Music And Memory

My memory from childhood to now really seems to be riddled with lots of music. I have a personal relationship with music because it's one of those things where it has helped me growing up when it comes to communicating with other people. Music also got me through some tough times in my life, it also helped me to break out of my shell and show people what I am Capable of when it comes to performing. 

Here's a few Personal memories I have with music

1. I grew up in south Florida for most of my life, I was born in Miami in 2004, However most of my early life was spent in Fort Lauderdale. I spent lots of my childhood also spending lots of time with my brother and cousins, we did a lot together since our families were very close. We use to move a lot, mostly apartments since Florida was being expanded rapidly. In my early years I was very delayed with my communication skills with people, however at a very early age I was exposed to a lot of music. My parents showed me a lot of movie musicals like Mary Poppins, Annie, Oliver, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and lots of Disney films. I was also showed a lot of those Disney sing along dvds and vhs tapes growing up, so that could be the answer to why I memorize a lot of Disney tunes. My dad also use to do karaoke with me in the house when I was 3, I have the very distinct memory of singing Frank Sinatra's New York with him, I still think of those days when I hear that song. 

2. Now, I've been working on my Major and minor at Converse University. I am majoring in musical theatre while minoring in music, I have been not only been working on my stage skills and how to audition, but I have been working very hard working on my vocal range and singing, One of the pieces I worked on was Sit Down Your rocking the boat from the musical Guys And Dolls.

This piece is really fast pace and energetic, it also uses a lot of storytelling in the song. I Really love to use the storytelling aspect of the song and sing it as if im telling this tale of a guy who gambled on a boat. This song also really allowed me to use some skills from previous roles I've done in theatre like Marcellus in The Music Man, and combine them with some new skills and ways of performing and singing I've learned from my vocal lessons. This song also got me to look back at how much I enjoy performing songs from musicals and shows. 

Finally, another memory I have with music is in my senior year of high school, when I was in a production of Shrek the musical. I played the lead role of the title character, and as the one playing Shrek, I had to learn a lot to transform myself into an ogre, how to talk with a Scottish accent, how to walk, and of course how to sing the songs in the musical. One of the songs in the musical is titled "who I'd be," and it's about Shrek yearning for more than just living the lonely life as an ogre, he talks of being something greater than he is. 

I really relate to his character and motives, so this song really means a lot to me and my life. I've spent a lot of my life thinking I  was not worthy of doing anything with my life and I genuinely wanted it all to end, but as I got through high school and performed, i really got my confidence to talk to people and to perform for people. So this song really reflects my own life in a way.