Local Performer Inspires Young Girls And Releases New Music

Joryin Pender is a singer songwriter. Photo provided by Joryin Pender.
Joryin Pender is a singer songwriter. Photo provided by Joryin Pender.

Local Performer Inspires Young Girls And Releases New Music

By Tia Carol Jones

 Joryin Pender always strives to make her art a reflection of a serious message and a catalyst to spark conversation.

In May, the singer-songwriter released the single “Ghost.” The music was inspired by Pender’s own experience of being ghosted by young men. Synthesizing her feelings and putting them to music with lyrics took a few months but it is something that Pender does well. In 2021, she released “Queen Tone,” a song with an empowering message about the beauty of dark skin Black girls and women.

With “Ghost,” Pender knew there were songs about heartbreak, but she hadn’t really heard any songs about people who abruptly stop talking to people without any explanation. She saw a space where she could create music about a topic that was relatable because it affects so many people.

“I’ve definitely heard of it, it’s something that’s sadly really popular and really common amongst Millennials and Gen Z, mainly because of dating apps,” she said.  There is a segment on a radio station that focuses on people who have been ghosted by people they were talking to she added.

There was so much Pender wanted to say about the topic, but she wanted it to be right, and she wanted to convey what she experienced and what she went through being ghosted. She wanted it to be catchy in song form, not just a dissertation or essay on the topic.

Pender has also created music inspired by the Academy Award winning film, “Everything All At Once.” After watching it for the first time, she knew she had to make a song about it, it touched her that much. She has been performing at Chicago Ridge Mall and River Oaks Mall.

Pender goes into schools to speak to elementary and middle school students. She created Be A “Selfie” Star! (BASS) toward the end of the 2022-2023 school year. As someone who knew what it felt like to not be comfortable in her own skin, she wanted to inspire and empower elementary and middle school students. She felt like her story could be something inspiring, as someone who went through trials and tribulations, while knowing she wanted to be a singer songwriter and a performer on stage. She hopes that she will be able to bring the program to high schools, but right now she is focused on the younger students.

With Be A Selfie Star, Pender tells the students to be themselves, looking inward and shining bright like a star and reaching their fullest potential. Pender considers herself a motivational singer, each presentation starts and ends with a song as a way to get the positive energy going. There are five “selfie” principles: self-love, self-empowerment, self- confidence, high self-esteem and self-respect. She also talks about the opposite of those and shares stories of her experiences, while trying to relate to the students.

“I talk to them, not at them, try to have more of a conversation. I want them to really have a good time,” she said. She added that she wants to hear from them, so she gives them an opportunity to share their stories.

To hear the “Ghost” song, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSb-FndW8Lg.


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