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Sometimes the best art comes from the deepest of pains. Singer-songwriter Romana Snijder knows that well because music was not her first career choice. Growing up in a single-parent household, she vowed to get good grades, go to college, and get a good job to help her mom. Although she could sing well as a child, there was no money to indulge in such dreams. Her priorities had to be right if she wanted a “real career.”
Throughout high school, Romana kept her promise. She was a model student who graduated with a 4.2 GPA. She applied to one of the best colleges in the country and got in effortlessly. The dream of becoming a mechanical engineer was well within her reach as she was on a full-ride academic scholarship. Life, however, had other plans. Romana was in her sophomore year of college when Covid-19 shut down the world.
At home with her family, she watched as the number of deaths caused by the pandemic increased by the minute. Witnessing the hopelessness around her made her sad, and she chose to do something about it. Romana started by doing a live Facebook broadcast every Friday evening. With many hospitality venues closed due to the virus, most of her friends from college didn’t have much to do. During her 1-hour live feed, Romana alternated between sharing anecdotes about her dog Bear and doing a rendition of a song that had carried her through the week.
Sometimes she’d take a video of Bear being goofy and post it on her page and ask for suggestions of songs that could accompany his antics. After two months, Romana’s audience had increased to 1K+ people from all different parts of the world. Even though she obliged and played most of her audience’s requests, she specifically wanted to spread good vibes. Romana started writing her own songs and singing one every Friday. The fan’s response was overwhelmingly supportive. They started sharing her performances on other platforms, drawing in even more fans. She hit the 50K mark 6 months in, and that’s when she started thinking about music seriously.
As if that’s what the universe had been waiting for, Romana’s performances caught the attention of one of her music idols, Taylor Swift. Seeing Taylor’s “Well done” on her page was all the motivation she needed. She got to work and created her single “The Sun Will Shine Again” and posted it on Spotify and YouTube. The song gained 100K views on YouTube within two days.
That was one of Romana’s proudest moments and the best validation she could get about her talent. She now boasts a strong presence on all social platforms with notable fandom on Instagram and Facebook. Romana’s first single was a cross between pop and soul music, and that’s what she wants to explore further. She says she’ll continue to perfect her art in the future, but her mission will not change: She wants to spread love, positivity, and good vibes to as many people as she possibly can.
Currently, Romana is working with DJ Diego, an up-and-coming music producer and composer. The two have new projects they hope to drop in early 2022. About her dream, Romana says that she doesn’t see any reason why she can’t have both. “Anything is possible when we put our minds to it. I can be a singing engineer. I actually think that would be really cool.”