Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Pinataro.
Cassandra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began singing when I was about four years old. My mother started training me when I was young and realized I had a passion for singing. When I was 11, I started taking vocal lessons and followed my parent’s advice to train my voice classically first. I went onto the train throughout high school, and after competing in multiple vocal competitions, decided to pursue Opera in college. I attended New England Conservatory for four years and during that time, I realized there was more I wanted out of music. I wanted to write my own songs too. I reached out to a friend of mine Nashville, and got to work.
Within several months, we had my first EP written, recorded, and ready for distribution. I’ve continued on since then, recording and releasing music, and after graduating from New England Conservatory, I moved here to Nashville. Being able to tell MY story through music has been an experience that propels me forward. Currently, I am taking a Master’s of music business at Berklee College of Music Online, and I am preparing to compete for Miss Tennessee. After the competition, I’m excited to get back in the studio again!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes and no. While I was attending school and in the pandemic, traveling to Nashville was quite difficult. Zoom was a lifesaver during this so that I could continue to create with my co-writers, but I’m very happy to be on the ground here in Nashville!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in opera and pop vocals. I’ve gone from performing fully staged operas to recording in the studio to prepare for an upcoming album. If there was one thing I am most proud of, it would definitely be that I have been able to pursue both genres of music and train myself vocally to be able to execute both. Singing opera is very different from singing pop! I’m happy that I put in the work to make sure I can do both in a vocally healthy way. If there’s one thing that sets me apart from others, it is that I am also a Miss America Titleholder. I’ve been competing in the Miss America Organization now for two years and served last year as your Miss Boston 2022 and this year as your Miss Music City 2023. This has given me an opportunity not only to dive into my work handling food insecurity, but I have also had the opportunity to perform for many elementary and middle schools to help influence young children with my original music and with the classical arts. I truly believe that this is giving me an opportunity to see the next generation of music listeners in a new way.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Two pieces of advice for any new artist out there. 1. Do not do this for the money and fame. 2. Do this if you are in love with the art. I cannot stress this enough. So many people think that the music industry is this world of money, fame, and glory. That is a very small percent of it. To truly be a musician, you have to be okay with the long days of hard work with little to no reward. You have to love the art that much. If you can’t imagine a life without you creating music, you are in the right place. If there is anything else in the world that you could picture yourself doing, go do that. That is not to deter you from continuing to create, but your livelihood will be much better if you do not rely on the art to bring you financial joy.
Pricing:
- $750- wedding ceremony singer (pianist must be provided)
- $350- “Love You Back” empowerment seminar
- $1000- one hour classical performance booking
- $1500- one hour pop performance booking
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cassandraofficialmusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/youknowcassandra
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/youknowcassandra
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-pinataro-822377189
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/uknowcassandra
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@youknowcassandra
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/tTQrKejR3KzquRwW8
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@youknowcassandra?_t=8d57KHAC3IY&_r=1
Image Credits
Robby Trottier Krisna Goodwin Kaylee Steffel Steve Smith
