Manhasset teen Annamaria releases first single

Amelia Camurati
Manhasset teenager Annamaria Fazio won the first round of "Your Big Break" and will compete in the finals in April. (Photo courtesy of Rick Eberle)

Annamaria Fazio of Manhasset has come a long way since she wrote her first song in junior high.

Fazio, who goes only by Annamaria for her music career, released her first single, “Affection,” in December on iTunes and Spotify after writing and recording the song in one day last summer at a New Jersey recording studio.

Annamaria Fazio released her first single, “Affection,” in December. (Photo courtesy of Rick Eberle)

“It was my first time in that studio, and they wanted to get to know me,” Fazio said. “I picked a track that I liked, and they left me in the studio to write. I ended up finishing the song in 20 minutes.”

A junior at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, Fazio said she has been singing since she was young but started seeing her passion as a possible career when she wrote her first song in junior high school.

Fazio won the first round of the “Your Big Break” competition at the Gold Coast Arts Center and will perform at the final round on April 21.

“It was my first time singing to people that I didn’t know,” Fazio said about her “Your Big Break” experience. “It was cool to get some feedback, but it was also cool to hear different music styles and genres that I usually don’t listen to.”

While Fazio said she is planning to go to college but study something other than music while working on her songs on the side.

Fazio said her favorite artists include Tori Kelly, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Demi Lovato and Christina Aguilera and her music is more eclectic than just pop after growing up surrounded by scores of genres.

“I know I’m under the category of pop, but I feel like it also has R&B soul vibes in it,” Fazio said. “I think categorizing it is pretty hard because I’ve been inspired and influenced by so many different types of people.”

The daughter of John and Abby Fazio, she said though she lives in the Strathmore Village neighborhood, she doesn’t know as many Manhasset residents personally as others since she goes to school in Locust Valley.

Fazio said she has recorded six additional songs, has at least seven more in her notebook and hopes to release either more singles or an EP later this year.

“Since I didn’t go to Manhasset schools, people don’t know me personally,” Fazio said. “I think this year would be the year to start to know my face attached to my music. Through my music, they’ll know me better.”

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