Photo Credit: American Idol

You may remember platinum ticket winner Filo from the past season of American Idol. He made it to the top 12 before ultimately getting sent home.  But that hasn’t stopped him. He has been grinding ever since. He’s been devoting his time to his music, traveling, playing shows, collaborating, networking, and writing music. “God’s been giving me some great opportunities. I’m strolling along.”

When asked about Franklin Summer Bash he says “It was a blessing to get to sing alongside these wonderful singers from this season. Our season was truly remarkable and full of talent. Wonderful human beings.” He enjoyed catching up with them and meeting the fans. “The fans are so awesome, encouraging all of us throughout this journey. Getting to meet them is so meaningful to all of us.” When I mention how devoted a fanbase they are he says “It’s a blessing. I’m so grateful for where this show has taken me, giving me that platform. It means the world to me.”

The biggest lesson Filo learned from American Idol was that it takes a village. Having been around show biz and a fan of the show for a long time, he didn’t realize how many people it requires to get stuff done. It’s making him reflect on how he needs to put together a strong team (management, agent, producer, etc.). He tells us that there were often more crew and staff than audience at the studio shows. Some of the best in the industry were behind the scenes, working hard.  And to be able to have a front row seat and watch them do their thing was very inspirational. “It’s truly a grind like no other. Nothing I’ve ever experienced.” 

Filo originally went to college, studying to be a doctor. He spent his undergrad at the University of Pacific where he majored in pre-med. He knew he wanted to study music, but wasn’t sure what exactly. So he chose classical singing. Opportunity knocked and he went on to get his masters in Contemporary Performance and Music Production at Berklee college in Spain. It was there that Filo was first introduced to the studio, to recording and songwriting. Two years of material fit into a one  year program. It was hard, but Filo confides that Idol was harder.

“In the past record labels would basically, I like to call it, adopt the artist. Build them up, set them up for success. But now they are looking for you to do all of the hard work. You have to have a following. You have to have music out already. You have to be touring.” He adds “The industry has changed so much. When Idol started they would find a winner, pick them up and build them. Now you still have so much to do after getting that platform and recognition on the show.”

Having a platinum ticket also added extra pressure. “People assume that getting that recognition on American Idol, getting the platinum ticket sets you up for life. But truly the grind never stops.” It’s a super competitive industry and a lot of pressure.  People would come up to him and expect him to naturally be super busy being offered gigs left and right. It doesn’t work that way. “It’s this fantasy that Idol sets you up for life but what they don’t understand is yes I might be busy but it’s because of the work that I put in after the show. The networking. the collaborations. The show gives you a platform but it’s up to you what you do after.” 

When asked his favorite show memory he can’t pick just one.  “Honestly the entire season has been full of blessings. There are always ups and downs but I feel super blessed to be among such great company, make lifelong friends.” There are two things he rates at the top of the list though. “I would say one of the most special moments was getting that platinum ticket in New York. They completely caught me off guard and surprised me. It’s also been a bucket list moment for me to go to NYC on New Years Eve. They took me there. I had a vip pass to go around wherever I wanted. I saw Carrie Underwood and got the platinum ticket there. I saw the Jonas Brothers and so many celebrities there. But also being in New York that night was so special.”

Another thing he really enjoyed was Hawaii. He’d never been and the fact that he was able to bring his mom and his brother with him made it extra special. “To be able to give them something back made it all worthwhile. I don’t do this just for me, I do this for my family as well”. He shares that they are a very close knit family and speaks very highly to me of his mom and brother. He tells me they are 100% what you saw on the show.  “I feel like that’s how it is with a lot of immigrant families. When you don’t have anybody else around you you have to be the friend, the family, the neighbor. You have to play a lot of roles and it brings you much closer to one another.”

Mom was skeptical of her son Filo going on American Idol at first, but he persuaded her to give him a chance. “My mom was super worried about this journey. In her heart she would rather I don’t do this.” He adds “She’s afraid of this industry and how brutal it can be, especially national television after hearing horror stories. She was worried I was going to be taken advantage of by the industry”. He adds “It took some convincing but once she saw the fruits of being an Idol and all the years of hard work coming to fruition she changed her mind and accepted the journey.” As we all saw mom was the biggest supporter at the end. “She loved it. She was out there meeting all the families. supporting them. supporting me. It was truly an experience for all of us towards the end.” He recalls telling  his mom “As long as God is opening doors in this industry I will not close them myself.” And that’s where he’s at right now. Mom still wants him to go back to medical school, because that’s what’s culturally appropriate. 

FIlo recorded two covers while doing his masters that he’s hoping to release soon. They are live session style covers of “Lately” by Stevie Wonder and “Change is Going to Come” by Sam Cook. Both songs are near and dear to his heart. He is also working on holiday music and more shows. 

His final message is to the fans. “Follow along the journey; the journey isn’t over. There’s a lot coming.” He’s hoping to visit as many places as possible. He’s collecting fridge magnets from each city, trying to conquer all of the states.