Isabella :
Hello everyone. And welcome back to another Girl on Fire interview. I’m your host Isabella here at the ice cream patio, with Ida-Marie Carriero. She’s this incredible singer, dancer, songwriter, and mental health advocate.
Isabella :
I’m really excited to see you today and to have you on the show.
Ida-Marie:
Thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited to be here.
Isabella :
So I heard that you won Miss Teenage York Region. Can you tell us a little bit about that? That’s amazing. Congratulations!
Ida-Marie:
Thank you so much. So yes, recently I have won Miss Teenage York Region and it has been an amazing experience. It was my first time ever competing at a pageant. So obviously it was a little bit nerve-wracking at first, but all the girls, they’re so amazing, so incredibly talented. I’m very lucky to have won and be able to make it into nationals so now I will be competing at Miss Teenage Canada.
Isabella :
That is incredible. Wow. Just hearing that you’re really putting yourself out there, and I know how talented are. You also just put out an original song. Is this your first original?
Ida-Marie:
Yes! This song is called ‘Today. I’, co-written and produced by international award-winning producer Jovan Jovanov. The messaging behind it is my struggle with generalized anxiety disorder, which is an uncontrollable worry about anything and everything. I’ve struggled with this ever since I was two years old, so things, like going to school and being very social have been a really big struggle for me. Also dealing with bullying has been difficult, but the messaging of the song has really taught me that even though my struggle with anxiety was such a negative experience and had a negative impact on my life, I feel that today without it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. It’s an amazing feeling cause I wanna inspire not only other youth but anyone struggling with mental health.
Isabella :
That is so inspiring that you kinda turned your own personal experiences into art and to help other people. So save the date that’s August 15th.
Ida-Marie:
Yes. Awesome.
Isabella :
Tell me about your motivation. I know you’re into different performing arts like dancing and singing. What has got you into the arts?
Ida-Marie:
That’s a really good question. So again, going back to my song and everything, my love for music and dance has always been something that helped with my anxiety and coping with it. There are many coping mechanisms, but for me personally, it’s been all that I do today, which is the dancing, the acting, and playing piano, which had a huge impact on my life and wellbeing. And for girls who are even struggling with not only anxiety but any sort of mental health, I wanna be a voice out there for the girls who don’t feel like they fit or measure up with society’s beauty standards. Cause I feel that we all deserve to embrace the things that make us different and we all know whatever we’re struggling with does not define us.
Isabella :
I love that. Our struggles do not define us. Do you have a role model that inspires you? Cause I think a lot of people look up to you.
Ida-Marie:
Yes, I have musical inspiration, especially Alessia Cara, which is a very big one as she’s from Canada. All of her songs always have a positive message, especially the song ‘Scars to your beautiful’, it has really affected me in a positive way. Cause when the song came out, that’s when I was really struggling with my anxiety. I just love the messaging. It’s always been very inspiring.
Isabella :
I love that song. I gotta listen to it again. Other than a female role model, is there a quote you would like to share with us.
Ida-Marie:
Yes. So this quote actually comes from my seventh-grade teacher. I remember her telling me this on the first day of school, when she told me her favorite quote, it really meant something to me in a positive way. So there are actually two that she taught me. “Today is the tomorrow that you thought about yesterday.”, meaning that whatever happened today, just know that there’s a new day, new life, new experiences, and new goals. And another quote that really inspired me is “You never get a second chance to make the first impression.’
Isabella :
Wow, a bonus quote too! That’s awesome. Do you have any upcoming projects? How can we support you or follow you on social media?
Ida-Marie:
Yes! You can follow my Instagram *@Idamarie_official. That’s where I usually post all my content, singing and dancing. There’s also this new series I’ve been working on, ‘Youth Empowering Youth’, which is an all-girl program from the ages 9-13, where we kinda just talk over a Zoom call about different topics. So far, we’ve talked about anxiety, bullying, and eating disorders. We just wanna create a positive space for young girls to talk about their struggles and learn from other girls past experiences’ and how they dealt with different situations.
Isabella :
I love that idea, especially, you know, girls we’re constantly being pinned against each other and this is so great to really take that power back and share our stories with others. Are there any goals you want to achieve? What do you see yourself doing more of?
Ida-Marie:
I definitely see myself dancing, singing, and acting. I wanna be on Broadway when I grow up. I love musicals and I’m a big musical theater nerd. I literally watch every single musical. ‘Wicked’ is probably my favorite. So, that is definitely one of my biggest dreams.
Ida-Marie:
But another one of my present goals is definitely to keep doing more motivational speaking for mental health. I feel it’s super positive, especially with the pandemic and all the lockdowns we’ve been going through. It’s really important to uplift, not only just our youth but everyone, especially during these difficult times.
Isabella :
I love that message. Thank you so much, Ida-Marie. Everyone, go follow and support her!
Follow on Instagram
@idamarie_official / @youth2youthglobal
wwww.idamariecarriero.com
Interview Host: @Isabella.milano1
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