Age: 18
School Year: 1st Year
Hometown: West Covina, California
Major: Media and Cultural Studies
Like her on Facebook! ( facebook.com/francesagoncillo )
Check out her wonderful performance at our Talent Show!
1. When did you first start singing?
I started singing when I was a kid. My mother would always sing with me on karaoke. She told me that when she was pregnant with me, she would put headphones around her belly and maybe that’s why I really like to sing. I was a really energetic and competitive kid. I would compete with my mom on our karaoke scores.
2. Who or what inspired you and helped you realize how much you enjoy singing?
When I was younger, my mom pushed me to take piano lessons. I wasn’t very good at it and so I begged my mom to switch to voice lessons instead. Especially because she always made me sing for my family every time there was a party. I was very comfortable singing to crowds of people. So eventually, I joined the glee club at school. At first, I was terrified to perform onstage. I mean, who wouldn’t, right? But after a while, the terror didn’t really go away. I just got used to being terrified.
3. Can we expect to see you auditioning on any shows soon?
At first, I always thought of auditioning for American Idol or X Factor or even America’s Got Talent. But after watching those shows, I realized that they don’t judge you based on your talent. It’s a popularity contest and there are so many talented people out there who don’t make it because they’re not “star material”. I guess the only one I would consider would be The Voice. But, I’m not entirely closing myself away from them. You never know though, you might just see me on TV one day.. (:
4. Favorite song to perform?
Diva ballads are my specialty such as songs by Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and especially Beyonce. “Listen” is definitely my favorite though. It’s so soulful and it’s so easy to internalize on a performance with a song as powerful as it is. I feel like the best performances are the ones where you can feel the emotions of the singer.
5. Craziest performance experience?
In fifth grade, I sang for one the school events. I was on stage, ready to sing. Then the guy in charge of the sound played a different track and when I tried to explain to one of the teachers that it was the wrong track, she thought I forgot the words and handed me the lyrics. So I tried singing my song to a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TRACK. It was in front of everyone in my year. It was awful. When I was walking back to my seat after the performance, I tripped in front of everyone and my shoe just flew across the auditorium. It was terrible.
6. In ten years where do you see yourself?
In ten years, I see myself as a famous singer, performing every other day and earning so much money that my bank account can’t handle it anymore. Hahaha! But if that doesn’t work out, I guess I see myself as a lawyer—working at a firm, hopefully. Definitely hoping to be married and have kids and all that stuff. But I do know I’m gonna keep singing. I don’t know how or when, but I don’t think I’m ever gonna lose the love for it.
7. What is your personal clothing style like?
I guess I could say my style is young and exciting but with a mature twist. I would also describe it as fun and confident. I’m not afraid of bright colors. You’d probably see me walk around campus wearing a bright pink jacket or really obnoxious bows in my hair.