BYUH students were treated to the senior voice recital of Nicole Villejo on the night of May 18. With a program consisting of songs which spoke about female empowerment and families, Villejo made her family a part of her performances. She also said her senior recital was about thanking her family for the support she had been given in her musical endeavors.
After performing, Villejo, a senior from Honolulu majoring in music, said, “Performing always gives me a rush. It’s so much fun and so after the performance, I felt relieved it is over but I also feel sad. This being my senior recital is really a mixed bag of emotions. I find myself wondering if it really happened because it went by way too fast.”
Accompanied on the piano by Lawrence Laureano, a senior from the Philippines majoring in vocal performance, Villejo began the recital singing “Journey to the Past” from the animated movie “Anastasia.” With the rhythm of Laureano’s piano playing, Villejo moved very little, only using her hands and face for expression as she sang.
The song expresses the main character Anastasia’s desire to find clues about who her family is and her determination to find them.
Following a rousing round of applause, Villejo gracefully continued into her next song, this one a duet with Jeff Mellor, entitled “Suddenly Seymour” from the hit musical “Little Shop Of Horrors.” “Suddenly Seymour” is sung by the character of Audrey, who in the show, has been abused by her current boyfriend, and recognizes the gentleness and sincerity of her friend Seymour, according to metrolyrics.com.
After “Suddenly Seymour,” Villejo performed “Safer” from the musical “First Date.” The song expresses the main character Casey’s struggles to find herself and find out if she is really worthy of true love, according to the New York Times.
When asked if she intentionally chose songs which were empowering to women, Villejo replied, “My song choices were really based on the story they told and what I loved the most. I did realize my topics were either about family or women following their dreams and love, but I feel like that’s where I am in my life. I can relate to these characters and songs, which is why I loved them and chose to do them for my recital.”
Reflecting on his time performing with Villejo, Laureano said, “I am very proud of her. She has grown both as a person and musician. She leans on music which expresses her feelings and intentions. As an accompanist, I play a vital role in the recital. Without an accompanist, the performance is not complete. And our performances are not as simple as me accompanying and her singing. They are more about collaboration and creating something together. Not one-sided.”
Laureano was able to lend vocals for Villejo’s next duet, which was a rendition of “A Million Miles Away” from the Broadway musical “Aladdin,” with her singing Jasmine’s lines and him singing Aladdin’s. Accompanied by Jennifer Duerden, a special instructor, on piano, the two faced each other with their microphones as they sang about their characters’ desires to leave their homes in search of freedom and adventure. Receiving immense applause from the audience, Villejo, Laureano, and Duerden took a bow and exited offstage.
Villejo returned with four other singers to sing the parts of the five different Eliza Schuylers in “First Burn,” a song from the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.” In the song, five different singers sing as the same character, Eliza, who was the wife of Alexander Hamilton. “First Burn” contains Eliza’s heartbreak and anger at her husband for being unfaithful to her, and not thinking about his children and their legacy.
Performing as a family
Following the intermission, Villejo was joined by her three brothers onstage, who acted as her accompaniment for the rest of the recital. They were Mark Anthony Villejo playing the bass, Crissar on guitar, and Edgar on drums. The first song they performed together was “Always Remember Us This Way,” from the recent Oscar nominee “A Star Is Born.” Her outfit had also changed to a black shirt and pants, with a glittery microphone replacing her previous one.
“Always Remember Us This Way” received a standing ovation from the audience, which included much of the Villejo family. Of her family, Villejo later said “Growing up, we were a musical family. It was the one thing that kept us all together. Growing up, I had a singing partner.” Calling up her sister Charmaine, Villejo announced her next song to be “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations and encouraged the audience to sing along.
With her sister onstage, Villejo’s face lit up as her band of brothers started playing. Facing each other, the sisters lit up into song and dance. With four other members of her family onstage, Villejo appeared completely comfortable as she entertained the audience, who began singing along.
For her final song, Villejo chose one which was not listed on the program. The reason being, according to her, “This past week was Mother’s Day and I would love to take this time to thank my mom for all the hard work she has done.” She announced she would be singing a traditional Filipino song, whose lyrics were about a child promising to take care of their mother when she grew old.
Singing in Tagalog, Villejo looked down into the first few rows of the auditorium where her mother, Christy, was sitting. The sound of several of her family members humming the traditional Filipino song could be heard, as Villejo expressed appreciation for her mother and the sacrifices she had made, all through song. At the conclusion of the song, she took a moment of silence and broke it by saying “I love you, mom,” which received enthusiastic applause from those in attendance.
Following the concert’s end, Christy Villejo, her mother, said she was “overwhelmed with happiness at my daughter’s decision to sing the song. I cried multiple times during it because the song is all about a child giving their mother assurance she will be taken care of in her old age.
“It warms my heart seeing my daughter doing what she loves, but always remembering where she came from, and honoring her family.”
Writer: Elijah Hadley