Winston Esposito: What inspired you to be a musician? (P.S. These are the generic questions you should knock out of the park)
Alexandra DiNovi: [Laughs] No pressure, huh? When I was younger than three, my cousin Nicole played violin, and I wanted to play right away. I tried to sing in church as an infant, and as I’ve grown up I still have the desire to sing. I think there is something in me that need’s to be expressed through music.
WE: To date, who are your favorite musicians? Any influences that we know of?
AD: Dave Matthews. The lyrics that he writes, the music that he makes, the fact that I can listen to seven different versions of “Number 41” and love every one of them. It’s hard not to like him. No matter what he sings, I can’t listen to it without loving it.
WE: Who has been the biggest supporter of your music career?
AD: I’m going to have to say my vocal coach, Jan. She told me when I first met her that I can do this and I can do it well. She told me, “You could be a pop star, a rock star, whatever you want to be.” She said, “You are a machine, built to do this.” She was adamant and moved by me because she thought I had serious potential.
WE: When did you decide that music would be your career?
AD: I didn’t, I never decided that; it just happened. It just keeps pulling me. It has pulled me from Chicago to LA, and it pulls me in such a way that I can enjoy it from my soul. So it’s really fun, and if it turns into a career, which it has been doing, that’s great. I’m being paid at the House of Blues, which is exciting [laughs].
WE: House of Blues is quite a venue. Are you going to be worried about going onstage?
AD: As far as I’m concerned, there’s no pressure. It’s just fun. People have told me that it’s their dream to play at the House of Blues; I’m just doing it to have a good time.
