Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Cuaresma.
Tiffany, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Hi! I’m an 18-year-old composer, vocalist, and singer/songwriter from San Diego who’s currently majoring in music composition and studying classical voice performance at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. I began composing music in my sophomore year of high school, primarily because of my figure skating background. I was a competitive U.S. Figure Skating Association figure skater, and every morning at practice before school, I was constantly immersed in different types of music that skaters would do their competition programs to. In my free time, I liked to choreograph skating programs to music. I began to wonder if I could “choreograph” music, and began my composition journey by coming up with random short ideas on the piano. I was fascinated by the emotional effect music had on people and the intricacy of every instrument in orchestration. I began self-teaching myself composition and orchestration. I didn’t realize I wanted to pursue music seriously until I had one of my hobby pieces played for the first time by my high school’s wind ensemble and orchestra.
I had my first formal composition lessons at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music College Audition Preparation Summer Program in the summer of my sophomore year, where the composition professor advised me to seriously begin studying composition with an instructor. After that program, I began studying with a local teacher and wrote a choir piece that was awarded the Honorable Mention in the 2018 Emerging Young Composers Competition. The following winter, I was able to attend a masterclass at the New England Conservatory in which the professor told me to apply to the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Composition Program. I was accepted and attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Composition Program in 2018 where I began seriously studying composition. It was at Tanglewood that I was introduced to composer Daniel Temkin who encouraged me to pursue composition in college.
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?
I have had and continue to have challenges since starting my music journey. First, I am a late bloomer to music. I did not take music seriously until late into my high school years, and I self-taught the majority of my musical abilities. At first, I didn’t think I would be able to seriously pursue music, however, with a lot of hard work, discipline, faith, and some formal training, I was able to overcome this. I am a true believer in hard work and grit, and if you set your mind to a goal, you can achieve almost anything. My parents have been super supportive and helped me pursue this music dream.
Finally, in the past, the image of a being a composer or conductor is usually associated with a white male. Throughout history, female composers, especially minority female composers, have been underrepresented. I hope that in the future, I can help change the image of being a composer.
For any young women who are beginning their journey, I recommend staying confident and believing in yourself to take on challenges. Have grit and perseverance to overcome any obstacle, especially when overcoming barriers and negative stereotypes about women.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
Currently, I am a music composition student at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
I am a 2019 Luna Composition Lab alumna (James Rosenfield Fellowship Recipient) in which I had the opportunity to have a piece premiered at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City and receive mentorship from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid. I was also a 2019 National YoungArts Winner for Classical Music Composition, 2018 Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Composition Program alumna, 2018 National Young Composers Challenge Finalist, and the Honorable Mention in the 2018 Emerging Young Composers Competition with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra.
In my free time, I also love film scoring and have scored several short films for the Canyon Crest Academy Cinema Conservatory program, including a film (The Last Dance) for the 2017 All-American Film Festival which was premiered in New York City. I have also scored a film (LUCID) for the Orange County School of the Arts Cinema Conservatory which was premiered at Chapman University. In addition to film music, I have also composed and orchestrated the music for an original two-act opera production, “The Promise”, for Canyon Crest Academy’s Instrumental and Vocal Conservatories with Emma Ritto, Brynn Forrester, and Melina Rabin. In February 2019, I conducted the premiere performances.
In addition to composing classical music and film scoring, I am also a singer/songwriter and have recently recorded and released a single called”Heartstrings” with producer Kevin Charoensri which currently has 14k+ streams on Spotify.
As an active performer, I have soloed internationally in Venice, Italy in a 2017 Amnesty International concert, performing solo soprano repertoire by Schubert. I have also performed as a vocalist in Canyon Crest Academy’s Vocal Conservatory program and Canyon Crest Academy’s Chamber Choir, and often perform many of my original compositions as a classically trained soprano.
Finally, I am very passionate about human trafficking prevention, and in high school, I helped found and run a human trafficking prevention club. I have composed music to reflect my emotions and raise awareness about sensitive topics I’m passionate about, primarily human trafficking. I’m hoping I can use my music in the future to continue to raise awareness of these and other crucial issues!
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
One of the challenges is the misperception that women are less capable than men. This misperception is especially reflected in the music industry where composers, conductors, music producers, and many principal orchestral musicians are generally male.
There needs to be more women representation in leadership roles to inspire young women to pursue their dreams. To dispel the mentality that women aren’t as capable as men, I recommend that young women take action: pursue a goal, work hard, and never give up. By changing the mindset, we can change the culture and stereotypes instilled in history and make the future equal for women.
Contact Info:
- Website: 760-201-5150
- Email: tiffyjoyc@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyj0y_/
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