Chula Vista resident Mercedes Gonzalez, made Disneyland a little bit more of a happy place in March 2018. Gonzalez brought her own version of happiness with her singing. The self-claimed “Happiest-Place-On-Earth” witnessed Gonzalez sing with her Saint Rose of Lima School’s glee club.
Gonzalez will share more of that vocal happiness when she auditions Feb. 9 for the 14th Season of America’s Got Talent at the Pasadena Convention Center.
“I want the golden buzzer,” said Gonzalez. The golden buzzer on America’s Got Talent can signify that the performer is going to the next round of the show.
“You practice your song two times, sleep, get ready for the car trip, and brag about your voice in line,” she said. Having auditioned before, she knows from experience that the people in the audition line try to get “into your head.” “Everyone is there to win.” She even heard a seven-year-old that seemed like a golden buzzer performer. She wasn’t.
Born in 2004 Gonzalez was born at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women but has lived in Chula Vista since birth. She has two siblings, an older sister, Nadine, 35, and a younger brother, Raymond, 6. Her father is Raymond Sr. and her mother is Alice.
“I’m a soprano and do melody too,” she said.
“I sing to my mom every day,” said Gonzalez. “At the moment it’s Valerie by Amy Winehouse.”
“It’s the best thing ever,” said Alice Gonzalez, her mother, of her getting to hear her every day.
Her first public performance was at 7 at Hollywood Music-Eastlake:
“I was so scared to go on stage but I decided this is what I want to do, so I have to get my butt out there,” she said. “People didn’t expect a large vocal range from a small child. It was a winter play. There were 20 to 30 girls. I was the youngest.”
Gonzalez attended Saint Rose of Lima School and met her vocal coach Joseph Advento, a music teacher and glee club director there. That partnership led to his becoming her vocal coach.
“We’d go in and do vocal chord practices. When I was in 6th grade he (Advento) told me we were going to do diaphragm exercises,” she said.
“She has the drive; it’s all about confidence and heart,” said Joseph Advento.” She’s very talented and she challenges herself.”
She has won singing competitions before.
Out of 100 entrants, Mercedes won the Chula Vista’s Got Talent competition in July 2018.
Out of that experience came performing on a float at the Chula Vista Starlight Parade & Children’s Faire.
Besides singing she is currently plays on Mater Dei Catholic High School’s junior varsity’s basketball team. She has played soccer and volleyball as well in the past.
Mercedes has set her sights on New York City’s The Julliard School after high school graduation.
yessss Mercedes!!!!! I love you so much and I will always be there by your side through your journey! I believe you will achieve so much! God has a plan for you!