We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alia Torres. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alia Torres below.

Alia, appreciate you joining 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?

I am extremely fortunate to make a living playing music. Multiple factors go into this fortune. I worked in the hospitality & entertainment industry for years. In a bar venue to be exact. When I moved to Savannah, I worked in retail for 4 years. Entertainment and hospitality showed me how to be frugal, resilient, and learned to play and perform from my peers inviting me on stage. Retail afforded me confidence, management experience, money to get out of debt, build credit and buy a home. I mention all of this because a friend, Rachael Schaner played for a living. she would visit me occasionally at work, nd I mentioned “man it would be so cool to play music for a living!” . Rachael encouraged me and believed I could make a living playing music. All I had to do, was look at my finances, understand my bottom dollar, and make that. I made a lot of sacrifices to quit that job. Owning a home is less expensive than renting, experience in hospitality taught me to save money for slow seasons and hustle for myself, and retail management taught me to be responsible with accounting, booking, and other business aspects. Living in Savannah has a lot to do with it as well. As a hostess city, Savannah is thriving with opportunities for entertainment. It’s been slowly building the skills and being supported by friends, fans, and an open heart filled with faith.

Alia Torres , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Alia Torres. My longest job was in a bar-venue called The Loft in Columbus, Ga. I started as a host the first year, then a cocktail server, dinner server, bartender, and my last three years, I was a live sound tech. This is where I formed close relationships with musicians of all types. The Friday Jazz musicians taught me to sing. I like to joke, that its because when you are out of key you can just call it jazz. The blues musicians taught me to play this guitar. I would describe my sound as Americana / Folk. I’ve been told I have a real talent for whistling, and I have been taking operatic singing lessons to expand my range. I picked up a couple paying gigs back in 2018, but It wasn’t long before I moved to Savannah where my growth flat lined stopped for about 3 years. There was one year where I used the Artist name Lylie Mae, but this year I decided to go back to using my name. I’m excited to say I have been growing and carving my own sound since 2022, and playing regularly around Savannah GA. I’m exploring more opportunities to travel this year, as well as focusing more on blues rather than country and folk. It’s a blessing to connect and inspire with people through music. I’m truly fortunate, and grateful to have the skills, talent, support, and encouragement to do what I do.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

EVERYONE’S JOURNEY IS DIFFERENT. I have been the person who took one look at a photo of a musician and thought, “They must be rich”, or “they must have had a someone to help them”. and you know what that is not always the case. These thoughts come from jealousy, and frustration. Feeling like I’m not enough, like I’m doing enough. feeling unseen. When I’am having a bad day, no one pays me to practice, to evaluate myself, to update my website, to create posters, update calendars, reach out to talent scouting, update social media, make sure I’ve been paid, my taxes are filed, learn new songs, write new songs, research equipment & buy equipment when it breaks. I get paid to be on stage. that typically three hours of time that a “non-creative” would call work. Being a musician is a lifestyle. I have to unlearn masking, and show up as myself in everything that I do. Weather its telling someone hello, encouraging a friend, or reaching out because I have not received a check and 30 days from the performance has passed.

In my experience, non creatives do not see creatives as CONSTANTLY WORKING! I have to set boundaries for myself, and I find that difficult. when the work comes its time to work! When the lyrics comes, it’s time to write. When the good mood surfaces, its time to do something business related. When a gig is scheduled, every move I make, from not having dairy, to what am I going to wear, who have I reached out to, is my car packed is centered around THAT GIG. Your job becomes a lifestyle. It’s important for creative to support and encourage each other again this strong current. Cause when you get really good at what you do, keep I mind, that you make your job look easy and desirable, just like those before us, who inspired us to do it in the first place.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I heard a quote once. something like, “Musician are crazy. We spend all of our money, on expensive equipment and lock it in a car that barely runs.” I have almost quit so many times, but it feels impossible. When I decided “I quit” in 2020, I may not have played any gigs, but I wrote one song, and pieces of lyrics always poured through. If you are a fire, you can at times turn into embers. Like water can be fog. But fire will never be water, and vise versa. Musicians, don’t really “stop”. Any moment that I wanted to “stop” I honestly just need a break. a break from being hard on myself. From reaching for goals I never really wanted, and taking a moment to accept those losses, and find my gains in other places. Its hard to measure growth some times. I cant see or hear a plant grow. I can put up a camera a record it for a long time, and watch the process. But that’s *over time* growth happens *over time* so don’t quit. Music, stories, painting, quilts, whatever your art, it comes from a process over time. That’s what life is all about it. and if you love what you do, you never quit. Love always catches up with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aliatorres.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliatorresmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aliatorresmusic
• Other: SPOTIFY : https://open.spotify.com/artist/20K2KK4slmFMCzixBYxemm?si=VE6S5AGsRZ-g96CL7gG2Mg

Image Credits

Daniel Breault, Nikkalia Hill, Tony Pettis, Sammie Saxon