Conversations with Lauren Alvarez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Alvarez.

Lauren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Music has been my passion for as long as I can remember. My journey began at just four years old, and at age five, I joined the Riverside Choir in Lakewood, Ohio, while also beginning to pursue acting and singing at the Beck Center for the Arts. By the age of ten, I had started writing my own music and developed a growing interest in learning different musical instruments.

My musical journey began with piano lessons, followed by violin lessons and joining my school orchestra at age eleven. By twelve or thirteen, I had expanded my interests to include learning guitar and even the bagpipes. Throughout the years, I participated in numerous local singing competitions and had the opportunity to perform at several live events.

In 2018, I decided to take a serious leap toward pursuing my dream of a career in music. I created a social media platform dedicated to my music and officially began building my journey as an independent artist. Of course, we all know what happened at the end of 2019 and into 2020. Like many artists, I experienced setbacks during that time. In 2022, I decided to take another chance on my music career and continue pursuing the dream I had never truly let go of.

Since 2023, I have been making my mark in the indie music scene with the release of my debut original single, “Without You,” which is currently available on all major music streaming platforms, along with its accompanying music video. I have also reached nearly 150,000 views on YouTube with my music video and cover of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto, which remains the highest number of views I have received on any of my releases.

On August 1, 2024, I released my second original song, “sad,” followed by its music video in January 2025. I am currently preparing to release my third original song, “Death in the Dark,” at the end of September 2026. The song will be accompanied by a music video and will also be featured in a short film that is expected to be screened at local film festivals.

In addition to my solo career, I recently joined a Cleveland-based metal band called Along the Watchtower. We are preparing to release our debut album on October 31, 2026, and our first single, “Injustice,” is already available.

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to build a small but incredibly meaningful following of nearly 3,000 fans. I am eternally grateful to every person who has listened to my music, supported my work, shared my songs, or simply encouraged me to keep going. Without them, I would not be here today sharing my story with VoyageOhio Magazine.

It has been a long time coming, but I finally feel as though I am beginning to live the dreams I have carried with me since childhood. As long as I am able to write, record, and release music, I feel incredibly fortunate. For me, creating music is more than a career—it is a part of who I am, and it makes life feel truly amazing.

I have also been incredibly fortunate to have a family member who has served as one of my greatest inspirations and motivators throughout my life: my cousin, Olga Merediz. Olga has been working in the music and acting industries since the 1980s and continues to inspire audiences with her incredible talent. Her many accomplishments include originating the role of Abuela Claudia in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights on Broadway, reprising the role in the 2021 film adaptation, and providing the singing voice for Abuela Alma Madrigal in Disney’s Encanto.

Watching Olga pursue her dreams and build such an extraordinary career has been a tremendous inspiration to me since I was a little girl. I can only hope that, one day, I will be able to follow in her footsteps and create a career that allows me to inspire others in the same way she has inspired me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish I could say it has been a smooth road!

At thirteen years old, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease similar to Crohn’s disease. As my condition progressed, even attending school became increasingly difficult. Continuing with professional choir, acting classes, theater performances, music lessons, and the activities I had always loved became nearly impossible.

Over the years, my health continued to deteriorate. By the time I was twenty-three, I was taking thirty-two different pills every day and was still experiencing symptoms and pain on a daily basis. Between multiple doctors’ appointments each month, medication trials, treatments, and hospitalizations that sometimes lasted for weeks at a time, my quality of life had become incredibly difficult.

Through all of it, however, music remained my constant.

I never stopped singing or writing music because it was one thing I could still do, even from my hospital bed. Music gave me something to hold onto when so much of my life felt beyond my control. I continued writing songs throughout my illness, some of which were written while I was hospitalized and are pieces I still hope to compose and release someday.

At twenty-three, I finally decided that I needed to take control of my health and my future. I spoke with my doctors, and soon afterward, I met with a colorectal surgeon. That began a journey that would span more than three years and ultimately change my life.

The first year involved three major surgeries.

On February 18, 2014, I underwent my first surgery, during which my entire colon was removed. I was given a temporary ileostomy, which allowed my body to heal while the next stages of reconstruction took place.

On August 4, 2014, I underwent my second surgery. During the procedure, my small intestine was surgically formed into a J-shaped pouch, known as a J-pouch, which would eventually take over much of the function previously performed by my colon. I then spent several more months allowing my body to heal.

On December 1, 2014, I underwent my third and final surgery, during which my ileostomy was reversed and my digestive system was reconnected.

Each surgery required an extended hospitalization of approximately eight weeks, and I experienced numerous complications along the way. There were many moments when the journey felt overwhelming and uncertain.

Yet somehow, through all of it, music was still there.

Recovery did not end with my final surgery. It took approximately two more years for me to reach a quality of life that felt manageable, and it was not until around 2017 that I finally began to feel genuinely healthy again.

In 2018, I made the decision to stop putting my dreams on hold. I created a social media platform dedicated to my music and began seriously pursuing a career as an independent artist.

Then, as we all know, the world changed at the end of 2019 and into 2020. Once again, I experienced setbacks that made moving forward difficult.

But if there is one thing my journey has taught me, it is that setbacks do not have to be the end of the story.

I have had to start over more times than I can count, but I have never stopped moving forward. Music carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life, and today, I am determined to keep creating, keep growing, and keep pursuing the dream I have carried with me since I was a child.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer, songwriter, and actress based in Cleveland, Ohio. I am perhaps best known for my music video cover of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto, in which I perform and sing all nine-plus parts myself. The video has received over 150,000 views on YouTube and remains one of my proudest accomplishments as an independent artist.

I have also released two original songs, “Without You” and “sad,” both of which are available on major music streaming platforms.

What I believe sets me apart is my versatility as a vocalist. I have the ability and passion to perform across a wide range of musical genres, including pop, rock, country, hip-hop, rap, oldies, metal, choir and opera, as well as musical theater and show tunes. I enjoy exploring different styles and challenging myself vocally, rather than limiting myself to a single genre.

Above all, what truly sets me apart is my perseverance. I have experienced significant setbacks throughout my life, but I have never allowed them to make me give up on my dreams. Music has been a constant source of purpose and inspiration for me, and I am determined to continue growing as an artist, creating meaningful music, and pursuing the career I have dreamed about since childhood.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My father has always been my greatest inspiration in life. He has supported me throughout every step of my music and acting journey and has always believed in my abilities. He is not only my biggest fan, but also an incredibly talented musician himself. His encouragement, love, and belief in me have played an important role in giving me the confidence to continue pursuing my dreams.

My cousin, Olga Merediz, will always be another tremendous source of inspiration in my life. Her remarkable accomplishments in both the music and acting industries continue to inspire me to challenge myself and pursue greater opportunities. She constantly encourages me to put myself out there, become more involved in the music and acting communities, and continue growing as an artist.

I am also incredibly grateful for my producer and great friend, Dylan McNulty of LOTI Productions. Dylan consistently goes above and beyond to help bring my musical ideas to life. His creativity, dedication, and willingness to put in the extra effort have made him an invaluable part of my journey as an artist.

My filmmaker and great friend, Kevin Smith of Rozay Films, has also played an important role in my creative journey. Kevin has an incredible ability to capture the emotion, atmosphere, and visual storytelling I envision for my music videos. He understands the artistic vision I want to portray and works tirelessly to bring that vision to the screen.

Most importantly, I am incredibly grateful for my entire family and all of my friends. They have been an amazing support system throughout my journey and are truly my biggest cheerleaders and advocates. Whether they are sharing my music, attending my performances, encouraging me through challenges, or simply reminding me to keep pursuing my dreams, their unwavering support means more to me than I can put into words. I would not be where I am today without the people who continue to believe in me and stand beside me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/laurenalvarezmusic
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/laurenalvarezmusic
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@laurenalvarezmusic
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@laurenalvarezx