Today we’d like to introduce you to Val Gracia.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My musical journey began when I was 12. I started singing at school in my native Monterrey, Mexico. Later on, I performed at musicals during High School such as: Annie, Bye Bye Birdie, among others. At the age of 19, I started singing at weddings, with a complete band,
After graduating from a BA in International Affairs, I kept on singing whenever I could.
I moved to the Playa del Carmen in Mexico back in 2013 (45 minutes away from Cancun), where I started singing at hotel lobbys and performing in different shows on stage (Latin, Broadway, among others).
I sang in India for five months back in 2015 for five months.
In 2016, I got accepted into Berklee College of Music in Boston. It was one of the best news I’ve had in my entire life. Thank to Berklee I was able to meet and perform with talented musicians.
I had the amazing opportunity to do an internship at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH during the summer of 2017. I performed five thirty-minute shows per day. “Lights, Camera, Action” was a triple threat show in which I had to sing, harmonize, dance and act.
I currently have my own project called “Music Connects Initiative” (MCI) in which I seek to promote music from all over the world to enhance the beauty of it as a language, that can connect us as human beings, regardless of our backgrounds, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, or sexual preferences. Music goes beyond that. Its MCI purpose to remind us all about the unifying power of music.
Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not. My dad didn’t think I could make a career out of music so he was very renuent about it for several years. He made me finish a non music related degree first. I was 25 when that happened. So before that, I could only focus in music on my spare time and that was frustrating in a way. Luckily, I managed to keep singing during the weekends, and that paid for some expenses at the time and gave me more experience.
Also, as a Sagittarius I like to move a lot. I’ve lived in 7 different countries. That has pros and cons. I’ve performed in different places, but I haven’t been able to save enough, and right now I’m in debt with my Berklee sponsor.
When I got to Berklee, I was 29, and I felt “out of place” sometimes. But no obstacle was going to interfere with my dream of graduating. I managed to make some truly good friends and stayed focused.
We will encounter problems and obstacles. The important thing is to focus on the solutions. I’ve managed to overcome the “bumps” in my career, and for that I’m grateful.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I feel blessed to be able to speak English and to have the opportunity to sing in English and Spanish (my native language). I was born and raised in Mexico and having lived in Mexico and the US, I’ve come to know both cultures really well. A piece of my heart is in both countries.
The education I received at music school was incredible. I’m humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from incredibly talented and experienced professors. I try to apply that knowledge in my professional life as a singer and performer.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Definitely, it’s a good place to keep growing musically and collaborate with producers, musicians, writers, and composers.
Contact Info:
- Email: valgraciavocalist@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valgraciavocalist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValGraciaVocalist/
Image Credit:
Srikanth Photography (Vizag, India)
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