We are pleased to spotlight Adriana Campos, an exceptional adult voice student who has studied with voice faculty member Sharon Neff for the past three years. Adriana’s commitment to her musical growth and her active participation in branch performances have made her a wonderful presence in our community. In the reflection below, Adriana shares how her experience at Settlement Music School and her work with Sharon have enriched her life:

“My musical journey began many years ago in Costa Rica, where I had the opportunity to sing with some of the country’s leading choirs and participate in international choral festivals and competitions throughout the Americas and Europe. When I moved to the United States for my professional career, however, my musical life changed. I was navigating a new country and a language barrier, and I wasn’t even sure whether I wanted to continue pursuing classical singing or what my next step in music should be. What I did know was that I wanted to sing again and become a better musician.

Finding Settlement Music School, and especially studying with Sharon, gave me the opportunity to build on everything my years of choral singing had given me while discovering and developing my own voice in a completely new way. The growth I have experienced has been significant, not only vocally and musically, but also in my confidence communicating in English and in how comfortable I feel with my own instrument.

As an immigrant with a very demanding professional career, music has also become much more than another activity in my schedule. Settlement has given me a space to step away from a fast-paced, stressful world and reconnect with the part of myself that loves music and enjoys singing.

Perhaps most importantly, it has become one of the places in Philadelphia where I feel known, where I belong, and where this new country feels a little more like home. I am incredibly grateful to Sharon and Settlement for giving me that space, and I am excited to keep learning and discovering how much further my voice can grow.” — Adriana Campos