Local artist ready for her new journey in the United States
Local singer, Serena Steinhauer will furthering her studies in the arts for a chance at performing in the United States.
A young local singer is a few steps closer to reaching her goal of studying and performing in the United States.
Serena Steinhauer (22) recently graduated top of her class from Berklee College of Music in the United States, all while on South African shores. She matriculated in 2018 and spent a lot of time working her way into acceptance at an international university. Many rigorous auditions later, she was accepted at the college.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic put her dreams on hold to study in America. So she signed up for online classes which meant she had to attend as early as 01:00 South African time.
In May, she will travel to Boston to receive her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Music Studies Summa Cum Laude. Steinhauer said she was incredibly proud of herself for achieving her goal. “It is an overwhelming but extremely rewarding feeling to have achieved the goal I set out to three years ago. It truly is a culmination of a diligent work ethic, passion, some very late nights and many large cups of coffee,” she said.
“To me, American institutions especially those within the arts, are synonymous with academic and artistic excellence. Studying in this highly competitive environment proved to be challenging yet an incredibly stimulating opportunity.”
And the talented artist is not done yet. She has been accepted to the Actor’s Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York to study for a Master in Fine Arts in Acting degree.
Recalling her youth, Steinhauer remembers emulating songs she had heard after attending the theatre. In high school, she took part in several activities including ballet, tap and modern dancing, and played the guitar, piano and violin.
She added her voice was suited to 80s classic rock and had also trained in musical theatre. “I have always been described as having a big voice with an unabashed stage presence. It is through the rock genre, with its wailing guitars, addictive beat and shameless message that I found the type of music that I would love to create.
“The other side of my sound is inspired by my lifelong love of musical theatre. It is the medium where performers must switch from lighter operatic sounds to stronger brassy ones; this is where I focus most of my training.”
In the future, the young singer wants to perform on Broadway, sing and dance on the world’s greatest stages, and compose music.
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