We recently connected with ALFREDO CACERES and have shared our conversation below.

ALFREDO, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Well it’s up tough process. Especially getting into the circle of musicians in Los Angeles area takes a long time. I’ve earn a living with music also in my hometown Guatemala and I also part-time work in Dallas Texas so I have an idea of what it takes to start from zero. What always help me a lot is to know different styles of music and even if I don’t know the style I’ve learned it in the moment. But it takes responsibility and also keep an open minded, and try to reach as much people as you can in the circle. Once you are like on the loop they start calling you from different places, agencies and other musicians.

I think that I will avoid working with projects that didn’t go anywhere, and it was a waste of time and energy but that’s what happens when you are looking to find the path for earning a living with any art.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a professional guitar player, I currently live in Los Angeles and have been here for the last 14 years. I am a guitarist, and consider myself a side man musician which means that I get called for different projects, different concerts or gigs. Lots of the times I get called to resolve when people don’t have a guitar player, or sub a guitarist for q certain tour or performance.

Myself a world music guitar clair since I started with flamenco music, but after I started with Flamenco I got into Jess and also Brazilian and Latin music. In the last 10 years I’ve been playing in a company various different artists from the Middle East. And living in Los Angeles I have played and collaborated with different artists from different parts of the world.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think that there should be more support for arts in general. I will say that we need more promotion for music arts and theater in general. Very very little support from media towards the arts in the US as compared to Europe. France specially has an amazing support for artists, I think in the US is a very difficult task. Even though we are blessed here to have a lot of work, in the US is very difficult to find free classical or jazz concerts for people in parks to be accessible to anyone. The problem that I see is that classical for example became for a certain elite so in other words I don’t think the art is promoted in general. Another thing that I find that people in general these days are not interested in original material, I’m referring to original compositions. Usually people always ask for songs that have been played forever and there is no interest in original material. Of course the social media helps a little bit if you promote yourself but still it’s really hard to put original material out there.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think putting a smile and transporting people to another place with our music. Music and arts in general for especially music is something that has lived with mankind since the beginning of time. Music is part of our life, and it has the magic that can transport us to a different time, or place.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alfredocaceres.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alfredocaceresmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alfredocaceres77
• Youtube: @alfredocaceresmusic

Image Credits
Nafis Khani