MANILA, Philippines - “It’s my passion to perform. I feel that the stage is my playground,” exclaims 21-year-old Gretchen Stephanie Espina, who says that she takes singing seriously and doesn’t do it for the money. “My reward is being able to touch a chord in the audience’s hearts and see them enjoy my performance. That for me is priceless.”
Gretchen, who is the first Pinoy Idol (the Philippine version of the hit TV show American Idol), is now living her dream. In fact, she is currently promoting her first solo album under Sony Music, Shining Through. In this album, the young chanteuse gets to collaborate with the finest musical talents in the local scene. Furthermore, Gretchen reveals that four songs in her album were penned by foreign songwriters.
“I believe that one must really undergo formal voice training from different coaches in order to develop a unique style and technique. This will help one use one’s voice with support, proper placement and less strain,” Gretchen advises. The 5-ft.-7-in. GMA-7 artist adds that discipline is one of the most important traits that an aspiring singer should possess. And now that she’s given the chance to share her talent, she takes good care of her voice by “not drinking cold beverages, not smoking and having enough sleep.” Gretchen furthers that her years with the UP Singing Ambassadors helped her through the rigorous and nerve-wracking schedules and activities she had to go through to clinch the top prize in Pinoy Idol. She was even part of the group when it won first prize in the Inter-Collegiate Singing Contest in Shantou University, Guangdong, China.
Offstage, the statuesque and slim lass enjoys photography, reading books, writing songs and playing the piano. She also makes sure she catches a movie or two when she gets a breather from work.
The daughter of Biliran Gov. Roger Espina and pediatrician Cecil Espina, Gretchen was taught early in life that she must not be blinded by money or success. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, the young girl was raised to treat all people equally. “My parents instilled in me the values of humility and hard work. I don’t want to be one of the gilded butterflies that are laughed at.”
So even now that she’s part of the glaring world of show business, the European Languages senior from UP Diliman is keeping her values intact. She shares: “A fellow artist once advised me that I should never let go of the passion I have when I started out. I also keep in mind that I should respect my fellow artists and the production staff.” — Jerni May H. Camposano