Backstage at the New England Music Festival, there’s a quiet hum of singers warming up followed by the occasional pluck of a guitar string or a note played on the piano.
All this noise is accompanied by a hint of anxiety because the festival isn’t just a showcase, it’s a competition.
This event may sound stressful, but to sophomore Dylan Torre-Moody, it “feels like home.”
Torre-Moody is a musician with an extensive background in acting and competitive singing. Her musical journey started when she was just 2 years old, when her family moved to New Hampshire after being surrounded by music while living in Nashville, Tennessee. Not only did the move spark her passion, but her mom also picked up on her talent.
“My mom put me into music [classes] because she read online about how if you put your kids into music under the age of five years old, they become more academically advanced,” Torre-Moody said.
According to Torre-Moody, she was “told at a young age that I had a natural musicality for piano specifically.”
“I was [registered for the New England] Music Festival, which I am still doing now,” Torre-Moody said. “I won my first regional title at the age of 7 years old for piano.”
Despite having the talent, Torre-Moody had lost the “desire” for playing piano, and had felt like she had to move on.
“Piano just wasn’t really something that I felt took me very far,” Torre-Moody said. “I used to practice religiously every day whenever I could, [but] I didn’t have the passion because I felt that I was expected to win and when I didn’t, it was just kind of degrading for me.”
In an attempt to broaden her horizons and bring back her love of music, Torre-Moody decided to learn a new instrument: her voice.
“I didn’t actually start singing until I was about 9 and [performing] was never the same for me,” Torre-Moody said. “I [felt] like there was so much more in singing, as opposed to piano, where the only thing you can become, in my 9-year-old mind, was a concert pianist at Carnegie Hall.”
Torre-Moody wanted to take her new found ability a few steps further through performing, with the first stop on that path being musical theater.
“[In fourth grade, I joined] my school’s musical theater program,” Torre-Moody said. “I wanted to be in a musical, which really started my love for theater. [I loved] being on the stage and really singing, not just playing music.”
Soon after, Torre-Moody started competing at the New England Music Festival again, and not only was she now competing with her voice, she had also aged out of her previous category and was now competing at the adult level. This change meant going against other teenagers, as well as adults of all ages.
“I was never really a fan of a slamdunk win or the participation trophies, I’ve always wanted to earn it,” Torre-Moody said. “It’s the highlight of [every] year to compete and be in places with people who really just share things with me, it’s more of a connection than a competition. It’s just so much more interesting to look at things from this older perspective, and it’s more about the experience I’m taking away from this now.”
