inclined upbringing.

“My parents told me, ‘You can do anything you want, but you got to take the right steps,’” Fortune said.

It’s undeniable that she has relentlessly followed through. From gigs at Seattle jazz clubs to performances in Japan, Fortune has crafted a tremendous vocal talent and forged lasting connections within the industry.

Chris Walden is one of those connections. After meeting Fortune at an Oscar party, Walden allowed her to rehearse with his big band, and eventually agreed to produce her debut album. The product of this collaboration, Speak Love, reaches what Fortune calls “a place of honesty” in expressing emotions and experiences best conveyed through sharp original songwriting.

Her audience is a lively mixed bag: College-aged fans and older jazz enthusiasts alike come to hear her sultry blend of melodic pop and mournful torch songs. She has also developed a following in the gay community, which she attributes to the incorporation of jazz’s more glamorous elements into her performance style.

“I’ve always been an old soul,” Fortune said. “I draw upon a lot of 1920s and 1940s influences and modernize them.”

The proof is in her music; Speak Love delves into the bitterness of heartbreak with a distinctly nostalgic flair, a smooth homage to timeless jazz greats embellished with Fortune’s distinctive pop fusion.

“I want to steer my own career and be a part of every facet of production,” Fortune said,

Her music industry major has empowered her to “bypass all of the LA crazies and false promises” that can lure new artists into raw deals.

Fortune experienced deception first hand.

“I got mixed up with some potential major label business and people pushing me in a different ‘edgier’ direction, but at the end of the day it’s extremely exhausting to be something you’re not — if it doesn’t feel right, it’s not worth it,” she explained in an email.

Her first music video puts a decidedly homespun feel on “Close the Door,” a folksy pop track.

“I wanted to get back to my Northwestern roots,” she said of searching for a location that fit the part of the rural landscape of her hometown. The resulting no-frills video was shot in the Angeles National Forest months before wildfires destroyed the set.

Fortune’s prodigious efforts have not gone unnoticed. This month, she is featured in Glamour Magazine’s Top 10 College Women of 2009.

“It was a reflection of my character, my volunteer work and who I am as a person,” rather than just grades or awards, she said. Fortune traveled to New York and met the other winners, which gave her a great feeling of female empowerment.

“It shows that music isn’t just entertainment,” Fortune explained. “It can inspire and help others.”

She puts this philosophy into practice by devoting her scant free time to the Peapod Foundation, a volunteer organization founded by the Black Eyed Peas to promote music in underprivileged neighborhoods. Exposing children to musical performance is what attracted her to Peapod, which was established earlier this year.

“USC has created so many great opportunities,” she said. “Everything I’m doing now has some link to something I’ve done here.”

The highlight of her Trojan career: performing her original song “It’s Raining in LA” at the 2008 Dickens Dinner in front of legendary Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson and famed Motown producer Lamont Dozier.

“I think this next year will be telling,” she said of her future plans.

Fortune is a Trojan original. Charming and unpretentious in conversation, she possesses a tried-and-true confidence refined through exhaustive practice and smart connections.

“I’m kind of strange,” Fortune said with a laugh, scrolling through the songs on her iPod. Right now she is listening to film composer Jon Brion, Feist and Rufus Wainwright.

“I love a good pop song,” she confessed, “I’m attracted to music that tells a story.”

Her own musical story promises to continue. As for those aspiring to follow their passion: “The best advice I’ve ever gotten is that there’s always room at the top for good talent and good music.”

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