ICYMI: #WomanCrushWednesday IG Live featuring Abby Krizner

BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer

Sheer will and determination can do a lot for anyone when it comes to the advancement of their career, and no one can attest to that fact quite as much as Pittsburgh local Abby Krizner.

Most Pittsburghers know her as Abby on The X thanks to her position with local radio station 105.9 The X, but Krizner has had quite an impressive career in music thus far. In addition to her radio gig, she also does vocals and plays guitar for the Pittsburgh-based band Tiny Wars.

Krizner says her love of music followed her throughout her entire life, starting with seeing the Broadway production of Cats when she was a child. Following the performance, she started trying to play the songs from the hit musical by memory on the piano. The habit of playing by ear was something that would follow her throughout all of her musical endeavors; Krizner never quite learned how to read sheet music.

Then, at the age of 15, her father took her to see Kiss in concert. For Krizner, that changed everything.

“I felt at home there,” Krizner recalled.

After the show, Krizner decided to switch from piano to drums for a brief period before finally settling on the electric guitar that would begin to define her music career from that point forward.

While being a female guitar player can come with its own set of challenges in a largely male-dominated area, Krizner worked hard at her skills to never let that become an obstacle.

“I never wanted to be vulnerable before someone could say, ‘You’re not that good,’” Krizner said. “If you want to be in a position of power, you have to back it up.”

After completing her undergraduate degree, Krizner worked in drug counseling in between tours with her bands. However, when those tours ended, she found herself growing depressed.

“Music has to be a part of what I do, one way or another,” Krizner said.

She then returned to Duquesne University where she worked as a Teacher’s Assistant and started interning at various local radio stations, among them iHeartRadio and DVE.

After securing a part time job with the station, she quickly moved into a full time position and is now the Assistant Program Director and Music Director at 105.9.

While the COVID-19 global pandemic has presented many challenges to the music industry as a whole, Krizner sees it as an opportunity to move beyond the “luxury of not needing to learn.” For example, she has learned a lot about the engineering that takes place in putting together a radio show.

“If something goes wrong, you have to know how to fix it,” Krizner said.

As for those who are currently looking to get started in the music industry and make their mark, Krizner suggests the best thing to do is channel your inner little girl who loved to sing into her hairbrush.

“The hardest and best thing to do is tell the truth,” Krizner said. “Shut out everything that stops you from being a performer. You have permission to own your space.

For more on Abby Krizner, you can check out the entire interview on Instagram @OfficialWomenWhoRock.