Katrina Carson

MARCH 19, 2009 VOLUME XLV NUMBER 11 FREE Monitor the THIS WEEK
In Metro Detroit
& Windsor
Courting The Film Industry
Local Building Gets
In On The ‘Action’
Uninsured Health Expo
The Garden Court Condominiums provided the backdrop for Katrina Carson’s video, fi lmed by Darren Brown.
In an effort to address the
number of uninsured children and
adults in Michigan, leaders from
throughout the region representing
insurers, health systems, labor,
business and the faith community
will launch “Cover the Uninsured
Week” in Michigan at a special news
conference and Health Expo for the
Uninsured, Monday, March 23, at
Cobo Center in downtown Detroit.
“With the economy worsening,
working families are losing access
to care, forcing children and adults
to put off care for chronic conditions
such as asthma and diabetes until
a health crisis warrants costly
emergency care,” said Garry Faja,
president and CEO, Saint Joseph
Mercy Health System and East
Michigan Regional Executive of
Trinity Health, Novi.
“This situation is not sustainable.
We must advocate for change at the
federal level to make healthcare
delivery more effi cient while bringing
everyone into the system.”
The Health Expo for the
Uninsured will be held 9 a.m.-
6 p.m. in the Riverfront Ballroom
at Cobo Center. Free and open to
the public, the community event
will feature more than 100 exhibitors
that provide services such as health
insurance enrollment for children
and adults, free and low cost health
screenings, primary care and mental
health services, home care and senior
services as well as prescription drug
information.
The Health Expo is being
co-sponsored by Wayne County
Department of Health & Human
Services, Wayne County Health
Choice, the City of Detroit
Department of Health & Wellness
Promotion, Project Healthy Living,
Wayne County Four Star, and the
Michigan Cover the Uninsured
Network.
Visitors will be able to learn
about low-cost or free health care
programs for the uninsured, including
enrollment training on how to help
someone apply in programs such as
MIChild and Healthy Kids, during a
special session 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at
Cobo, led by Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Michigan and the Michigan
Department of Community Health.
To register, call (248) 448-4466.
On Thursday, March 26, an
Interfaith Prayer Breakfast will be
held 7:30-11 a.m. at the Tabernacle
Missionary Baptist Church in
Detroit, 2080 West Grand Blvd.
The event is free but reservations
are required. Contact Ron Beford at
(810) 923-6940.
For information, call (313)
874-1677, or visit www.mctun.org.
Fast becoming a national
filmmaking center, attracting film
projects from Hollywood and around
the country, the Detroit area has long
been the site of a great deal of local
fi lm and video production.
Last week, Southfield native
and up-and-coming hip hop artist
Katrina Carson filmed her debut
music video at the historic Garden
Court Condominium building on E.
Jefferson Ave. at Joseph Campau in
all-day shoots on March 14 and 15.
Nearly 40 local actors and
actresses were on hand to perform in
the production for Carson’s new selfwritten
single “Beautiful,” a followup
to her recording, “You,” which has
been played on WJLB-FM 98.
In addition to her work with P.
Diddy, Ne-Yo and J. Holiday, Carson
has opened shows for Al Hudson and
One Way, the Contours, the O’Jays
and performed on stage with the
Whispers and Howard Hewitt. She
currently hosts a Southfi eld cable TV
talk show called “Kids on the Move,”
and serves as CEO of HipHopera
Entertainment.
“There is not much else to say,
other than this is one of the most
exciting times of my life. To see my
lyrics become a reality is nothing
less than amazing,” said Carson. “I
think we’ve captured the message
of ‘Beautiful.’ We found a truly
beautiful setting at Garden Court and
an ensemble of performers who were
beautiful — both inside and out.”
The music video was shot by
Detroiter Darren Brown of Dirty
Mitten Films, a full-service production
company specializing in feature
length projects, as well as short fi lm
and music video productions.
While Brown has been making
videos for years, his offi cial debut
fi lm in 2006, “Project 313,” was met
with much acclaim. Brown recently
was nominated for Best Director at
the Detroit Rap Awards.
The Garden Court Condominiums
was designed by famed architect
Albert Kahn, but this is not the fi rst
time the brick and limestone structure
has appeared on fi lm. Garden Court
also served as the exterior of Martin
Lawrence’s home during the 1980s
on the popular television show
“Martin.”
“Our company is committed to
Michigan and its growth sectors. The
rapid expansion of the fi lm industry is
certainly encouraging for the region’s
economy,” said Andrew V. Farbman,
president of Farbman Group and
representative for Garden Court
Condominiums. “We are thrilled
that we were able to open our doors
and be part of the activity. Garden
Court is an important example of
the fi ne architecture that abounds in
downtown Detroit and we hope this
opportunity will encourage other
fi lmmakers to take a closer look at
this area.”
Offering panoramic veiws of the
Detroit River, the elegant Garden
Court building retains much of its
1915 charm, featuring landscaped
grounds, classic hardwood
floors, 10-foot ceilings, woodburning
fireplaces and detailed
moldings, plus an array of modern
conveniences.
Black Marriage Celebration
The Marriage Resource Center
is in its third year of celebrating
and raising awareness of marriage
in the African American community
with recognition of couples and vow
renewals in the City of Detroit. They
will host their annual Black Marriage
Day Celebration on Saturday, March
21, 5-8 p.m. at the Fellowship Chapel
in northwest Detroit, 7707 W. Outer
Drive. The theme is “Honoring Our
Strength & Commitment to Love
and Community.” Community and
religious organizations have been
invited to nominate couples who have
shown qualities of a healthy love for
each other and have been married at
least 20 years or more. They will be
recognized at the program. The cost is
$50 per couple. For more information,
call (313) 278-4400.
Historic Neighborhoods
The March meeting of the Detroit
Historic Neighborhoods Coalition
(DHNC) will be held Thursday,
March 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Friends
School, St. Aubin at E. Lafayette
Blvd. Representatives from the REAL
(Riverfront East) group will discuss
working together on conducting
interviews with candidates for political
offi ce/election this fall. For further
information, call Larry Roberts at
(313) 822-8111.
Creative Arts & Antiques
The Russell Bazaar, located at
Clay Street and the I-75 Service Drive,
just north of I-94, will present “The
Creative Arts and Antiques Festival”
on Fridays through Sundays, March
20-22 and 27-29. This festival will
combine an antique and creative arts
show that features creative industry
seminars and art demonstrations,
along with live entertainment in the
popular weekend marketplace. Hours
are Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-
9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
For details, call (313) 915-1164. The
Russell Gallery will be featuring a new
mixed media show, “Detroit: A New
Beginning,” featuring many local and
regional artists. For details, visit www.
gallery.russellbazaar.com.
Home And Garden Expo
The 22nd annual Home and Garden
Expo, presented by the Grosse Pointe
Board of Realtors, will be held on
Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial,
32 Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe
Farms. The event will feature more than
70 exhibitors for homeowners who are
getting ready for spring gardening,
lawns, remodeling and fi x-up projects.
There will be Demonstrations, door
prizes and giveaways. Admission is
free. For more information, visit www.
GPBR.com or call (313) 882-8000.
Backyard Vacation Fun
Vacationing at home is the focus
of this year’s Novi Backyard, Pool
& Spa Show, set for March 27-29
at the Rock Financial Showplace in
Novi. The show features “Everything
you need to turn your backyard into a
vacation destination,” including pools,
spas, hot tubs, decks, patios, outdoor
furniture, enclosures, sunrooms and
accessories. For details, turn to the full
story on page 11.
3-19-09Page1FourColor.indd 1 3/18/2009 2:24:59 PM - The Monitor

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Aiming high
BY WAYNE PEAL • ECCENTRIC STAFF WRITER • MARCH 19, 2009
Like a lot of teens, Katrina Carson loves to listen to the radio.
Unlike most, she often gets to hear herself. That's because the Southfield-
Lathrup senior is building a music career.
Her first single, You, has already received airplay at WJLB-FM, Detroit's
legendary urban music station, and her second single and first album, both
titled Beautiful, are both ready to drop.
“It's been a exciting time,” said Carson a show business veteran, who has
already sung background vocals on P. Diddy's album Press Play, opened for
Ne-Yo and appeared in three films — all at age 17.
Yet, the outgoing teenager said she remains grounded.
“My friends are even more excited than I am,” Carson said. “I'm not the type
to really brag about myself. So, when they heard the first single, they were
just going crazy.”
Crazy is also the way she felt the first time she heard herself on the air.
“I was in my room, just listening to the radio and it came on,” she recalled. “It
was just a wild, crazy feeling.”
Carson credits her mom, and manager, Kim, with helping her on the path to a
professional career.
“We've been going back and forth to Hollywood since she was about 5,” Kim
Carson said. “She's an actress, singer and writer. In fact, she's offered some
of her songs to other singers and we're waiting to hear.”
Katrina's film debut came in 1999 with the indie comedy Goat On Fire and
Smiling Fish, which also featured Scrubs star Christa Miller. She's also
appeared in TV ads for Kmart and Art Van, among others. In addition, she's
host for the local cable show Kids On the Move, which is shown on ED TV 16
in Southfield and other Comcast channels.
This past weekend, she filmed her first music video to promote her new
single and album.
“It was fun and exciting, but they were 12-hour days,” she said of the Saturday/Sunday shoot at the Garden
Court Condominiums overlooking the Detroit River.
The video also features her 5-year-old sister, Kayla, a kindergartner following in her big sister's footsteps at
Leonhard Elementary School.
“She was wonderful, a real trouper,” Katrina said.
Katrina Carson poses on the set for her first video shoot. She's
been a film actress, TV host and recording artist, all at age 17.
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Aiming high | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric N... http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090319/NEWS20/903...
1 of 2 3/19/09 11:36 AM
Despite her appearances before the cameras and in the recording studio, Carson has tried to maintain a
normal high school life. She'll appear this weekend in the S-LHS production of Footloose. At the same time,
she's weighing her college options as she plans her career.
If that invites a comparison to another high school teen turned pop princess, Carson doesn't mind.
“I think Hannah Montana is a great role model for young girls,” she said of the TV character played by hit
maker Miley Cyrus. “I wouldn't mind being compared to her at all.”
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Aiming high | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric N... http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090319/NEWS20/903...
2 of 2 3/19/09 11:36 AM - By Wayne Peal