Francis Salamanca was born and raised in San Jose, CA before leaving the West Coast to study music at Loyola University New Orleans where he graduated with degrees in Music Business and Business Administration, minors in Jazz Studies and Financial Accounting.

After 3 years based in Los Angeles playing with various recording artists and studio bands, he became a part time contributing musician for NBCs The Voice in 2013, being mentored by Paul Mirkovich and the artists/coaches including Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams, and Gwen Stefani. He has toured with Ariana Grande and has contributed to over a dozen various album/studio recordings for various artists all the while working marketing and analytics for Capitol Records, NBC Universal, and Sony.

In transitioning away from the performance aspect of the industry, Francis has been able to continue playing music and has become a music educator teaching at After School All-Stars in South Los Angeles, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (East Palo Alto and Redwood City, CA) and works for San Jose Jazz as a marketing associate and production assistant.

Francis has been a staff member of ESOMA since Summer 2010 and has been a choir teacher, young musicians group leader, talent coach and mentor as well as music director for various productions with NorCal Academy of Performing Arts.

He currently heads a group of talented young musicians in F.S.E. which consists of Evergreen Studio of Music & the Arts Alumni and close friends of his.