Artist of the Month has been awarded to senior Cindy Cerqueira for her contributions to Ossining High School’s cultural arts community. Cindy has been very active in the theatrical arts throughout her high school career (and throughout middle school as well). She has participated in three high school musicals so far, she even garnered a lead role her sophomore year, a very impressive feat. Besides being an actress, Cindy is also a very talented singer who has participated in Gimme the Microphone in the past. She also sings as an extracurricular, she can often be found singing the National Anthem at local sports events. In addition to singing and acting, Cindy dances in a traditional Portuguese dance group. What follows is an in depth interview, where she sheds more light on her relationship with music and the cultural arts.

TC: How did you get into singing?

CC: I got into singing through my father. He was a very musical person, he listened to a lot of music and I picked it up from him.

TC: What type of music do you listen to?

CC: I listen to every style of music. From pop, to hip-hop, to bachata, to reggaeton. Depending on what mod I am in, I listen to any genre of music.

TC:Besides singing, what other art forms do you pursue?

CC: I love to dance and act as well. I am a part of the drama club and have performed in most of the musicals since middle school.

TC: Do you plan to pursue music after high school?

CC: Pursuing music after high school is not in my plans, but I know that if what I have in mind doesn’t work out, then music is definitely my next choice.

TC: How has music changed your life?

CC: Music has changed my life because it has shaped who I am today. I can’t go a day without listening to music, I feel empty if I don’t. It has become a part of me and without music I wouldn’t be myself.

TC: Why is music important to you?

CC: Music is most important to me because my father brought it into my life. He loved music and he taught me to love music as well.