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

Matt, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Honestly, the choice to make music a pathway for me was made before I could walk. Music has been a significant part of my life for as long as I could remember. I grew up in an extremely supportive and creative household, with my dad playing guitar and songwriting constantly. My mom would always make sure I was watching and listening, and always found ways for me to make music a part of my life.

I eventually picked up guitar at the age of 10, and I’ve been on the musical path since then. Music has become someone to talk to, someone who listens, and someone who helps me express myself. The path that it comes with has been one of meaning, fulfillment, success, failure, happiness, sadness, and everything in between- but I wouldn’t consider ever straying from it.

Matt, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Matt Cruz, and I am a Los Angeles based musician, guitarist, and songwriter. I am endorsed by Tagima Guitar and DR Strings, and also working in collaboration with other various brands. Though I study and play different styles of music, I always gravitate back to rock and blues, which is greatly reflected in my playing style.

I started guitar at the age of 10, when my dad bought me a starter Epiphone guitar. My life was immediately changed by music, and from that point on, guitar became a passion. I became a guitar teacher for a music school, teaching children and adults alike. At the age of 20, I was signed with a band that I created with fellow musicians.

Unfortunately, life happens, and I took a break from music to finish college at UCLA. In 2024, I picked music back up with plans to achieve the things that didn’t work out last time. I am currently in an all original band named Hold Your Fire, and will soon be releasing an EP. Music will always be in my life, and I’m grateful to be able to create something that I can share with others.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A huge lesson in life that became a setback was the idea that I had to do something perfectly. The pressure that I put on myself with that mentality hurt me me more than it helped me, and ‘unlearning’ it taught me one of the most important lessons I use now- Don’t be too hard on yourself.

I was always too hard on myself when it came to music. I couldn’t get a note write, I couldn’t play fast enough, I didn’t have enough feeling, I wasn’t happy with the way I wrote- and the list went on. It came to a point where I was stuck in this perpetual cycle of negativity, where I wasn’t happy with how I sounded, and that mentality made me play worse.

At some point, I was able to make the switch by focusing on the aspects of music I enjoyed. I learned that my go-to chord progressions, style, and influences all shaped my own unique point of view in music. I’m definitely far from where I want to be, but I am having fun doing it, and I am creating something new and bold.

If music is expression, how you express yourself is directly connected to how you treat yourself. Respect yourself, trust yourself, and enjoy the process.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is such a modern phenomenon; it’s impressive how big of a role it plays now in our lives. I feel social media gets a bad name, because people tend to think that leaning on social media means that you are selling out, or failing to connect with others face to face.

In 2012, I was handing out CD copies of my original music with a business card attached to the sleeve. The hustle was an in-person networking tactic, where shaking hands and seeing what someone was about was the most important part. When I came back to the music scene in 2024, I realized that everything had changed. Marketing yourself, sending out EPs, showing demos, and promoting a show, all took place on social media. The idea of marketing and promoting yourself had stayed the same, but the method had changed.

I’m still working on my own social media, but through creating a plan, focusing my theme, and cleaning up the quality of my videos, I was able to collaborate with some of the best musicians I have ever seen, and catch the attention of my favorite brands.

If you are starting to build your social media, the main thing to remember is to stay CONSISTENT. Pre-plan your posts, set aside a day for content creation and editing, always engage with your followers, post on your story often, and support other creators around you. Social media is another form of community, and working with your community is the key to your success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/matt.plays.the.guitar
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/matt.plays.the.guitar
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/@matt.plays.the.guitar
• Other: Follow @holdyourfiremusic on Instagram!

Image Credits

Don Marcelo

(For all photos uploaded)