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Midvale Journal

A Star in the Valley’s Midst after Multiple Awards

Oct 08, 2015 11:59AM ● By Rhett Wilkinson

Anna Richey on the red carpet at the NO BULL Teen Video Awards at YouTube Space LA. Richey emerged this year, getting recognized multiple times after producing highly successful songs. Photo courtesy Anna Richey

By Rhett Wilkinson

The next Taylor Swift might be in our own backyard.

This is how Anna Richey has been recognized in the past handful of months:

·         She won the “Gold Award” at the Christian Life International Film Festival;

·         She was nominated in the “Artist Under 18” category at the Utah Film Awards;

·         She won the “Best Directing” award – and also nominated for “best acting” and “documentary of the year” – at the 2015 NO BULL Teen Video Awards;

·         She was a finalist at the Great American Song Contest;

·         She was nominated at the “Speak Up” film festival in Australia.

Richey’s recent level of work has also matched her award prestige. The Draper resident did the live cover with Piano Gal for “Glorious,” the “Meet the Mormons” piece by David Archuleta. She also offered the acoustic cover “Silent” for “The Giver” soundtrack. She also performed “Fragile” for the 2015 Mutual theme of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to great success.

“Broken” has been posted to numerous anti-bullying websites. “Fragile” had 800,000 views just one month after it was posted on LDS.org.

And get ready: Richey, a Corner Canyon High School senior, says that another original single is on the way.

“Ever since I was a little kid, this is what I wanted to do,” she said. “I’m just soaking in all the moments I can – the good and the bad.”

Dealing with the bad – bullying, particularly – was the focus of both “Broken” and “Fragile.” Personal experiences motivated the music videos. Richey has faced multiple attempts to discourage her, including false rumors, even now in high school. They have been motivated by jealousy of Richey’s success. Her cousin has been physically and emotionally bullied.

“Seeing what she is going through,” Richey said, “has broken my heart.”

Also, one of Richey’s best friends was cyber-bullied.

“The point I wanted to get across in (the videos) is that you can say whatever you want to me. It’s up to us to decide if we want to take it personally or not,” Richey said. “And that’s kind of what ‘Broken’ is about – being happy for other people’s successes. Everyone has their own talents and strengths and weaknesses and we can support each other with our talents and achievements.”

In “Broken,” Richey endures experiences that can be emotionally breaking and the music video starts with Richey picking up broken pieces of glass. By the end, though, she makes the mirror complete again while singing “you can’t leave me broken.” When singing the word “broken” in the chorus, she breaks it up herself in song with impressive control.

The video includes a scene with a school hallway that was meant to be packed – difficult, with only a dozen or so kids. Richey is grateful to Principal Mary Bailey and Richey’s broadcast and wildlife biology teachers Daron Connelly and Quinten Linde, respectively.

Bailey sent emails to students’ families encouraging a vote to propel Richey in the NO BULL event; her song played on the intercom for weeks; and Richey was promoted via video and permitted to use the school and classrooms for “Broken.”

Find the new celebrity on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.