We were lucky to catch up with Alber recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Alber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

For me, playing music was always the only path forward. In a way, I think that my stubborness made it possible for me to make a living as a full time artist: the sole existence of a plan B in your mind can be enough to let go of your dreams sometimes. I do treat my practice as a full time job, I like to say that 30% of my job involves playing music, while the other 70% involves communication, sending emails, showing up to events, networking, etc.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a musician, primarily a trumpet player, educator, and producer. I try to stay active musically as much as I can. Besides my freelance work as a trumpet player, I play my own music all over the Kansas City area and beyond: from music festivals, local stages or private functions, I like to create a vibe in the room I am in. My music could be described as a blend of electronica, lounge, and jazz, and it is ideal for lounging and hanging out, by yourself or with friends.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I was lucky enough to start in 2018, when Instagram was still a place to create art to look at or listen to. The algorithm was completely different back then, and it was possible to grow by just posting everyday and engaging with your audience, those good things we now hear so much about. Thanks for my first two years online I was able to build a decent following, which still helps me today a few years later. I have since then recalibrated my scope on social media, and found that it is more beneficial to me to cater toward my local audience for my live shows, rather than trying to go “viral”: I would still love for that to happen, but it is so random at this point that I ‘d rather not waste too much energy on it.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I would have started treating it like a job back from the beginning! I am very happy about where I am right now, but I do recognize that I could have had an extra boost if I would have started being professionally active a couple years before I did. It’s okay tho…

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.albersounds.com
• Instagram: https://Www.instagram.com/alber_sounds
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/albersounds
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/kckctFPoQjY?si=4yQ_XgjqxQF6FF-X
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/4K18HF0OSc5IhIX7xqB9OD?si=NEf91RzdSCWxYcjmwTE-Qw

Image Credits

Veritography
Estuardo Garcia