Melody Valdez ’17

Roles within BareStage:
Music Director (Bat Boy – Fall 2017, Cabaret – Spring 2018), Accompanist for BareTroupe

Current Role:
Freelance Theatre Musician

What was your professional path after college?
I worked as an iOS Engineer at Facebook, and later switched to a small startup.

What fills your time now – professionally and personally?
I now freelance as a musician in the NYC theatre scene: music directing, playing piano, notating sheet music, and much more. Personally, I love exploring parks, trying new restaurants, and reading romance novels.

How did BareStage impact your college experience? Has BareStage had an impact on your post-grad life?
I joined BareStage during my senior year and accidentally fell into music directing when I had only wanted to play piano in the pit. It opened up a whole new career path for me that I didn’t even know existed. It’s been a windy journey, but I’ve now made the jump into full-time musician life thanks to my first learning experiences at BareStage. Shout out to fellow BareStage alum Amy Liu for hooking me up with my first national tour gig that helped me take the leap of faith!

What’s your favorite BareStage memory?
Meeting my music bestie Zach Manlapid!! We always joked that we were two halves of one whole music director.

What advice do you have for someone entering your field?
As someone who didn’t major in music, educational background doesn’t matter as much as your drive to learn and grow. Also, find your people and mentors! Maestra and MUSE have been incredible resources for me as a BIPOC female musician in theatre.

Hometown:

San Jose, CA

Current City:

Brooklyn, NY

Major:

Computer Science