Local StoriesNovember 8, 2022

Inspiring Conversations with Paulina Villarreal of Cantos para Hermanar al Mundo

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paulina Villarreal.

Hi Paulina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in the northern Mexican city of Torreón, Coahuila. From an early age, I became interested in the performing arts. I fondly remember my kindergarten and elementary school days singing in the school choirs and getting involved with many performing arts/musical groups that wanted to recruit new members. And planning holiday shows with my younger cousins to entertain our parents at family events.

It’s hard to know where this drive and passion came from. My parents never studied music, and while they appreciate the art itself, it was never something that they stimulated us to practice. One of the biggest surprises came when I was 12 years old. I was about to begin a sports summer camp and drove to a local university with my mom to pick up the camp’s uniform. We saw some children with their parents gathering at the university’s auditorium, and someone approached us to ask if I was there to audition for the Musical Theater summer scholarship. I wasn’t, but excitement began to build, and I begged my mom to let me sing for them. “You didn’t prepare anything,” she said. She was right! I had never auditioned for anything before. My dad is a big fan of the Beatles, and I knew some of their songs by memory since he would play them often in the car. I sang “yesterday” for the audition and was awarded a full scholarship to sing a lead role with a local Musical Theater company. From that moment on, all sports uniforms were abandoned. I started taking voice lessons after that, but only sometimes. Teachers would move away, music schools would close, and there was an instance of financial hardship in my family that prevented me from doing so every week.

I joined a local pop band and made some money singing for weddings and other events. When the time to look at colleges/universities drew near, I knew I wanted to give music a serious try. My high school career mentor frowned at the idea and said that music was nothing but a hobby. She encouraged me to look into “serious” majors (to this day, I still don’t know what she meant by “serious”).

Because no university in Torreón offered a career in music, I enrolled at the local university and studied international business and entrepreneurship. I didn’t know it then, but that foundation in business later proved vital for my entrepreneurial career. I then decided to study abroad through the university’s exchange program, which took me to Appalachian State University in North Carolina. The music school was next to the Business School, so you can probably guess what happened. I spent all my free time in the music building, auditioning for choirs, attending concerts, and meeting some voice professors. One day after choir rehearsal, the choir professor approached me and encouraged me to audition for the voice performance program. I did a few days later because I was not afraid of impromptu auditions. I got offered a big scholarship to move to the United States Permanently to study music full time finally, and spoiler alert: I’m intimidated by auditions now! I realize now what is at stake in every one of them – I miss the careless attitude of my early years.

I was a freelance singer for several years after graduating with my doctorate in my mid-twenties. Even though I loved the lifestyle, it got difficult to sustain due to the constant traveling. I admit now that I became home sick. I then attended graduate school at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. That’s when I applied for a part-time teaching job at a liberal arts college in Illinois. At first, teaching was a tool to supplement my income and pay for auditions and travel, but I quickly fell in love with the profession. It provided the stability that performing didn’t, so in 2019, I became a full-time voice professor. I joined the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music faculty in August 2020.

Even though I’ve lived in the United States for over a decade, I am still very connected to my Mexican roots and visit my family in Torreón very often. In 2017 I began a non for profit organization/concert series down there titled Cantos para Hermanar al Mundo (Songs to bring the world together) with the mission of promoting classical music in the community and giving scholarships to young talent. A big part of me wants to erode the erroneous assumption that music is not a career path, as I was told in my high school years. I firmly believe that if there’s passion and conviction, one will always find a way to make it happen. Today, I’m a full-time voice professor at the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. I teach opera/classical and contemporary singing styles and Song Repertoire in many different languages. I also teach voice and direct a showcase in Hawai’i over the summers with the Hawai’s Performing Arts Festival and direct the concert series over the winters in Mexico. Even when these engagements take much of my time, I am still an active performer. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest struggles was growing up in a city with limited resources regarding music education and severe vocal training. Things are, however, changing now. The internet has allowed artists to connect with other musicians and view degree offerings worldwide. Another struggle is the fact that singing professionally is quite competitive. There are thousands of capable and talented singers attending every audition. The odds are never on your side. There were times when I almost quit singing/performing because of rejection. I’ve learned, however, that every professional musician struggles with this variable. You must nurture the mind as much as the voice to survive in this business and keep your mental health intact.

As you know, we’re big fans of Cantos para Hermanar al Mundo. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
In 2017, I founded Cantos para Hermanar al Mundo (Songs to Bring the World Together). A non for profit concert series hosted in Northern Mexico to promote classical music in the community, unite different cultures through the art of performance, and support young promising talent in Mexico.

The series invites artists from different nationalities to residency in Northern Mexico and participate in events like concerts, recitals, masterclasses, and interviews/discussions. Currently, “Cantos” has represented over 15 nationalities through casting, offered different educational experiences like masterclasses and vocal clinics to local talent with some of the most established pedagogues from American universities, and given over $100,000 MX pesos in scholarships through vocal competitions and scholarships.

I’m proud of what this series has achieved because, as my personal story narrates, there is a true need for training, support, and music education in Northern Mexico. The company envisions representing all countries through the galas/recitals one day and aiding young talent with study-abroad opportunities.