Jenni Rudolph is a mixed Chinese/Russian-Jewish songwriter and musician. Raised in a predominately white area, Jenni felt “otherness” from a young age. Driven towards a music career but discouraged by a lack of representation for women of color, it took decades for Jenni to feel comfortable embracing her mixed identity. In 2019, she wrote “Water & Oil”, finally confronting the complexities of her multiracial experience. The song addresses themes of duality, belonging, tokenism, objectification, beauty standards, stereotypes, and ultimately, the journey of self-acceptance.

After debuting “Water & Oil” at a live show and seeing her words resonate, Jenni was inspired to expand the song into a larger, collaborative, interdisciplinary project. Now, in addition to releasing the song, Jenni is teaming up with mixed director Brandon E. Lee and other mixed creatives in film, dance, music, fashion and art to produce a music video celebrating mixed identity. Collaborators will also be interviewed in a behind-the-scenes documentary, exploring both the joys and challenges of being mixed.

Collectively, the song, music video, and documentary are all part of the Water & Oil Project, which aims to represent diverse stories from mixed folks of color and foster an honest conversation about race and identity.

This project will be taking place in Spring 2020 in Los Angeles. Those interested in participating may apply via this link: https://jennirudolph.typeform.com/to/sSSibE