Long Bio
Gia Clarissa (nee San Pedro) is a singer/songwriter based in Sydney, Australia. Her music genre is mainstream inspirational, and she credits her influences from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The title of her album is, “Life is not a dress rehearsal...so live in the present.” Having composed her first song in the 90’s and most recently in 2018, she reached a defining moment in her life that spurred her on to seek inner happiness and fulfilment through pursuing a career in music.
Gia Clarissa's love of music started from a young age when she was the first to be selected to participate in the Primary School’s Glee Club of which, at the time, was only open to those in a higher grade. However, a subsequent move to a different school and therefore a new environment less than a year later resulted in her retreating into a shell of insecurity which led to the failed opportunity to enhance this new-found talent, and which lay suppressed for the rest of her early school years.
Fast forward 8 years, she moved to a new country, feeling lonely and insecure, but still holding on to her love of music (the 80's music genre kept her reminiscing about the good old days).
Fast forward 11 years, she composed her first song on the piano, while residing in the Blue Mountains.
Fast forward to 2016, she woke up from her slumber and faced her biggest fears of which were regret and failure. The choice was either:
– Remain unhappy (at that time) due to a stagnant career, family sadness back in her native city, and personal family setbacks, over a decade-long pursuit of starting a family with failed pregnancies and the loss of their daughter Angel, through stillbirth, or
– Live in the present while pursuing happiness through singing and writing songs from the heart, no longer being held back by self-sabotage or the fear of what other people may be thinking or saying.
It was from reading a passage of scripture (Parable of the Talents) in addition to completing the THarv Eker 'Quantum Leap Program' and also completing the JT Foxx Dream Team Intensive Seminar that she became inspired to apply what she was gifted with, despite the inner thoughts and conditions that sometimes hold a person back (i.e. that of not being good enough, not being young or good-looking enough, not being whatever etc.)
She had joined Russell Neal’s 'Songs on Stage Contest' at Kelly's on King, Newtown. Playing keyboard and singing both covers and original songs, she reached the finals. Her desire to pursue music was cemented then and she recorded her first album of songs with Bunk Bed Beat’s Helmut Uhlmann (producer/singer songwriter/sound engineer) and Alex Cake (sound engineer).
The album and some of its singles, comprised of songs composed between 1992 - 2016, is based on her life's journey.
After a cancer diagnosis in September 2018 and overcoming this with treatments, she is fitter than ever and has resumed her passion outside of work in 2020, recently performing at the Lava Bar & Grill in Seven Hills (prior to Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020).
Gia Clarissa is now living her dream and has taken a fresh approach to life as written in the lyrics to one of her songs, a line which reads, “Live in the present, enjoy every moment that you can take hold of...” because, as from a line in one of her other songs, “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”
The title of her album is "Life is not a dress rehearsal...so live in the present."
She has performed in the Parramatta area music scene such as Restaurant 317 and the Park Royal Hotel; has contributed performances for the following Not for Profit organisations such as: Busk for a Cure 2017 (Fundraising for Cancer, Crohn’s & Colitis established by Helmut Uhlmann); Cancer Council's Field of Hope 2017; the Aus-Viet Charity Fundraising Event 2017 to help the disadvantaged suffering poor vision due to cataracts; the Australian Vietnamese Aged Care Service Fundraising Event 2018; the United Nations Day of Vesak; and Busk for a Cure 2018.
She performed at the ‘Parramatta Make Music Day’ as part of ‘Make Music Australia’ on the 21st of June at the Parramatta Town Centre area (hosted by Parramatta City Council and in collaboration with Busk for a Cure) and for Cancer Council's Field of Hope 2018 in Circular Quay on the 19th of August, 2018.
She took part in the Bushfire Benefit Concert, ‘Sydney Sings for Hope’ which also raised funds for the Taal Volcano situation (Hosted by MENM Productions in partnership with The Salvation Army Emergency Services) on the 2nd of February 2020 at The Bowman Hall, 35 Campbell Street, Blacktown NSW.
She frequented the Harbourview Hotel's Thursday Hullabaloo at The Rocks in Sydney, hosted by John Chesher (previously by Zack Martin from The Mighty Resonators), in addition to The Old Fitzroy at Woolloomooloo in Sydney (*recently moved to Paddington RSL), also hosted by John Chesher, from the Songwriting Society of Australia, a Not-for-Profit association started by Peter Scully. Gia Clarissa has also performed at Kelly's on King and Paddington RSL Club, hosted by Russell Neal, Kelly's on King, hosted by Stuart Monk (creator/owner of Fican Guitars), The BMW Bar (Best Music Warehouse) in Glebe, hosted by Andrew Denniston, and currently frequents the Lava Bistro & Grill in Seven Hills (prior to Covid-19).
She was awarded 10th Place in the Lyrics Category at the 39th Australia Songwriting Contest held in October 30, 2019, hosted by the Australian Songwriter’s Association for her song, ‘When will you’.
Her music is uniquely appealing and melodious; is inspirational, encouraging and thought-provoking.
She composed and wrote the lyrics to all the songs in her album, with the exception of two of the song's lyrics (‘Beautiful Dream’ and ‘Beyond This Time’) written by her husband, Nick, a talented poet.
Apart from performing her own originals, she loves to play various tunes from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's through to the 2000's.
“You don’t have to be perfect before you start…just give it a go…and you won’t regret it. Life is about getting to know yourself from within; living, learning and improving from the mistakes you make; enjoying every moment you can; counting the blessings; forgiving yourself and others; living a life of purpose or if you can't think of one at present, living a life of appreciation; expanding your mind and your life; making a positive difference where you can; and most importantly, valuing yourself and those you love.”