Daily Inspiration: Meet Sarina Angelique Hernandez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarina Angelique Hernandez

Hi Sarina Angelique, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Coming from a family of musicians including my mother who’s played many different instruments and sang when she was younger I have always had a passion for singing for as long as I can remember. I started singing publicly in second grade in my church choir. I was 10 when I joined my first vocal competition and won. After this I wanted to pursue music even more. When I was 12 I had the desire to sing in a live band. I went to see a band and the lead guitarist who I knew, pulled me up to sing a song. I knew from that day on that I wanted to have my own band. In the summer of 2018 I competed in the Arizona’s Got Talent competition. This was one of my first big competitions, and I was lucky enough to have placed first in the children’s division. Following this, in the summer of 2019 I competed in the World Championships of Performing Arts (W.C.O.P.A.). In this competition I competed against approximately 60 other countries, while I represented the United States. After months of preparation and hard work with my mothers help, on top of being in my high school’s choir and sports, I received a Bronze, two Silvers, and a Gold medal in the W.C.O.P.A. competition. This was such a big moment in my life and I knew that this was something that I wanted to continue after high school. I joined a band my senior year (2022) and I have been here ever since. I am now in college for Music Education and I am still in my band. My band is called Nite Life and we are a variety band that performs around the valley. Music has always been a big part of my life as it is something that I feel, truly expresses who I am as a person. Music was a big thing that helped me mentally throughout my life and change my perspective on my future. I am going into Music Ed to hopefully inspire others, the way that I was inspired at a young age.

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?
This has been anything but a smooth road. I was bullied at a younger age and as a child that took a lot out of me. There were times that I wanted to quit music because I did not feel like I was good enough, as that was what I was being told by my peers. I had a very supportive family behind me who never gave up on me, and always believed in my talent. This pushed me to ignore what others said, if this was something that truly made me happy. Once I joined a band, it was definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be. With me being underage at the time, it was very difficult to get gigs as I wasn’t allowed in certain venues because of my age. Not only was this hard, but I was still in high school, rushing from my softball games straight to my gig to change in the bathroom to start on time. I had to learn a lot of music in a short time if I wanted my band to start getting more gigs. Which meant singing in genres that I wasn’t particularly comfortable with. Over time I found a way to love all music the same because regardless singing on stage was something that I loved to do. In my life I had to deal with many losses including close friends and family. This took a toll on my mental health and at times made it really hard to want to keep going. But instead I learned to use music to cope with those hard times.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the lead singer of Nite Life Band. We are a variety band who sings anything from 50s to current, pop to funk, rock to Latin, and anything in between. We are known for our diverse music taste, and the connection that we make each night with our audiences. We go in as strangers and hopefully along the way we leave with new friends. I did not start off in popular music. I originally started in a church choir. With this being said I am also being classically trained and I am being taught to sing in 9+ languages. So while I can sing rnb/funk, I quickly switch over to singing classical selections and such throughout the school day. This is found to be interesting from new followers or people who don’t know me.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory was my parents taking me to see one of their friends children in a band at their own gig. I remember seeing everyone tower over me as I had to have been around four years old. The music started and I thought this was the coolest thing. The band on stage with the loud music having fun. The people in the crowd all jumping and yelling, making connections through music. It was definitely my favorite childhood memory and something that connected me to music.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nitelifeband?igsh=MWtrY2kzZDVqMmUwaQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/184hZ9ncLK/?mibextid=wwXlfr