Ten year old Singing Sensation, Sam Santiago from Irvine California, was awarded with a series of claps, applauds, and jubilees throughout his rendition of Bruno Mars’ number one hit single, “When I Was Your Man”, on the popular Maury Povich Show last Tuesday, April 2nd.Â
 An experience of a lifetime had fallen upon young Sam, as this 10 year old singing prodigy finally got a little taste of the big entertainment life he had been longing for.Â
 Sam’s older brother, Penuel who supports his younger brother by creating all of Sam’s videos and doing his photography explained;
 “Sam was ecstatic when he first heard about this amazing opportunity.  The house was filled with a mixture of emotions, from joy to anxiety, as our parents worked through all the paperwork and deadlines, while the kids began to spread the exciting news to everyone. “
Soon to be 14-year-old Sawyer Christopher Fredericks was born March 31, 1999, on a blue moon. He lived in Connecticut, first in Newtown, then in Roxbury, with his mother, father and two older brothers until 2007, when they moved to upstate NY and bought a small family farm.
Like many young talented musicians, Sawyer was singing before he could even speak, basically singing with perfect pitch. While his words I’m told were nonsensical (baby scat), there was no doubt that he had already found his vocal gift. Not only was his singing notable, but Sawyer was quick to pick up melodies that he heard and also began to create his own melodies.
While no one in his immediate family has ever pursued a career in music, there is certainly a great love for listening to and creating music.
Sawyer in 2010
Sawyer’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all show signs of being musically inclined or talented. Sawyer’s own unique talents have blossomed in an encouraging and rich musical environment. As he got a little older, he became self-conscious of his singing and would only sing in front of people in his immediate family, but no matter where he was or what he was doing; there was always a song in his heart and on his lips.
It wasn’t until he was 11 years old that he decided he might be ready to sing in front of others and joined a local summer children’s choir. The director of the choir was local accomplished singer-songwriter Katy Cole who is also an elementary school music teacher. In addition to being enrolled in Katy’s choir, Sawyer began taking vocal lessons from her. Katy believes Sawyer is a musical prodigy of sorts, and the singing seems to come naturally. The only problem was Sawyer’s stage fright and shyness – he would sing so quietly; it was almost a whisper. To get him to relax, Katy allowed him to sing down the hall where he couldn’t be seen. After quite a while, Sawyer developed enough courage to show what he could do. Surprising everyone, Sawyer chose to perform a short solo during the choir recital.
Sam Santiago Performs on Maury Show
