This week it’s a SPECIAL The Big Five with actress and performer Alejandra Martinez, from The American Sirens. Martinez will return to the Flagler Auditorium’s stage tonight, this time not as a student but as a world traveling performer!
1. Tell readers about yourself and graduating FPC (were you in the music program, did you grow up here, etc.)
I moved to Florida with my family when I was 10 years old so I did grow up here! I did 5th grade in Wadsworth Elementary, middle school in Buddy Taylor, and of course graduated from FPC in 2002. At FPC I took Musical Theater my freshman and sophomore year, Vocal Ensemble I believe sophomore through senior year, acting classes, and did the Fall musical every year.
2. How did you connect with bandmates to become The American Sirens?
We have worked together in other capacities and projects for over 10 years. We all met in Orlando–we have all worked for Disney and other production companies and when we realized we really had something special singing together in the vintage genre, we decided to take it to the next level and create our own group.
3. Talk about developing your sound. It makes me think of the 40’s. Is that the right time period, and is that how you all started?
Yes! You are exactly right, we like to sing in the style of the 30’s and 40’s, even pushing it as far as the 50’s with some of our tunes.
4. What do you hope audiences will feel or take away from the show?
We always hope to create that feeling of nostalgia for those who may have lived through the 30s and 40s and grew up listening to standard jazz and old vintage tunes, as well as spark interest in old souls like us who grew up on modern popular music but love all things vintage. We have really enjoyed bringing vintage back and putting our own spin on it.
5. Do you all write and record your own songs and if so, what is the process like when keeping with your genre?
We do not currently write our own music but that is definitely a future goal for us! We do however create our own vocal arrangements and choreography. We started out as a track show and have just recently had the opportunity to expand to creating band charts for our repertoire so hopefully the next time you see us, we’ll be backed by a live band! We are excited to continue growing in a direction that will allow us the freedom to eventually create original music.
6. How much fun is it to get to go back in time as your job?
It is equally as fun as the material itself. We love vintage fashion, we love getting glammed up and doing vintage hair and makeup, we love finding the perfect outfit or accessory, we love it all! It’s part of our process and what we bring to the table as an upscale luxury product. It’s definitely high maintenance but it’s so worth it when we step out to perform and we all feel like we’ve turned back the clock and have truly brought a piece of that era to our audiences. It’s such a huge compliment to us when we get told we’ve stirred up fond memories or that we made them feel young again. It’s so special to us. We are all about fun and a party atmosphere but we also bring a great deal of heart to what we do and are always so grateful when that shines through.
