With pain comes growth; with growth comes independence. How one deals with the change is what creates character.At the age of 18, singer-songwriter Priscilla Muñoz, has been forced to grow up faster than most teens.
After her parents divorced and left her alone with her two siblings, Muñoz started writing songs to ease her pain; to ease her frustrations she started to sing. The combination made for pain relief one can’t buy over the counter.
“I found myself getting extremely depressed when my mom took off with her new love. [It felt] like I was replaced, she found a better family. Writing became what I needed to do to express everything that was going on in my life,” said Muñoz.
“I sometimes find myself crying for no reason and I just write what I’m thinking on paper. When I get overwhelmed or just down, I sing until I can’t sing anymore. I don’t know how I would be able to handle all this madness without singing,” said Muñoz.
Though Muñoz bares her soul in her music, when it comes to socializing, she has a hard time expressing herself.
Linda Martinez, who attended high school with Muñoz said, “I would read her songs and I would know exactly what she was going through. Her words said everything her mouth couldn’t.”
Muñoz joined the choir at Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church in East Los Angeles where she befriended and confided in Pastor Eduardo Garcia.
“Priscilla is a warrior, she doesn’t give up. No matter what life throws at her, she recovers and fights on. During our time at church, I have seen her evolve and mature,” said Pastor Garcia.
Muñoz is taking education and religious studies at PCC. She plans to transfer to San Diego State University and continue taking religion courses that will ultimately lead to her becoming a teacher.
“You can’t deny the passion. The satisfaction I get when I sing or write a great song can’t compare to when I volunteer and see the kids at church learn new things. I would love to feel that every day for the rest of my life,” said Muñoz.
With adversity and newfound faith, writing has given her the sanity needed to embrace all the chaos. Her voice is what keeps her calm, when bad situations occur.
Muñoz is currently working on a MySpace music page where she can share her music.
Priscilla Muñoz is an 18-year-old singer who started writing songs at the age of 13 and is currently a freshman at PCC. (Justin Clay)
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