Hoai (pronounced as “why”) is an aspiring singer, dancer, and model. He has recently left his promising and secure career path in corporate america to pursue his dreams of becoming a recording artist. Although the odds are against him, he believes that with enough tenacity, resilience, and hard work he will have a fighting change to succeed.

 

Born on November 20th, 1986 in Worcester, Massachusetts (USA), Hoai was raised by his immigrant parents who traveled from Vietnam on hopes of better lives for their children in America. Through his father’s guidance, he quickly picked up singing from training on the home karaoke machine at the tender age of 4. It wasn’t too long that his family realized he had a talent. Soon enough this developed into a passion for Hoai.

 

 

After the show was a success and finished, Jo Ann Warren, a lady with a heart of gold and owner of the dance studio that orchestrated the event, offered Hoai a chance to train at her studio. She saw in him a rare love for the stage and believed that with the proper training he would have potential for greatness. She gave the young man a opportunity to develop as a singer, dancer, and actor at her studio, an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he gratefully took advantage of.

 

Over the next few years Hoai would train and develop as a singer and dancer, undergoing rigorous vocal training along with dance classes, studying jazz, lyrical, ballet, and some acrobatics. Occasionally, he would also take acting classes to further his breadth of skills, to move towards becoming a triple-threat on stage.

 

 

Throughout his high school years, Hoai performed in multiple recitals as well as competed in school talent shows. He would even record amateur covers and original songs on his spare time. Hoai also had the opportunity to perform during the Miss Worcester Pageant.

 

Hoai would continue performing on stage even after he got accepted to Babson College, the #1 business school in the nation for entrepreneurship. There, he became a member and choreographer of the Babson Dance Ensemble, performing in multiple shows throughout the year. Hoai would also place as runner’s up in the Mr. Babson competition, even as the only freshman against all upper class-men. He later would compete in the school talent shows, be a featured vocalist during other cultural shows, as well as be one of the co-founders the school’s first hip-hop dance team.

 

During his last year towards obtaining his bachelors degree, Hoai traveled to Sydney, Australia to study abroad for 5 months. There he continued to develop his vocal technique with a private teacher, and while doing so met two hip-hop artists who were in progress of making their album. Being impressed after hearing Hoai sing, they asked him to collaborate with them as a featured artist on one of their hip-hop singles. Hoai took advantage of this opportunity and became the vocalist singing the chorus and the hook on the upcoming single. This became a turning point in Hoai’s life that helped him further realize that he had what it took to become a recording artist. He decided that he would pursue this dream soon enough.

 

After his time in Australia, Hoai returned to the States and at the age of 20 graduated from Babson College with a degree in business management, concentrating in entrepreneurship. He then joined his colleagues with a career in corporate america, while trying to pursue recording on the side. After a year of being very successful in his career, he quickly realized he could not say the same about the progress he was making towards his dreams. It wasn’t long after this that he came to understand that he would have to go for his goals and dreams full-time in order to get where he wanted. Soon enough, Hoai quit his job to pursue his dreams! This happened in Oct 2008. Let’s see if Hoai has what it takes. Wish him luck!