The girls are in control of their futures.
Georgia Vlachos recently chatted with Carina of the Toronto based girl group; Girl Pow-R
Carina: Nice to meet you.
G: You as well!
Just after International Women’s Day, tell me about GIRL POW-R. How did the group come to be?
C: In April, 2017, Dawn Canon decided she wanted to put together a girl band to empower girls and convey a positive
message. She asked for video auditions then held live auditions and chose 6 girls of various ages that were also diverse.
G: How old are you?
C: 17.
G: And the youngest member is 10?
C: I think she just turned 11.
G: You were recently nominated for a Juno award; how exciting is that?
C: SO exciting! We were all very excited! Our family and friends, our whole social circle is so happy and extremely
supportive! We’ve released a video of a medley of songs we put together featuring songs from the other artists that were also nominated.
G: I understand you do covers but also original material and that you play instruments.
C: Yeah, I play lead guitar on all our songs.
G: You’re all young and in school, at different stages considering your ages. How do you manage with school and everything it entails, family, friends, rehearsals and life generally?
C: Really good time management skills! Most of us go to Art Schools that are very demanding so we do occasionally miss rehearsal.
G: Are you all friends?
C: Oh yeah. I consider them to be my best friends.
G: Are you all from Toronto?
C: No, but around Toronto. We rehearse every Sunday in Mississauga. First we work on choreography, then vocals and
music.We also go live on Instagram and interact with our fans. They ask us questions and we stay connected that
way.
G: You have very positive messages in your songs and emphasize the need for change in several social issues. Do you
have any direct experience with any of these issues?
C: I had experience with bullying when I was younger. I now try to help other kids with the same problem and
encourage others to volunteer to help them.
My cause is ‘Give Peace a Chance’.
G: Very John Lennon!
C: Yeah. We recorded a cover of it.
G: I’ll have to look for that….
You really do have important messages to get across.
Do you get nervous going on stage knowing how many people are in the audience?
C: Yeah. Nervous and excited because I think of the final outcome so then I’m more excited especially when the
band before us has like, a million followers!
G: Musically, who are some of your influences?
C: The Spice Girls, Little Mix from The U.K., Ariana Grande, Allessia Cara, Camilla Camea.
It’s really exciting that Allessia Cara is hosting The Junos…
G: Tell me about the pink jackets.
C: Well, pink is usually associated with girls and we were told that they were so bright that we were visible from everywhere! It was like uniform attention. We also have Jean jackets that we wear.
G: With the microphones on the back?
C: Exactly!
G: So, since this is a teen / tween band, what happens when you’re no longer a teen?
C: Well, room will be made within the group. I’m one of the original members so I can mentor younger members and also participate in the making of the music and continue with the band.
G: You’re working very hard!
C: Well, I have good morals, good values and believe in good causes. It can be a challenge to make rehearsals…
G: Have you performed outside of Ontario?
C: All of our performances are done in the summer. We had an international tour last summer and played in The
U.S. It was my first time in New York! We made a lot of contacts and we keep up with social media. We’re
very consistent with that!
G: Yes, very important!
Any plans to come to Montreal?
C: Yeah! In early May, we’ll be there for ‘Rise Up’, a talent competition.
G: Well, it was lovely speaking to you, getting to know you a little bit and, again, best of luck at The Junos!
C: Thank you!
Rick Keene Music Scene 