From the moment I was born, I felt something in me that yearned for the arts. It wasn’t until the latter half of high school when I realized that more than anything, I wanted to get a career as a performer. When I was a young kid, I remember listening to the radio in my mom’s car and hearing different songs play. In elementary school, I was attracted to the school choir, which is where I received my first solo. It made me feel proud of myself in that moment as I became the center of attention on the stage. In middle school, I chose choir as my talent, and I was exposed to pieces in many different languages including Spanish, Swahili, Italian, Latin and Hebrew. In 8th grade, I auditioned for Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, and I was admitted as a vocal major. I joined a major ensemble outside of school in 10th grade, which exposed me to Latin Jazz and my interest in my cultural background as a Dominican American. It was in 11th grade where I started to perform at some of the biggest venues across the city, and I finally was able to experience my true passion as a singer. I consider myself an expert in the field of performing as I have a large number of professional performances under my belt, and I am eager to continue my education for the sake of seeing myself on Broadway, on television, in movies and recording albums for the entire world to hear and see. Music has been a part of my life since birth, and I want it to still be tied to my life even in death.
Ian Fernandez September Blog
- What are you an expert in?
- Being the change
I remember when my 2nd grade music teacher played a specific song, I think it was Amazing Grace. I just started crying because I had a sad memory associated with it. He told the class not to laugh or make a big scene about me, because it is normal for music to create an emotional response. I feel like your connection with music has followed you your whole life, and that’s really beautiful.