We had the good fortune of connecting with Kiko Laureano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kiko, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in Plymouth, Minnesota to a family of musicians. In my household, it was a requirement to learn and instrument, so my brother and I both started on piano. Between piano and, eventually, 10 years of violin lessons, I became well versed in music theory and performance. I began voice lessons at age 13 and explored both classical singing and musical theater. My parents are both successful musicians and teachers having co-directed the Minnesota Youth Symphonies for about three decades.

I learned my discipline from the two of them. In my teen and late college years, my heart was in vocal performance. The thing I never expected to become was a teacher. But here I am today juggling an onstage career and teaching both theater and music classes to Minnesota youth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being an artist of any kind is not a simple thing. It takes talent, sure, but it takes a whole lot of time and money as well; Two things that very hard to come by.

As a musical theater artist, I spend countless hours in voice lessons, school plays, and dance studios. I was fortunate enough to go to Indiana University and earn my BFA in musical theater and continue my education after high school. The biggest challenge has been to motivate myself after graduation and, of course, throughout the pandemic. There’s so much less motivation to sing when you’ve been locked in your apartment for months on end.

As life has opened up again, I feel that I have as well. I am so excited about my upcoming opportunities. My career has expanded from just being a performer to being a teaching artist for multiple Twin Cities companies such as the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, MN, Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins, MN, and even becoming a private voice teacher with a studio.

I have learned that there is always something more you can do. Whether it’s in gaining new experiences that you thought you’d never have or saying yes to all of the opportunities you can, you must push through and experiment until you find the path (or paths) that suits you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you’re visiting Minneapolis, you MUST take a walk through the Mill City area. With museums, incredible dining, and the beautiful Guthrie Theater, there is so much to do!

My perfect Saturday would be to take a walk along the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi river, get ramen at Zen Box, see a matinee at the Guthrie, and then visit the Guthrie’s 9th floor observation deck to get a unique view of the city. I also recommend walking, biking, or even kayaking through the chain of four lakes that we are fortunate to enjoy in the uptown area of our city. Bde Maka Ska is the name of one of our lakes with a perfect 3 mile loop to get around it, making for a great day outdoors.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The program that changed my life and love of performance was the Prelude Program at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, MN. I spent every Saturday from 2-5pm from freshman to senior year of high school singing within those walls.

I learned how to perform for my peers, sing solos onstage, record in a studio, compose music, and so much more over those four years. That program gave me the courage to be able to sing and act in front of others and I am forever grateful for the opportunities I received through that program.

The Prelude Program is still going strong and I cannot recommend it highly enough to any teenagers who would like to expand their performance skills.

Website: kikolaureano.com

Instagram: @klaureano

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwF3GBiwx3JciR5ZZMPhscg

Other: Tiktok: @kmlaureano

Image Credits
1000 Words Photography Dan Norman Photography Twin Cities Headshots

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