By Natasha Barbieri
I first learned about Alessandra Sorace when a friend posted a video of hers to Facebook. My interest was piqued at her clear, lovely voice and I wanted to learn more about her. “Singing has always been a part of my life,” Alessandra shares after agreeing to an interview. “My mother would play the piano and then put on music both of which I would sing and dance around in circles to all morning. Somehow I have no memories of getting dizzy.”
Alessandra was only eight years old when she first began to perform on international television networks. Alessandra remembers, “When we were done at the end of the day, the staff (probably sensing my childish curiosity) showed me around the control room, explained a bit of the production process, and some of the cameramen let me sit up on their chair. They even let me try the camera! Needless to say I was hooked.” Alessandra has continued to observe the process and says she enjoys working with the different crews. “I have a high respect for the amount of time put into a production and the meticulous people behind it. I suppose it helped to have that background view for when I co-directed one of our larger-scale music videos when I was 16.”
Alessandra is reminded of these early performances often. “I think most singers cringe when they have to hear their “greener” selves,” but she has learned to embrace it. “I’ll frequently get messages from some of my audience with a clip of a video they took of a rerun they were watching on TV. It’s sweet. I’ve come to accept it as part of the process of improving your trade. If you see it that way, it can actually be encouraging to see how far you’ve come. (And what bad habits you still revert to that need to fly ASAP.)”
Alessandra started being involved in voice competitions around the age of eleven. “My vocal coach would pick my repertoire.” She admits it must have been a challenging task at times because “I had quite a distaste for all things too mushy and lovesick.” The years haven’t done little to change her opinion either. “I’m still not a fan. Somehow, with so much of classical music being the melancholy goo that a lot of people love, she still managed to find great pieces that helped me win. I’m thankful I had such a kind and patient coach especially at that stage of life.”
Alessandra’s career evolved in a different way than some of her peers. While she performed at many distinguished events singing also became a chance to share her faith with others and hers quickly became a music ministry.
“I suppose there are two ways of viewing an audience. One, where you are honored that they actually like you enough to come to your concerts, love you, and support you, and another where you are honored to serve such an audience with your gift, love them, and support them by providing music that will uplift them in their times of need. We are all on a journey and have bumps on the road. Music is a practical way to share my faith with my audience especially through songs that encourage the conviction held near and dear to many hearts – that no matter where the road of life may take us, we have Someone who knows the big picture, yet is concerned with the little details of our lives; only wants what is best for us, yet allows life’s tests to make us stronger and bring us closer to Him, our Creator who’s love will never leave us. Whether it’s religious or secular music, I think it just might be the best tool to communicate in a lasting way. Along with the receptive ears of our audiences, we have a responsibility. Robert Schumann put it well when he said, ‘To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.’”
Alessandra’s first album “Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go” was a collection of twelve hymns and sacred songs. She later released the same collection in Spanish and then Portuguese. “I speak Spanish and, although I haven’t really learned my father’s Italian nor my mother’s French other than for classical singing, the Latin-based languages coupled with great coaches really helped me to sing in Portuguese both for TV when I was younger, and later for one of my albums. For my album, I frequently spent 16 hours a day and weekends for three weeks learning the pieces and their pronunciations. My main coach would sit in every studio session, several of which ended at 1:30 or 2 am. She would work with my producer and me patiently, making sure I had gotten the little pronunciation nuances right. I was inspired by her quiet dedication and vision for more faith-based music in her people’s language. To make it more incredible, her time was volunteered.”
The song choices were made carefully to be meaningful to her listeners. “Imagining scenarios where the piece would fit in someone’s life, I would ‘watch’ the story in my head as I recorded. Except for the Portuguese album. In that one, I was just trying to get it right.”
Alessandra’s multi-lingual approach has opened opportunities for her to perform in different countries. She shares this exciting news, “We have several tours in the early works largely based on volume requests from our audience. Among them are Australia, South America, Europe, and the Philippines.”
Her largest single performing audience to date has been a daunting 70,000 people! But far from relaxing before the big event she spend the day “running around the Alamo dome with someone looking for a pair of in-ear monitors. I had experienced a tremendous amount of echo when I sang there a couple months before, and I did not want that to happen again. We finally got some about an hour before. I had only learned they existed that morning so it would be my first time ever singing with IEMs. But I knew my piece very well.” There wasn’t time for a sound check so Alessandra prayed and sang anyways. Fortunately, it turned out fine in the end.
For Alessandra discovering the classical crossover music was a Godsend. “I didn’t know it was a thing until around four years ago. I always felt like a misfit singer who liked just enough pop to not be classical, and just enough classical to not be pop. It’s the best genre for people who don’t like labels and boxes. It’s pretty versatile.” Her favorites from the genre are now “too many to count” but include Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Celtic Woman and Michael Ball as well as “YouTube artists that are doing a fabulous job in our genre.”
Alessandra has most recently released singles of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “What is America to me.” “What do you think of when you think of your country?” Alessandra asks. “Do you think of the cultural foods and sights, your friends and neighbors, and the warm feeling of coming home? I do. I chose these songs because they remind us of what our nations really mean to us. It’s not the geography or the systems with their many imperfections, but the people around us that make the country we love so sweet. For me, that country is the USA.”
She spent time researching the story behind the songs. “It took such bravery, self-sacrifice, and integrity to do what the American people, in general, did in both of these eras. These traits did not die with those generations though; they are still evident in the people around us. In a world of bad news, politics, and uncertainty, I was moved to bring attention to and appreciation for the goodness in our daily lives.” She recorded an extended version of the national anthem which Alessandra says she sings “in admiration for it is a solemn depiction of sacrificial effort which resulted in freedom under God. It enables us to praise and worship Him freely, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our families.”
Alessandra is also sharing her music through music videos. “We actually filmed several of them at the same time, depending on the state. I loved co-directing one of them with Eduardo Gonzalez from Scene Alive Inc. Drawing the storyboards, securing and scheduling locations and coordinating dozens of extras at a time with Eddie, riding a chainless vintage bike downhill on camera through a heavy transit road, borrowing an immaculate 1952 Ford truck, briefing and debriefing meetings at 11:45pm and 6am; I wouldn’t take those months back for anything. We met the nicest people on our filming trips. From our great extras to our generous sponsors, there was a sense of unity. The county of Orange, Virginia just opened their doors to us. Hotels who sponsored our stays, local businesses and tourist attractions who volunteered their services, the marines in the New England locations, the local governments, and so many more were instrumental in the production’s success. It was a privilege to work with such beautiful people; many of which we are still in contact with today.”
Another aspect to her music ministry is public speaking. “The goal for a singer is maximum communication, whether through the lyrics, or thoughtfully executed melodies that stir personal feelings in people. Since that’s the goal, public speaking came naturally to me. You can talk to your audience like you are talking to a friend – just try your best to make it worth their time. Both require ample study and preparation, memorization, improv, stage presence, and love for people. I think when they are put together its double power.”
When it comes to goals for the future as well as her education Alessandra says, “Music is a lifestyle of which I am and will always be passionate. The goal is to keep creating new high-quality content that will uplift and inspire our audience. We plan to contribute more in the future to philanthropic, bi-partisan government, corporate, and community events on a larger scale, as well as continuing to serve in the faith-based community.”
Some of her dreams are to perform with New York Philharmonic, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, at Carnegie and Disney Concert Halls among others but “the list could go on forever.”
“In regards to a major, I actually found a dream voice professor who specializes in both classical and commercial music using the Bel Canto technique at a certain University. It’s definitely a possibility I am considering.”
For now, “We have two different major productions on the horizon that we are really excited about; one of which is scheduled to be released next year.”
Alessandra’s albums are available from her website: alessandrasorace.com
