Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to ROBERT MARTINEZ. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, ROBERT thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I was in High School (class of 97) we went to Nashville on a band trip to the Grand Ole Opry. That was the first time I ever traveled outside of my hometown Houston and it was also the first time I ever one a major award. I won soloist of the music festival. I was hooked ever since then. I knew I wanted to travel and I knew I loved performing in front of people.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I was born and raised in Houston Texas. I went to school in Miami Florida at FIU. I come from a music family and started playing music at the age of 8. I come from a small church background and I ended up being the backup piano player because the regular person was out on maternity leave. Even though I knew very little at the time, I took a leap of faith and played anyways. 17 years later at the age of 25, I started touring with various artists around the world. 33 countries so far. I’ve been the Music Director for 5 time latin grammy award winning Marcos Witt and Lilly Goodman who is an artist from the Dominican Republic.
About 10 years ago, I started teaching some of my friends kids. I never wanted to teach because I felt I lacked patience. The more I did it, the better I got. More importantly, I am now starting to see the fruits of my students and that is very rewarding to me.
I was self taught for many years because my parents could not afford lessons or a good instrument for me. Thankfully I had some music teachers that saw potential in me and took me under their wing. My first piano lesson was at the age of 17. Claudia Berson was a well known jazz pianist in town and taught me for free. She was very kind and generous. I learned more than just music with her.
I recently was asked to teach at an inner city church with low income families. Many of their stories were similar to mine. Couldn’t afford instruments nor lessons. I decided my goal for the next several years is to open a facility to teach talented low income students who have a world of talent but not enough resources. I’m currently gathering teachers and funds to accomplish this vision. My nickname in the music world is “BEAR”, longgggg story. My company name is DABEAR MUSIC.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to be a resource to others. Especially those who need mentorship or feel they don’t have the financial or educational background to be successful in life.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My parents were immigrants with hardly any education. We grew up very poor but had a strong work ethic. That’s been instilled in us from day one. No excuses. Despite the language barrier and very little resources our family was able to thrive. I’m living proof that with faith, family, and hard work, everything is possible.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: dabearmtnz
• Facebook: Roberto Martinez
• Twitter: @dabearmartinez

Image Credits
Ec2Productions