We recently connected with Francesca Castro and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Francesca, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Most of the time, even until now, I am the only one in the room that looks like me. I am a child of 2 immigrant parents and I was born in the US. I grew up as a minority in my hometown Chicago, IL. I would go to school and hear English and then come home and hear a total different language from my parents. It was almost like I was living 2 separate lives, one at home and one at school. Ever since I was younger, I was used to being the only one in the room that looked like me. Yes, at times I didn’t feel like I could belong or fit in with everyone else. And during my time studying music, I was the only female in a room full of guys and felt like I had to prove to everyone that I could play well every single time. I learned that I shouldn’t compare myself to others as we all have our own goals and different paths leading up to them. I also made sure to remind myself that it doesn’t matter who I was or where I came from. If I have the passion, and I work hard at it, I will be successful.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am Francesca Castro and I am a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Chicago and am currently based in New York City. I graduated from Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship and studied with well-known Jazz musicians including Terri Lyne Carrington, Terence Blanchard, and Peter Eldridge. My EP “Day by Day” was released in 2019 and has featured four of my original songs including “Cup of Tea” which has over 1M streams on Spotify. I am currently finishing up my first album which will be released early next year. Recently, I landed my first big movie role playing guitar, singing, and acting. I also continue to sub as “Maggie on Guitar” at SIX the Musical on Broadway.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, I think the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were that I was taking risks, not giving up, and dreaming big. Ever since I was six years old, I wanted to be a rockstar. I have always wanted to be a performer because I have a lot of fun on stage and I love the energy when interacting with the other musicians and the audience. One of my dreams since I was in middle school was to perform on Broadway. Right out of college, I moved back home and struggled making music and booking gigs that I used to pre-pandemic. That is when I decided to take a risk and move to LA. I had no job at the time and was kind of winging it, which looking back, it was pretty crazy and scary. Little did I know, I would then get an opportunity to audition for a movie, which moved me back to the east coast and now here I am living in NYC playing on Broadway. There are way more mistakes and failures that I had gone through before getting to where I am today, but my dreams wouldn’t have come true unless I did those three things. And there are many more dreams on my bucket list that I can’t wait to happen in the future! My advice to those who are early in their journey, is to be patient when it comes to achieving goals. It will happen when it’s meant to happen, or you might get it when least expected.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me is show their support. Even if it was just as little as showing up to my talent shows in 4th grade or driving me to music lessons. They were always there for me since the beginning and they have allowed me to do what I wanted to do which gave me a lot of freedom to explore my musical identity growing up. They know that a music career is not the easiest, and have even suggested pursuing a medical degree in the past. But yet, they see how happy I am pursuing music and are so supportive. So to my parents, I say thank you for being my number 1 fans since the beginning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://francescacastro.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francesca.cayla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaCastroMusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_j6YUdjmK5cHJ04Z-wD9qg
Image Credits
Kelly Crews
