Six Strings and A Dream

Why create music? Too big and too broad of a question, especially for only three words. Plus, everyone has a different answer for it anyways. Often, the greatest riddles in life yield no answers, errr something like that. Honestly, the answer should be followed up with a simple three-word reply: it is fun. Duh. But for the sake of depth, I’ll humor the evoking question. For starters, I grew sick and tired of the music that surrounded me as a kid. My family being deeply rooted in Mexican culture, only listened to the genres of Banda, Duragence, Norteneo; artists such as Vicente Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, or Los Tigres De Norte. I just threw out a couple of genres and names, but the kicker to me was that all that music started to drown out and sound the same to me. The piercing accordions, the tubas, trumpets, the annoying “gritos,” oh how it all quickly became monotonous. Naturally, the annoyance pushed me astray, paving the way to new sounds and earful pleasures. Rap, Roc...

Inspiration is that magical little spark to ignite all your ideas; the process of putting the idea into song form is the cultivation of all thoughts into an abstract evoking concept. Creating music is no different than learning a language and putting what you have practiced into speaking said language. It’s the pronunciation that help articulate that mesmerizing melody in your head. There is beautiful poetry to be crafted from experiences such as driving through traffic, shopping for groceries, or showing up to work on time. Every situation has a mood or a tone; the emotions you are feeling at that precise moment in life. One can be exhilarated to attend the doctor in hopes of obtaining the antidote for their ailments, whereas one can de miserable at the monotony of long lines at an amusement park. Different mixtures of emotions envelop us across ever-changing landscapes of our lives. Taking that moment to stop and recognize the literal poetry in motion is what inspires me t...

While crafting music has only been considered a leisurely hobby of mine, it is important to recognize the work ethic that must be executed in order to garner the most satisfying rewards out of your new kickass EP, featuring face melting solos and thought provoking lyrics. I am a huge procrastinator, and that unfortunately, carries into my song writing. I enjoy the process at a slow pace, without deadlines, and always taking my time to find the right inspiration to put together the perfect chord progression. This all helps compliment what I am feeling at the time. However, it is important to practice discipline and set goals for yourself. Write a new song by the end of the week, practice a new scale, or participate at that local open mic you keep saying you will do. From the view of someone who sets out to make a living off their music; musicians don’t get paid to make music. They get paid to make music, build up an audience, carve out their public identity, promote themselves...

The sin of pride is deemed the worst sin of all. Anybody can tell someone not to be greedy, envious, or lustful, but what does it mean to not be proud? In the Biblical sense, it means that it is sin to hold oneself above one’s neighbors, family, or worse, God himself. But it would be nearly sacrilegious for most rappers to "not"think of themselves so highly. Hell, thanks to Kanye it’s even become common practice for rappers to literally call themselves God. You constantly hear people talking down on artists with no pride in their work: The sell-outs, the lazy-asses, the shameless dumb-downers, etc. So why, then, would I advise you to not have pride? To paraphrase my high school English teacher, it’s because art is about showing, not telling. If you make something great, you have to sit back and let the world realize it for themselves. Your art is (at the risk of sounding incredibly cliché) like your child. You spend your time with it, you make it as good as you can...

It is easy to understand how music can bring people together. Concerts, clubs, music festivals, the list can go on. The beauty is in the first sentence; it is easy. Across the many individuals I've met, every single one of them enjoys an artist, a genre, an instrument, anything music related! It is a conversation facilitator, it can bring about agreements, as well as arguments, among people. However, that is the important part; communicating. When people communicate, bonds are formed, friendships are made, and relationships flourish. The same holds true on the negative aspect, as communicating can lead to arguments, break-ups, and faded memories, but that is how lessons are learned which stay with us, as we communicate with others. Nonetheless communicating through music has blessed me with the strongest friendships I never thought I would have in life. Two of my bandmates I met back in high school, and have stayed close to me since then. People in other bands introduce themselve...

I love my mother. I adore my mother. She has her faults, but without them she wouldn't be herself. I cannot thank her enough for all she has done for me growing up. But when it came around to kick start my guitar playing, my mother gave me the best advice a son chasing his dreams could ever ask for; she told me, "you suck." In Spanish of course, because that's just how my mommy rolls. I bought my first guitar at age 16, after working my butt off at my uncle's meat market. With my savings, I headed down to the nearest Best Buy and bought myself the basic starter kit, that included my first guitar, amplifier, strings, and cables. My mother scolded me every step of the purchase and pretty much scolded me for the next 8 years. A basic understanding of my family to drive my point; they really are the judgmental type, always quick to hate on something they do not approve of. So, yes I wanted to play guitar, not become a soccer player. I wanted to write songs and per...

Musicians are a quirky bunch of folks that somehow manage to both contemplate their musical endeavors, while at the same time cope with life's never ending beautiful turmoils.Yet, with the constant swift allegretto-like movements of routine life, we find time to stop, breathe, and well obviously reflect; i highly recommend it. It has been four years since I posted a blurb here on this blog,(had to do it for another class way back) and damn. Just damn. It has been nothing short of memorable. Several lessons learned, relationships flown by, different jobs, and a couple extra love handles added to my gut. But the music. Oh yes how the music has carried me through from the crappiest lows, to the euphoric, blissful highs. So many song ideas written, thrown away, revisited, and perfected. I have had the privilege to be in bands with highly gifted individuals, as well as jammed along among others on their own musical endeavors. With each bond made, albeit a friend or a stranger, a ...