Section 36 is fortunate enough to have another visitor! This time it's Red Sox fan, musician, and Miss Cambridge 2016 Alissa Musto! Just a couple weeks after winning her crown, she was nice enough to answer some questions for the blog about the Red Sox, her music, and her plans as Miss Cambridge. So, let's see what happens when Alissa Musto visits Section 36!
Which Red Sox player are you most excited about in 2016?
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| Alissa in a fantastic shirt |
What is your favorite David Ortiz memory?
This is an easy one! In the 2004 American League series, the Red Sox lost the first three games to the Yankees (after losing to them in the same series the year before), but came back to win the next four games. That 4th game was nerve wrecking, but in extra innings, Big Papi hit the winning home run, leading the Red Sox to the World Series. I actually dressed up as David Ortiz for Halloween that year.
What went through your mind after you were crowned Miss Cambridge?
I was definitely excited, but it quickly set in that the next few months are going to entail a lot of hard work. I am thrilled to represent the city of Cambridge as I finish up my last few months of school there and I want to represent the community well at the Miss Massachusetts competition in July. I also quickly realized that this title will definitely serve as a 'megaphone' for me to promote my non-profit organization, Changing Keys, as well as my own career as a musician and songwriter.
What do you remember about your first trip to Fenway?
I was very excited! I went to school in Providence, Rhode Island in grade school so I had gone to several Paw Sox games and was expecting Fenway to just be a huge version of McCoy Stadium. It wasn't as big as I expected, but I loved being able to actually see all the players that I had watched on TV. Unfortunately, the Red Sox got crushed in that game and I think I spent most of the time complaining how hot it was outside.
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| Alissa and Paws |
For starters, it is certainly shorter; I perform about 3 hours of music in my average show, but on the Miss America stage you only have 90 seconds to display your talent! Most people are also surprised to learn that I perform classical piano for my pageant talent. In my typical performances, I play piano and sing and my repertoire consists of everything from Frank Sinatra to Billy Joel to Lady Gaga. My typical performances are filled with a lot of sing-a-longs, requests, throwbacks and upbeat music. I perform every Saturday night at Jacob With in Boston, from 8-11. You should definitely check it out some time---it's a lot of fun!
What are you most looking forward to doing during your time as Miss Cambridge?
I am looking forward to all the amazing appearances and opportunities I will have as Miss Cambridge. However, I cannot wait to wear my Miss Cambridge crown along with my commencement gown when I graduate from Harvard in May.
What lessons from the Miss Cambridge competition can you take with you to Miss Massachusetts?
The competition at the Miss Boston & Miss Cambridge pageant was incredibly tough and I realize it will be even harder at the state-level. The most important thing I've learned from pageants, and other talent competitions, is to only focus on your own performance and be yourself. There are always going to be competitors that are smarter, prettier, more talented and more experienced than you. Therefore, you need to focus on being the best version of you. In my interview, I gave my honest opinions, stood by my beliefs and showed the judges my natural personality, rather than just saying what I thought they would want to hear or avoiding controversial topics. Every judge may not have agreed with my opinions, but I still won interview. I know I'll carry this lesson with me to Miss Massachusetts, as well as other life situations.
Tell me about Changing Keys.
Changing Keys is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that I started to connect unused pianos with schools and students in at-risk communities, creating music education opportunities for all children. So far, we have connected several keyboards with local students and schools, were selected for the Harvard Legal Entrepreneurship Project and received an Iguana Music Fund grant from Club Passim. I'm excited to use my year as Miss Cambridge to promote Changing Keys and advocate music education in general. For more information, you can visit www.changingkeys.org
What is your prediction for the 2016 Red Sox season?
According to my brother and Red Sox enthusiast, William, the Red Sox will be a non-playoff team, but still be a 50%+ winning club. But I say, they're going all the way! :)
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I bet that was one amazing Halloween costume! And, I definitely like her prediction better than her brother's!
As always, I'd like to give a huge thank you to Alissa for taking the time to do this interview. I couldn't be more pleased with the result. Another thank you to her for sending the great picture wearing Section 36 gear!
If you want to learn even more about Alissa, check out her facebook page and follow her on twitter. You can also check out the Miss Boston/Miss Cambridge website.
Thanks again Alissa!
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Exciting Update!
Alissa's time as Miss Cambridge was shortened by the fact that she was crowned Miss Massachusetts 2016! She then went on to finish in the top 15 at Miss America! Congratulations to her!
Because of the promotion, you can now follow her in a few new places via official Miss Massachusetts accounts on twitter, instagram, and facebook. MissAmericaMA is even on snapchat! So, please follow Alissa on those accounts until her term expires. Of course, her personal accounts are still a great way to keep up with her. She's still on facebook, twitter, and instagram. She even has her own website! So, it should be easy to follow her time as Miss Massachusetts as well as her wonderful music career.
Congrats again to Alissa, and thanks for the visit!
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