By Ava Dela Pena
Jen Soriano is a singer, songwriter, author and mental health advocate. To honor Filipino Heritage Month, she opened up on how music is an integral part of Filipino culture that has allowed her to cope with her chronic pain. Her award-winning nonfiction book, “Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing,” offers vignettes on how music and her heritage allowed her to heal from her trauma.
Soriano grew up in a music-oriented household but found singing to be a powerful emotional and physical outlet from her multiple mental and physical illnesses. In her 20s, she wrote and sang for the band Diskarte Namin, for which she produced “The River Song,” describing indigenous water activism in the Philippines. In her book, she describes her experience visiting the Philippines and how the spirit of bayanihan (unity) changed her. She found singing and her passion for Filipino activism to be therapeutic.
‘Nervous’ won the 2024 Memoir prize.
Soriano can be found on Instagram and TikTok under the username @jensorianowrites or on her website www.jensoriano.net. Her book is available for purchase on Amazon or your local bookstore.
