My story
“I struggled to feel like I belonged anywhere… but with music, I always belonged.”
Vanessa Ferlaino is an award-winning artist, born in Baawaating (Sault Ste Marie) in Northern Ontario. She has Hispanic and Italian-immigrant roots. Her mixed heritage gave her a unique perspective in society, not really buying into mainstream life, but also never really feeling like she fully belonged in either world. Her roots are deeply connected to the stories she tells in her music.
Vanessa spent ten years working in tech, investment, and social finance, while she developed her craft, allowing her to stay connected to her lived experience despite being in a career path that left her feeling like something was wrong with her for being unhappy. She left to pursue her creative work, supporting herself with more fulfilling part-time work.
Just before her big break, she was working with people with disabilities and teaching business courses in correctional facilities.
Now, Vanessa believes in using her craft to tell stories, challenge society, and make the world a better place.
She is known for her sentimental piano ballads, powerfully raw vocals, and intimate, soul-stirring performances. Her music tells stories — stories of not belonging in society, finding power and resilience in community, and power imbalances. Vanessa doesn’t like a polished, shiny studio sound. She likes rawness, realness, imperfections, and humanness. Vanessa recently headlined Transform The Night, which aired on Rogers TV, raising 3K for Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario with the support of Northern Credit Union.
Vanessa’s support for underrepresented communities extends outside of music. She actively features underrepresented stories in her award-winning podcast, The Human Challenge, and launched The Being Human Foundation to work towards accurate media representation. Her award-winning book debut, Human, and its newly-released Expansive Edition, blends self-help, memoir, and narrative non-fiction. Vanessa has collaborated with brands large and small, including Northern Credit Union, The City Of Sault Ste Marie, Pigment, and more. Her work has been featured in national and international media outlets, including Rogers TV, CTV, City News, Bold Journey.
