Today we’d like to introduce you to Martina San Diego.
Martina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, an old family urban legend says that I could sing No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” before I could even talk- and I believe it. Karaoke at three years old; my first performance in front of a live audience when I was five years old; piano lessons by the time I was six; teaching myself guitar at 12 and writing my first original song by 13- and that’s just the beginning of it.
The real turning point for what I consider to be the start of my professional music career was when I was the lead vocalist for the band, “Ivy Rose”, comprised of four strong, talented and passionate women. We released two albums, “This Adventure” and “Rain”, made it to the Las Vegas round of America’s Got Talent in 2012 and opened up for Ben Folds & Weezer at the University of Maryland’s annual “Art Attack” concert series.
Around that time, I had just graduated high school and though I felt so excited for all we had accomplished at that point, there was a part of me yearning for more growth and self-discovery, which is why shortly after, I decided to take a year off to connect with my roots in the Philippines. As a Filipino-American daughter of immigrants, having the opportunity to really appreciate my heritage & Filipino culture is an experience I will never forget.
In addition to all the personal growth and cultural experiences I had at the time, I also had the opportunity to continue working on my craft & musicianship. While there, I wrote and released my solo debut album, “Blank Walls” under the independent record label 22 Tango Records. I also collaborated with local artists, Kyle Wong, for the single “Balay ni Mayang” which won 3rd place in the Visayan Pop Music Festival, “Vispop”. The song has since climbed the local and national radio charts and has also gained international recognition where it has reached over two million global streams and counting on Spotify.
Flash forward to today, I am a full-time Singer-songwriter, Music Educator, and Entrepreneur based in New York City- and that is something I take great pride in being able to say. After completing my B.A. in Songwriting and Recorded Music at New York University in 2016, I independently released my second solo album, “Illuminate” in 2018. In tandem with my career as a singer-songwriter, I founded the Martina San Diego Music Studio, where I continue to proudly share my love for music and songwriting with students. Through it all, music has been the constant- the guiding force and purpose that drives me to be the best version of myself and to spread light into the world. I am grateful for everything that has led me to where I am today and look forward to what the future holds.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Thankfully I’ve always had a supportive family in regards to pursuing a creative field in the arts. With that being said though, by choosing to live a creative life, everyday presents its own certain challenges. Being an entrepreneur is a difficult thing to manage, especially when I wear multiple “hats”. From my singer-songwriter career to my teaching career, everything ultimately falls onto my shoulders and that is a daily challenge that can be difficult to navigate, but extremely rewarding to overcome.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
My mission as a singer-songwriter is to create songs that capture and speak to our collective human consciousness. In a world where so many people want to draw lines and point out differences from one another, I hope my music can be a beacon of light to unite listeners and remind us of how much we have in common despite all our seeming differences.
As a music educator, The Martina San Diego Music Studio’s mission is to provide engaging, creative & individualized music lessons to all of our students. What started with humble beginnings has now started to grow with additional staff teaching at the Studio. I believe that what sets us apart from other music studios is our goal is to teach foundational music theory concepts in tandem with innovative techniques that inspire each of our students to find & discover their own unique voice and musicianship.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
It’s difficult to narrow it down to just one quality or characteristic, but I’d say that its a balance of ambition coupled with endurance. Having the drive to achieve my goals while trusting & being patient with the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.martinasandiego.com
- Email: info@martinasandiego.com
- Instagram: @martinasandiego
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/martinasandiegomusic
- Twitter: @martinasandiego
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dzy3O7EolilSWYoPApspe?si=hX_-OtagQXSGILWIxTN6Fw
Image Credit:
Ezekiel Sullano, Angelo Kangleon, Brian S., Plus63 Festival, Amanda Whittier, P. Pesenti.
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