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Bio
Bio
Francesca Cayla Castro is a Guitarist and Vocalist from Chicago, Illinois. She is currently a Junior at Berklee College of Music with a full scholarship and is double majoring in Performance and Contemporary Writing and Production. While being nominated by the Guitar Faculty as a Guitar Department Achievement awardee, she has also been selected to be in Berklee’s most prestigious ensembles including the Terence Blanchard XTET and the Tower of Power ensemble. She has worked with Jazz Legends including Terri Lyne Carrington, Terence Blanchard, Nicholas Payton, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. She has just released her debut EP "Day by Day" featuring her original compositions.
Francesca Cayla Castro is a Guitarist and Vocalist from Chicago, Illinois. She is currently a Junior at Berklee College of Music with a full scholarship and is double majoring in Performance and Contemporary Writing and Production. While being nominated by the Guitar Faculty as a Guitar Department Achievement awardee, she has also been selected to be in Berklee’s most prestigious ensembles including the Terence Blanchard XTET and the Tower of Power ensemble. She has worked with Jazz Legends including Terri Lyne Carrington, Terence Blanchard, Nicholas Payton, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. She has just released her debut EP "Day by Day" featuring her original compositions.
All throughout high school, she participated in a variety of musical ensembles. She is also an alumnus of Midwest Young Artists Conservatory where she dedicated her time on the weekends rehearsing and performing with the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Group, and Jazz Combo. She excels not only in music but in academics as well and graduated as Magna Cum Laude at her high school.
All throughout high school, she participated in a variety of musical ensembles. She is also an alumnus of Midwest Young Artists Conservatory where she dedicated her time on the weekends rehearsing and performing with the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Group, and Jazz Combo. She excels not only in music but in academics as well and graduated as Magna Cum Laude at her high school.
At such a young age, she has many accomplishments in music. From making various ensembles for Jazz Guitar and Classical Violin at ILMEA to making Allstate in the orchestra pit for the IHSTF Allstate Production of RENT and the IMEC Allstate combo where she was named one of the “7 Best Jazz Improvisers in the state of Illinois”. She was the first prize winner in Luminarts High School Division in Chicago and has received summer camp scholarships to Interlochen Center for the Arts, Ball State University, and Northern Illinois University. She was a 2018 National Young Arts Foundation winner for Jazz guitar and vocals.
At such a young age, she has many accomplishments in music. From making various ensembles for Jazz Guitar and Classical Violin at ILMEA to making Allstate in the orchestra pit for the IHSTF Allstate Production of RENT and the IMEC Allstate combo where she was named one of the “7 Best Jazz Improvisers in the state of Illinois”. She was the first prize winner in Luminarts High School Division in Chicago and has received summer camp scholarships to Interlochen Center for the Arts, Ball State University, and Northern Illinois University. She was a 2018 National Young Arts Foundation winner for Jazz guitar and vocals.
She has performed in venues in the Chicago area including the Chicago Jazz Showcase, 210 Restaurant and Bar, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Uncommon Ground and other clubs. She has also performed in venues in other cities such as Cleveland, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Nashville, and Honolulu.
She has performed in venues in the Chicago area including the Chicago Jazz Showcase, 210 Restaurant and Bar, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Uncommon Ground and other clubs. She has also performed in venues in other cities such as Cleveland, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Nashville, and Honolulu.
About Me
About Me
Ever since I was a little girl I remember my parents playing music around the house. While they were not professional musicians, my dad plays guitar and my mom sings. According to them, they knew I had something special when I was 3 years old and started to sing along to songs and it would be in tune. Later on, when I turned 6 years old, they would take me to their business functions that they were a part of and my mom would often sing for the entertainment portion. I remember holding her hand when she sang in front of people and it would calm her down. After being inspired by my mom’s wonderful voice, one day I told her that I wanted to sing in these events too. Being the cool parents that they are, they bought a karaoke machine.
Ever since I was a little girl I remember my parents playing music around the house. While they were not professional musicians, my dad plays guitar and my mom sings. According to them, they knew I had something special when I was 3 years old and started to sing along to songs and it would be in tune. Later on, when I turned 6 years old, they would take me to their business functions that they were a part of and my mom would often sing for the entertainment portion. I remember holding her hand when she sang in front of people and it would calm her down. After being inspired by my mom’s wonderful voice, one day I told her that I wanted to sing in these events too. Being the cool parents that they are, they bought a karaoke machine.
At the time, I thought this karaoke machine was the coolest thing ever! I would use it often and learn a lot of songs. This is also where I learned how to read. My parents started to notice my love for singing, and would start signing me up to perform at these business functions, all while I had just lost my two front teeth. As time went on, my sisters who are significantly older than me, would babysit me while my parents were at work. I remember they introduced me to their favorite bands and we would watch music videos together all the time. Being inspired by those bands, I knew I wanted one thing, and that was to be a rockstar.
At the time, I thought this karaoke machine was the coolest thing ever! I would use it often and learn a lot of songs. This is also where I learned how to read. My parents started to notice my love for singing, and would start signing me up to perform at these business functions, all while I had just lost my two front teeth. As time went on, my sisters who are significantly older than me, would babysit me while my parents were at work. I remember they introduced me to their favorite bands and we would watch music videos together all the time. Being inspired by those bands, I knew I wanted one thing, and that was to be a rockstar.
My dad and I went to the music store and he bought me a mini guitar (I was still too small for a regular sized one). He would teach me chords and I would listen to songs and try to play it back on the guitar, learning artists from the Beatles to Jackson 5. Fast-forward to middle school where I would join orchestra and band (I played the violin and clarinet). I would practice so hard and by the time I went to high school, I was playing guitar in the jazz band. Here my teacher inspired me to pursue jazz. I would audition for the high school jazz ensembles around Illinois and would get into the top groups. I also received multiple scholarships to attend summer camps and won competitions for guitar and vocals during my senior year.
My dad and I went to the music store and he bought me a mini guitar (I was still too small for a regular sized one). He would teach me chords and I would listen to songs and try to play it back on the guitar, learning artists from the Beatles to Jackson 5. Fast-forward to middle school where I would join orchestra and band (I played the violin and clarinet). I would practice so hard and by the time I went to high school, I was playing guitar in the jazz band. Here my teacher inspired me to pursue jazz. I would audition for the high school jazz ensembles around Illinois and would get into the top groups. I also received multiple scholarships to attend summer camps and won competitions for guitar and vocals during my senior year.
Surrounding myself with other musicians has led me to realize that music was the path for me and when I got a scholarship to go to Berklee College of Music, it was one of the best moments of my life. Nowadays, I study guitar and vocals and perform around Chicago and Boston. I recently released my first EP, “Day by Day” last summer featuring all of my original songs.
Surrounding myself with other musicians has led me to realize that music was the path for me and when I got a scholarship to go to Berklee College of Music, it was one of the best moments of my life. Nowadays, I study guitar and vocals and perform around Chicago and Boston. I recently released my first EP, “Day by Day” last summer featuring all of my original songs.
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