Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Concepcion.
Hi Cameron, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Cameron Concepcion. I’m twenty-three years old, and I was born in Houston, Texas. I was raised north of Houston in The Woodlands, TX. My family knew since I was young that I was going to pursue music. I remember singing in front of my living room fireplace at just five years old, imagining the crowd of people watching me sing. I knew from that moment that I wanted to be a singer. When I was eight, I remember seeing a piano throughout my childhood. It would never go untouched because I always had a tune in my head that I’d play on the piano. One day, it dawned on me that I was playing piano without the use of sheet music. I didn’t even listen to a song before playing it. I just played what I heard in my head. I realized that I had perfect pitch, a musical ability to identify a musical note without any reference. Supposedly, only one in ten thousand people have that ability.
I was becoming a pre-teen, and I wanted to be in a music community. At twelve years old, I joined the Sarah Kelly Music School, where they taught the whole game of music: vocals, piano, guitar, and songwriting. You could even learn how to produce and record your own song. Also, they hosted showcases every Friday within The Woodlands area, where you could perform. I remember performing in front of an audience for the first time. It was at a renowned venue where I was raised called Dosey Doe. I sang my original song that I wrote, and I remember being extremely nervous. It ended up being so much fun, and I wanted to do it again.
Around the start of high school, I started taking music more seriously. I was still a student at the Sarah Kelly Music School. I posted music content more consistently on my social media, and I took any music opportunity I could get. Every opportunity from that moment, big or small, kept propelling me forward. I sang at weddings, family functions, restaurants, and open-mics. I even joined the worship team at my church. Sarah Kelly, who had observed my musical growth and passion for music, saw me fit to teach fundamental music theory to the young kids program. I took my very first job in high school, being a music teacher at the school where I used to be a student. It was a full circle moment. Music was starting to become a routine thing.
At this point, many people have heard me sing and play the piano. I was always told that I had a musical gift. I remember, since I was young, people telling me to audition to be on a singing competition show. I thought it would never be possible. Little did I know that a spontaneous Instagram ad to audition for American Idol Season 23 would create a life-changing experience for me.
I flew to New York City with a few of my family members to audition in front of American Idol celebrity judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie. I auditioned with “Cold” by Chris Stapleton while playing the piano. I received great feedback, and I got a unanimous “yes” and the Golden Ticket to Hollywood. A few months later, I flew to Los Angeles, California to compete with the other Golden Ticket holders. For Hollywood Week, I sang “You Are The Reason” while playing the piano. I remember performing it with such authenticity and conviction. After I was finished singing, Lionel Richie recognized my performance and told my competitors that’s how a performance should be done. It felt like a dream receiving feedback like that from a legend himself. I ended up in the Top 144 out of 200,000 singers in the nation.
Just a few months later, I was finally given clearance to publicly share that I received the Golden Ticket, had been on American Idol, and was entered into the competition. Announcing that opened many doors of music opportunities. It truly paved my music journey into a direction I never saw myself being in.
I’ve fulfilled awesome music opportunities, and I still do to this day. I’m blessed beyond measure. This didn’t have to be part of my life story, but God decided otherwise! I released my first ever original song that got me onto the GRAMMY Ballot thanks to Jonas Ekman and Sarah-Kelly Ekman. I got to attend the GRAMMY Award Show too! I sang for the NBA Houston Rockets, and I’ve performed for the Savannah Banana Ball Game. I’ve sang at more restaurants and country clubs than imaginable. And I’m still working at the music school I was once a student of. It’s honestly overwhelming to think about.
To this day, I’m somewhere doing music. On my downtime, I love to cook, play pickleball, and spend time with my family and friends. I’m grateful for every opportunity that’s come my way, and I give thanks to the Lord and everyone that has contributed to my music journey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road, yet somehow, I am where I am. Because music is a saturated industry, sometimes you’re faced with rejection and competition. But I’m blessed to have an awesome support system!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I do music for a living. I work at the Sarah Kelly Music School, founded by 2X Grammy Nominee Sarah-Ekman Kelly and her husband, Jonas Ekman, as the Head Vocal Coach. On the side, I do gigs at restaurants and country clubs. I also do private events.
I play shows on any stage I can get on. I either play solo, or I’ll get a group of my friends and form a band. I’ve performed on renowned stages in my area, including Dosey Doe and POST Houston. There have been times when I’ve been asked to sing last minute, and sometimes they’re big opportunities I don’t want to miss, like when I sang the National Anthem for the Houston Rockets.
All this to say, I’m doing music 24/7, but I couldn’t ask for anything better!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I have a lot of great childhood memories. Most of them have to do with music. My favorite childhood memory is one that made me realize that I wanted to pursue music forever. I’d put on my favorite songs at the time and use my living room as a stage. I imagined a huge crowd of people singing and dancing along with me. That memory always sticks with me because in that moment I knew I wanted to go down the pathway of doing music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cameronconcepcion.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronconcepcion
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1aVYfCDk5S/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cameronconcepcion
- Other: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/cameronconcepcion/drivin-2/
