We recently connected with Alejandro Carrizales and have shared our conversation below.
Alejandro, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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 feel doing anything related to the arts requires a great deal of courage. You are basically looking to create an income/career out of something that is fully subjective and hoping you do it well enough so that people come to you and give you money for your craft. While art adds color and depth to everyday life, it’s not a commodity like food that sustains us materially. In fields like music, starting out can be particularly challenging, even with a degree. Sometimes you’re going to have to swallow a bit of your pride and do jobs that don’t give you a fair pay but at the end of the day the key to success lies in relentless determination and a refusal to give up on the pursuit of one’s creative vision, ultimately paving the way for a rewarding and fulfilling career.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela on a Friday of August the 23rd. During my early education in around the 3rd grade, I was introduced to the recorder, as it is common for kids to do so. Soon after, I joined my school’s musical program, and that’s when my started discovering my love for melodies. I actually became pretty good at the recorder and I remember having an easy time figuring out themes and melodies from the video games I played.
Fast forward almost half a decade, and I had just moved to Florida, and it was here that I met one of my great friends who happened to own an electric guitar. I had attempted to play guitar back in Venezuela, but the instrument was too bulky for my small hands so my fingers couldn’t reach the whole width of the neck; However, the electric guitar changed everything it all. I got my own, formed a band, and discovered something that I was actually passionate about; writing songs, composing parts and letting creativity take over. I discovered the joy for creating something and once you dip your feet deep enough there’s no way you are going to want to go back out.
I started college and despite pursuing marketing, a life changing incident made me realize how fragile life is and how little sense it made to not go on about doing something that you know gives you all that you need in terms of personal fulfillment. I then decided to get into music school.
I wanted to have all the tools to be able to create my own music so one of my majors was centered around music production. Contemporary Writing & Production is what it’s actually called. It gave me the tools to create full blown music productions, writing for orchestra, big band and small ensembles. My other major is called Professional Music which is kind of a create-your-own major; I added Sound Engineering, Film Scoring and Psychology of Music as the ingredients to my combo. I also started getting deep into learning how to use the voice, which is something I ended up teaching to this day.
As for the type of work that I do… I have a cool, cozy production studio in what was the garage of the house that was built during the pandemic. Lots of love (and money) has been put into what I’m sure will be a stepping stone into bigger and more ambitious spaces.
I am currently doing a combination of recording sessions for music and podcasts as well as musical productions for video/advertisement & artists and music lessons. Although that’s what I am usually doing I have also done music consulting and of course performing – which is one of my favorite aspects of the job.
I’m one of those people pleasers, which can be a blessing and a curse. But when it comes to my art and my job, making my customers happy is what really matters to me. Seeing them as people first, not just clients, is key because my end goal is to give them exactly what they want. What I value most is their happiness with the outcome.
The best part is getting to be super creative and spontaneous. I love using all the tools to my disposal to experiment and come up with something totally fresh and different. It keeps things exciting and lets me keep growing as an artist. Plus, when I see how my customers connect with my work, it’s just the a great satisfying feeling.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
In my opinion, society has undervalued the experience of enjoying art in person. While we have numerous platforms for promoting art, the essence of live art seems to have been lost or diminished. There’s an excessive focus on experiencing art through screens, leaving some beautiful forms of art trapped behind virtual barriers.
Take music, for instance. It’s a multi-sensory experience that should be seen, heard, and felt. Yet, we often find ourselves disconnected from the true magic of live performances by settling for digital alternatives. To bring back the genuine joy of live music, businesses could put in more effort and incentives to showcase actual performers rather than relying solely on speakers.
Of course, to support live music, we must address the issue of musicians being underpaid or having limited opportunities. It would be wonderful if people could chip in with a small “performer tax” or have the option to tip musicians when settling the bill. This collective effort would make a huge difference in enabling artists to thrive and focus on doing what they’re best known for – creating.
I believe it’s time for a renaissance in live art appreciation, a return to experiencing art in its raw, authentic form, allowing artists to flourish and continue sharing their creativity with the world. We should look to create a world where live art thrives and becomes an integral part of our cultural landscape once again.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn? I believe sometimes we need to unlearn the very lessons we thought we knew best. After almost a decade of working in this field and having two majors in the subject, I began to feel frustrated because I couldn’t translate the ideas in my head into my productions. Battling through depression also made the path extra rough. No matter how many tricks I tried, something always preventing me from sailing smoothly.
After a rather long break from producing I attended a music festival and that was a turning point for me. It made me realize that I might have unknowingly confined myself in a box by “knowing too much.” So, I decided to approach my next work with a fresh perspective, as if I knew nothing about it. And to my surprise, everything started flowing effortlessly; it was like the song was producing itself.
In essence, I chose to unlearn my previous assumptions, and that opened me up to learning new things, more easily digestible lessons. Music is subjective, and what truly matters is the emotional connection it creates with the audience, not just technical prowess. It’s about making others feel the music rather than impressing them with complex techniques.
So, sometimes, letting go of what we think we know and embracing a more open-minded, exploratory approach can lead to remarkable breakthroughs in our creative endeavors.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tintedwinemusic.com
- Instagram: @lejandromusic and @tintedwinemusic
Image Credits
Maria Alejandra Mata