鈥淭he first time I heard it was actually when I woke up and a trailer for the film was on Facebook and my voice was in it,鈥� said Angela Parrish.
Unless you鈥檙e living on a deserted island, you鈥檝e probably seen the same trailer.
La La Land, a musical about an aspiring actress and musician struggling to make it big in Los Angeles, is being praised by audiences and critics alike. It鈥檚 also getting University of Northern Colorado graduate Parrish - who sings the opening song, 鈥淎nother Day of Sun鈥� - a lot of attention.
Thinking back to the morning she saw the : 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that they were going to use that portion and so it was like, 鈥極h, I guess, oh man, I鈥檓 in the trailer,鈥欌€� Parrish said. 鈥淎nd then it was kind of everywhere and it was sort of surreal thinking like 鈥榦h man, this is like millions of people are hearing this.鈥� It was just surreal and bizarre - but in a really good way.鈥�
It was a big break. Five years ago, Parrish was just graduating from the UNC鈥檚 jazz program. And just like the wistful character from the film, she headed to LA to pursue her dream.
鈥淭otally coincidentally, the lyrics I sing kind of told the part of my own story,鈥� she said.
Once there, Parrish got several jobs - including singing at a restaurant, working at a call center and teaching piano lessons. She quickly realized the commute from her friend鈥檚 apartment to all those jobs, not to mention to auditions, was too expensive. So for the first few months, she lived in her car, occasionally crashing on friends鈥� couches.
鈥淚t was hard, but it was also sort of a thrill, like, 鈥楬ow badly do I want this,鈥欌€� she said. 鈥淚f I want this badly enough to do this, then I know I really want it.鈥�
While calling her car home was only temporary, the roller coaster ride of auditions, call backs and rejection was constant.
鈥淚鈥檝e had so many low points because I鈥檝e been rejected by publishers or for performing opportunities or by record labels or just told 鈥極h, your music isn鈥檛 going to be marketable,鈥欌€� Parrish said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a tough industry to break into. [鈥 There have been times when I felt like it鈥檚 going to be impossible for me, but I think that鈥檚 normal.鈥�
When the audition for La La Land came along, Parrish wasn鈥檛 told much about the project. It wasn鈥檛 until she was hired that she realized the film would feature mega-stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
鈥淚 knew it was going to do well because of who was attached,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew that it was really great. I was like -- I鈥檓 so proud that this is such a huge piece of art. But I don鈥檛 know if anyone could have predicted what鈥檚 happened and how big it鈥檚 become.鈥�
It may be about to get even bigger. The film has already picked up several awards, including multiple Golden Globes. Next up: the Oscars. The buzz is strong that La La Land will nab the award for best picture.
For Parrish, the most important audience reviews came when she took her parents to see the movie.
鈥淚t was really exciting,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y dad has Parkinson鈥檚 disease and he doesn鈥檛 get to leave the house very much and so we took him and -- it was a pretty emotional moment for my family to get to experience that. They were proud and they cried. They were happy.鈥�
While one would think singing in a major hit film would be the key to instant fame and fortune, Parrish said that鈥檚 not necessarily the case.
鈥淢y day-to-day life hasn鈥檛 changed in the nature of what I do,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I would say that I鈥檓 communicating a lot more with people, and sending out a lot of emails and taking a lot more meetings.鈥�
She鈥檚 also booking some higher-profile sessions, including singing on a .
One other upgrade: That car, the one that Parrish called home for a period of time?
鈥淚t actually died the week the film came out,鈥� she said.
Now Parrish has a new car and is currently working on a new album due out later this year.
