My name is Isaac Ahn, and I am a vocalist/musician from NY/NJ. Music has always been a significant part of my life— it has connected me to inspiring artists, supportive communities, and some of my 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! A few years later, I auditioned for my elementary school's 5th Grade Opera and was selected as one of five male vocalists—and the rest is history! Since then, singing has opened new doors for me to make friends, perform, and collaborate with 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 near our home. In addition, many schools lacked vocal programs with a solid musical foundation in their regular school curriculum, leaving few opportunities to train for young aspiring classical vocalists like me. This remains 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 by this, I began volunteering as a teacher in community outreach programs and eventually developed my own 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 interactive online PDF media book that showcases key elements 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. See you around!