Spotlight on Ivan Polanco

Local talent from White Plains, New York, Ivan Polanco is an up-and-coming pop/R&B singer/songwriter. He refers to White Plains as his training ground, where he first learned he could be as expressive and honest as he wanted to, sharing his own intimate experiences through song. As a mostly self-taught multi-instrumentalist, he writes and records original content focusing on vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, and bass. Polanco recently completed an independent artist program at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. In his own words, “An artist is someone who can creatively express emotion through any form of communication (whether it be painting, writing, music, design).” Polanco, humbled by his music and every chance he gets to perform, says his songs are “mini diaries which I express to the audience. Songs impact peoples’ lives, so performing is something special.” 

Feeling most natural on the guitar, he chooses chords, fingerpicking and a melody that stands out to him. Letting the lyrics write themselves, he generates songs that create an intimate experience for his listeners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lAhvA4TQE

Performing in venues on both coasts, Polanco is quickly building his fan base, performing in clubs, bars, and music festivals. He places importance on fan feedback, stating that constructive criticism allows him to constantly evolve as a musician.  With musical inspiration from Led Zeppelin, Erykah Badu, David Choi, Kina Grannis, and Jeff Buckley, he believes that musicianship isn’t dead. “There are still musicians out there that care about the substance of their music and not the money – myself included.”

With two albums out, In this Fire and Our Time, Polanco is currently working on a new music video to debut his song “I Just Want to Love You” from Our Time.

• HOMETOWN: White Plains, NY
• GENRE: Pop/R&B
• ARTISTIC APPROACH: Communicating honestly; sharing intimate experiences through music.
• URL: www.ivanpolanco.com

photo by Dennis Polanco