Interview by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of YPC
We got to chat with singer/songwriter Jordan Reynoso whose song “Grown” can be heard on the Just Songs (Unplugged) album from the world-renowned Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC).
Tell us a bit about how you became involved with the Young People’s Chorus of NYC?
YPC became a strong force in my musical development from when I was so young. My elementary school participated in YPC’s Satellite School’s program, which is where I was introduced to their after school program. I quickly realized that I absolutely loved singing with other people, and the rest is history! I was an active member up until I graduated high school in 2016, and am grateful to have been commissioned to write a piece for their latest project, “Just Songs”.
You attended the acclaimed Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. What did you learn during your time there that you take with you today?
Although I was constantly engaging with music while I was growing up, LaGuardia was when I really started to hone in on my basic music skills. Through the classic music curriculum, ensembles and extracurriculars, I built a strong musical foundation which ultimately propelled me to start dabbling in songwriting. I met some of the most talented and incredible people during my four years, and the value of collaborating and sharing art is something I will always carry with me.
Tell us about your song “Grown” that you created for the Young People’s Chorus of NYC album. What inspired the song?
Over the summer, Francisco reached out to me and asked me to write a song for a new project they were working on called “Just Songs”, a commissioning program that amplifies voices of emerging songwriters to inspire the choristers to understand and access today’s world through music. “Grown” was inspired by the feeling of growing up and reflects on how I have changed over time. While it felt good to come home and be with my loved ones whenever I had breaks in college, I would often feel taken aback by how minimally things changed at home while I felt I had grown so much since I was away. Especially since COVID struck earlier last year, there has been so much time to assess where I want to go and what I hope to accomplish, regardless of how long I might be in the space that I am in for now. I wrote this song to shed some light on this transitional time and hope that listeners realize that they are not alone in their efforts to look inward during all of this uncertainty.
The song is pretty introspective. Do you often take moments you have in your own life and work through them through song?
Of course! Whether it be listening to it or making it, music helps me process situations and feelings in the most genuinely visceral way. Music has always been something I turned to growing up, whether it be through YPC, school or at home.
Who are some of your music inspirations?
I find myself drawing inspiration from so many different places. From more alternative artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Hayley Williams, to more soulful artists like Tori Kelly and Allen Stone, to theatrical songwriters such as Pasek & Paul or Jason Robert Brown, exposing myself to different types of music has really helped me find my voice.
What advice do you have aspiring musicians?
One of the best pieces of advice I can offer at this stage in my life is that more doors will open once you can acknowledge that you will never know everything. There is no end to education and even those we consider experts are ultimately still students. Becoming a stronger musician is an everlasting process.
