Photo by Danny Martinez
How did Kianna meet music producer Billy Smiley and how did their producer-singer relationship develop?
She left one of her business cards at Scottsdale Music Studios. Someone picked up the card and gave it to him and asked him to check her out. He contacted my husband and discussed working with her. They met, got along really well, and together they started writing songs and really finding who Kianna is as an artist.
How was Kianna’s childhood and future influenced by touring with the music theatre “Totality?”
I think she learned to work with other people and developed good teamwork skills. She enjoyed being around talented people that shared her same interest and she learned to be comfortable on stage.
Does Kianna still look up to Selena? How would you say Kianna reflects this influence in her musical career?
Kianna admires Selena. It's because of her that she wanted to become a singer. Kianna never really knew who Selena was when she was alive because she was so little. It wasn't until the movie came out that she became a fan. She was seven-years-old. She would watch the movie over and over again and memorized the whole soundtrack. She used to sing the songs all the time and she wanted to be a singer just like Selena. She was totally influenced by her. I have journals that her teachers put together where she was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she would say a singer. She really related to the little girl in the movie – she related to her a lot and wanted to be her.
Just like the movie Selena, Kianna saw a live band at a restaurant and wanted to sing, and the whole night she kept bugging me to sing. I said, "If I ask them and they say yes, you better not chicken out," and she said, "I won't." So, I asked the band and they said yeah, and gave her the microphone, and she sang “I Will Survive” acappella. She wasn’t afraid or nervous or scared. She just did it because that's what Selena did.
Who does Kianna look up to in the country-music sphere from your observations?
I think her favorite is– well she has two favorites: Miranda Lambert and Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland.
As her mom, what has your role been in Kianna's music career?
I am a one-hundred percent supporter. My husband and I are very supportive of what she does. We believe in her. My husband pushes her to keep moving forward and work hard. My role is to try to help find places for her to sing and getting her name out there.
My husband is more like the dad in the movie Selena. I'm more like the mom. We go to all of her shows. We help her with her outfits, song selections – pretty much everything. It's a team effort. She calls me her “Momager.”
How has she influenced you or changed your life?
Well, she’s the younger daughter of two and still lives at home, so she keeps us busy with her music. She has a big heart and is a good kid. She’s like our baby – she is our baby. She’s a great person. She’ll do anything for anyone. I have two daughters: a big baby and a little baby. She’s 21, but she’s still my little baby. Our family is very close.
