My name is Isaac Ahn, and I am a vocalist/musician from NY/NJ. Music has always been a significant part of my life, connecting me to some of the greatest artists and communities, fondest memories and places. One of my favorite childhood memories is singing my heart out with my dad: I was about 5 years old when we set out to practice, memorize, and record the Star-Spangled Banner.  I remember loving that bonding activity with my dad! Fast forward a few years, I auditioned for 5th Grade Opera in my elementary school and made it as one of the five male vocalists—and the rest is history! Since then, singing has opened new doors for me to make friends, perform, and collaborate with the communities who are just as eager to learn to sing.

 

 Despite my success in my journey as a young vocalist, my mom initially had a lot of difficulty securing a suitable—and affordable— voice teacher close to our home. Additionally, since many schools did not offer vocal programs with a solid foundation in music within their day school curriculum, opportunities to train as a classical vocalist were limited for young aspiring vocalists like me. Indeed, this is true for many aspiring classical vocal students in under-resourced communities, where they may be facing limited funding.  Music programs are most often treated as extracurricular activities (or after school programs), and structured vocal training is almost non-existent in these public school systems. Disheartened, I decided to volunteer as a teacher in community outreach programs and eventually wrote a curriculum, Share Your Music Vocal and Music Enrichment Program, which will be published this summer. In the next section, My Project, you can find an online PDF interactive media book that demonstrates parts of my curriculum.

 

  I believe music—singing—is for all! The only requirement is that you have a song in your heart. Just remember that, since your body is the “instrument,” you must take care of it with good food, sleep, and habits to nurture it.