Mika Gorospe
SAN JOSE, California—Two rising Filipino American female singers in this Silicon Valley city have been working more than half their young lives to sharpen their skills and then compete to make a mark of their own.
Ella Mayor, 9, a fourth grade student at North Valley Baptist School, has been working under the guidance of voice teacher Pam Serrano of PnC Music Company. During her four years of voice lessons, Ella was able to develop her style as well as find other areas of passion.
Ella states, “I like to perform because it is always so much fun for me to see who comes out to support me. I feel very nervous right before I get on stage, but I’m glad I perform on stage because it makes me really happy at the end.”
She recently completed her role as one of the daughters in the musical “Mulan.” Although rehearsals took up a large portion of her time, Ella enjoyed them because she was able to meet friends outside of school. She also enjoyed learning about Chinese culture when she was preparing for the show. Her future ambitions include being an artist or a nurse.
Ella Mayor
Ella continues to audition for singing contests, musicals and plays and jumps at every opportunity to be on stage. “My goal is to be a better performer and to become one of the most successful singers in the world,” she concludes.
Her parents provide constructive criticism and advice in helping her reach her fullest potential.
Like Ella, Mika Gorospe has been training under the same voice teacher with similar goals. Mika attends Thomas Russell Middle School and has aspirations of going into the medical field and being a doctor when she is older.
When Mika, 13, was only 9 she entered Season’s Marketplace in Milpitas and heard Pam Serrano singing. Eager to start, Mika grabbed a flyer and has been practicing vocals with Pam since. She also plays the guitar and keyboard.
“My musical idols would have to be Arianna Grande, because I love her style of music, and then Adele because she has such a powerful voice,” says Mika.
She recently visited the Philippines where she watched live shows and performances to catch a glimpse on what the entertainment industry in the Philippines was like.
Mika thought that her trip was a great experience, which pushed her to continue her singing career. Additionally, her parents have supported her by accompanying and driving her to all of her events no matter how far away they are.
“My goal is to be successful in everything I do. In the future, I would love to act and would be interested in working on a television show. I express my feelings through my music and I think it came across well in my first album,” says Mika who co-wrote all her songs and produced the album in only a month.
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