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People always say that music brings people together—but can it unite two *totally* different stepsiblings who both want the musical spotlight? That's a question for actress Ava Ro, who's living out the sitch as lead character Erin on Nickelodeon's brand new show Erin & Aaron.

Depicting a family dynamic (which totally reminds us of OG Nick fave The Thundermans, btw) that's at once hilarious and endearing, Erin & Aaron follows two teen step-siblings who navigate their parents' marriage through a shared passion for music. And Ava, a budding musician in her own right, has had the opportunity to hone in on her own musical skills as she performs the show's original songs. 

"It wasn't very hard to 'jump into' my character, because I'm a lot like her in real life." Ava said. 

We chatted with Ava about all things music, family and of course, Erin & Aaron. TBH, we can't get enough. 

Girls' Life: How did you connect to your character Erin?

Ava: I love Erin! She's so cool. She's this rock-n-roll teenage girl who doesn't care what other people think. She absolutely loves music, writing her own songs and playing guitar—it's a bit like her escape. I think I relate to her a little bit because I write my own music, and play instruments and sing like her. 

GL: Tell us a little bit about your own music.

Ava: Well, I've been writing professionally for about two years, and I have a few songs out now, but I wrote little songs when I was younger as well. And I actually started an all-female girl group in 2018 and that kind of taught me how to record and write music myself. It's such a great way to express myself. 

GL: Do you have a go-to music genre you enjoy writing? 

Ava: Yes, I'm definitely a pop singer—I love pop. [In this respect] I'm actually really different from my character in real life. I also listen to K-Pop because I'm half-Korean myself. I listen to BLACKPINK, SZA and Rihanna, too—like, can we talk about the Super Bowl halftime show? That was insane! 

GL: It was *so* good. So what's it like to play out your love for music in your character? 

Ava: It's great that I can incorporate both things I love—I love to sing and I love to act—so being able to do both in one show? It's all I could ever ask for! I also love the show because there's always some sort of music. Sometimes there's really funny songs and other times there are amazing original song that I get the honor to sing. I get to experiment with different instruments which is amazing. 

GL: What's your favorite instrument? 

Ava: Well, I play the drums, piano, and ukelele. But my favorite right now would have to be the guitar because I'm playing that a lot on the show. 

GL: Without giving away too many spoilers, is there a song or scene you're super excited for people to see? 

Ava: That’s a hard question, because I love every scene in the show. All of the scenes were so fun to film, but I think my favorite would have to be the first performance of the entire show in episode one. You see Erin and Aaron coming together for the first time, writing a song and trying to get their family back together which is really cool. 

GL: So Erin and Aaron come together through music. What advice do you have for anyone struggling to connect with siblings or other family members? 

Ava: I think it's great to find common ground with someone. I think finding things you both like or have the same interest in [is helpful]. I think that's what Erin and Aaron do. I'm glad I get to be part of a show that represents blended families, step families. It's really cool because we've never seen that before. I can't wait for kids to see it. 

GL: What was the show like behind the scenes? 

Ava: The vibes on set were amazing. Everyone—the crew and the cast—is so nice and welcoming. When I met Jensen [Gering], who plays Aaron on the show, we instantly clicked. He's such a great guy to work with and he makes me laugh all the time. I look up to Larisa [Oleynik] and David [Jung], who play Sylvia and Chuck [the parents], and Pyper [Braun] is literally my bestie. So, it's always a good time!

GL: What is Erin's fashion sense like? 

Ava: It's really funny—all the clothes that Erin wears are from stores that I actually shop at. When I go in for costume fittings, I’m like “Oh wait, I have that shirt!” So me and Erin kind of share the same clothes. 

GL: And what do you hope viewers take away from the show? 

Ava: I hope that when young kids watch the show, they can find a passion for music themselves. Like I said, music is such a great way to express yourself. Even if playing an instrument is hard at first or the first few songs you write are pretty bad—'cause I know mine were!—you should always keep trying. 

Catch Erin and Aaron on Nickelodeon right now! 

Slider Image: Denise Grant. Top Image: Nickelodeon.

by Katherine Hammer and Laila Mayfield | 4/21/2023