We recently connected with Cesar Alan and have shared our conversation below.

Cesar, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The higher the risk the higher the reward as I like to implement. This is something Ive gravitated to thru out my journey in.all aspects. When I felt it was time to evolve whether in my career or even in leveling up as a person there’s always some feeling of uncertainty. Perhaps even comforts. One has to be confident that what may be put on the line is worth the projected end goal. If it means outcomes that create opportunities where it will level up your value then its worth it. Some people are willing to stay the same. That’s NOT a risk I ever recommend taking.

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

I’ve had an incredible journey in the music industry, one that has taken me from being a self-taught guitarist to becoming an award-winning multi-platinum songwriter, producer, artist, and multi-instrumentalist. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m thrilled to share some of the highlights with you today.

I’ve always been a creative at heart, having developed an artistic skill in my adolescence through drawing and painting. However, my musical journey began when I picked up a guitar as a teenager. I was completely self-taught, driven by a deep passion for music. I spent countless hours honing my skills, playing along to my favorite songs, and experimenting with different sounds. It wasn’t long before I realized that music was more than just a hobby for me – it was a calling.

During my final years in high school, I originally applied for all the top art schools and got accepted with scholarships, at first, it was an exciting moment to realize that I could actually attend one of these top-tier colleges and grow as a visual artist. That excitement didn’t last long, being a first-generation Mexican-American from very humble beginnings, my family didn’t have the necessary finances for me to actually attend any of these schools, even with the scholarships.

After high school, I decided to enroll in community college, I put away the canvas and replaced it with my guitar but only on the weekends, busking and playing small paying gigs wherever I could find them. However, my path took an unexpected turn when my college buddy Donyea (now successfully known as Starchild Yeezo) plugged me with an undisclosed audition, which came to be for none other than Kanye West. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I couldn’t pass it up. I booked it! Working with Kanye was the gateway that opened the door for me to tour and work with some of the biggest names in the game for the next decade.

Touring with such talented artists was an incredible experience that exposed me to the highest levels of creativity and innovation in the music industry. It was during this time that I truly honed my skills as a multi-instrumentalist and music director. I soaked up every moment, learning from some of the best in the business and expanding my musical horizons. I often thought “What’s next?”, this brought me to wanting to understand the real estate of the game when it comes to longevity and what my future might look like outside of touring for others and their success. That’s when I realized intellectual property and ownership was the real estate of the game, the idea of creating something that could take care of me and my future for years to come. That’s when I began taking sessions seriously and dove back into writing after leaving it behind earlier in my career.

I quickly learned how cut-throat this side of the industry truly is, after being robbed of several credits. These experiences forced me to understand that not everything is creative and that I had to become competent on the business side of things as well, I gained the invaluable lesson that knowing the ins and outs of the business is equally or even more important than the creativity aspect of the industry. Blending my street smarts from my busking days to my newfound knowledge led me to outwit what could’ve been another credit robbery into receiving the credit I was entitled to and eventually my first Gold and Platinum hit.

As I transitioned from touring to writing and producing records, I brought with me the innovative spirit I had cultivated on the road. My “innovative ear” became my trademark. I had a unique ability to hear potential sounds and ideas that others might overlook. I worked tirelessly to bring out the best and newest sounds for my clients, pushing boundaries and challenging them to explore new sonic landscapes. It was incredibly rewarding to see artists discover dimensions of their music they hadn’t originally envisioned.

One of the proudest moments in my career came during rehearsals in Los Angeles when I had the opportunity to introduce my father to his favorite artist. It was a deeply emotional moment, and it reminded me of the power of music to connect people on a profound level. Seeing the joy in my father’s eyes as he met his musical hero was a testament to the impact of my work in the industry.

In my journey from a self-taught guitarist to a multi-platinum songwriter, producer, artist, and multi-instrumentalist, I’ve learned that music is not just a career; it’s a way of life. It’s about connecting with people, pushing creative boundaries, and making unforgettable moments. I’m excited to continue this journey, exploring new sounds, collaborating with incredible artists, and leaving my mark on the ever-evolving world of music.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My faith is the foundation and driving force behind my mission and creative journey. I’d love to leave a legacy that shows people what’s possible when you’re coming from humble beginnings and have limited resources. One of my favorite ways to describe it is like making a 5-star dinner with 2 ingredients, for me, those 2 ingredients are faith and grit. My experience getting up in the game was a battle between an abundance of naysayers and my refusal to give up. As I mentioned before I’m a self-taught musician, starting with my first love, the guitar. I can’t count the times my family and high school counselors told me how terrible I was and that I would never make it in music so I might as well give up while I’m at it, but I couldn’t accept that. I kept practicing every day and one day it just clicked, by the glory of God I started shredding and from there I just kept going. There’s no way I would’ve made it this far had I listened to everyone in my ear, it was the first real testament of how God not only loved me but wanted to use me. I feel like I’ve been blessed with a gift that I need to share with the world and all those young people who may be in similar shoes I was once in, we’re not the opinions of others, and it’s my mission to make sure people know that whenever they experience my music or just have a conversation with me. The dream only ends when you decide to give up and lose faith in who God created you to be, that’s a truth I hope to share with as many people as possible. That’s when I realized my true calling was to be a Purpose Activist, helping others find their purpose and bringing to life their individual dreams, goals, and aspirations while discovering their identity.

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

Man, where do I even begin, it’s been a long life. lol But one story in particular that comes to mind is when I was in college, I had started a Jazz Funk Pop Fusion band with my best friend from high school. We had worked out a deal with our friend’s mom who co-owned a chicken and waffles spot in the IE, on weekends we’d play at their after-hours while people would come in after hitting the club and needing their chicken and waffles fix. We always rehearsed at the spot when it was closed, one day we were rehearsing and this director who had worked on some pretty big things popped in with her manager on their way to Vegas and saw us rehearsing. After checking us out, she took a liking to us and introduced herself, next thing you know she was managing us and before you knew it she had developed a concept for a reality show based on our journey as a band, and for the next 2 years, she started to follow us around and film everything we did with her camera crew. Eventually, she put together a sizzle reel that included a motivational talk and performance that we got booked to do at my high school, it was a surreal moment to have the opportunity to go back to my high school and not only perform but also be motivational using our own journeys in front of about 3k students who had just learned about us 30 minutes before and all of a sudden were immediate fans. I remember the crowd going crazy and girls trying to grab us off the stage, it was insane and we loved every minute of it. After creating the sizzle reel she started pitching the show concept and she actually got us a deal to make the show happen through BIllboard, I remember being so excited and thinking to myself “wow this is it, we made it, I made it!”, the feeling was incredible and we really felt like this was only the beginning. The day of the contract signing my band and I showed up to the office excited and ready to make everything official but the director/our manager never showed up. The executives and our band kept calling her with no answer and after several tries, Billboard decided to drop the whole thing on the spot. In an instant, everything we had spent 2 years building was gone. She completely fell off the face of the planet and with her went all of our footage, there was no way to recuperate and try to revive the deal without that footage. The level of disappointment was enough to crush my spirit and it definitely did for some time. I felt like that was the end of my career and there was no coming back from it. I was so embarrassed, and angry, and I struggled to understand what had just happened. We never heard back from her, and to this day I have no clue what ever happened to her, I actually decided to google her recently and the only thing I could find was that Taryn Manning apparently sued her about some movie back in 2015 or something like that.

My life has been nothing short of tough, but with every challenge came an opportunity to level up, learn, and really see what I was made of. I don’t think I would have gained the hustle and grit, or faith I have now had things come easily for me. In hindsight I definitely wasn’t ready or mature enough for that kind of success, I believe that going through that was God’s protection and a way to teach me what resilience looks like, it also prepared me for what was to come. Today I’m still facing challenges, but they’re on a completely different level and I look forward to them because of the light at the end of each tunnel, the best part for me is being able to share different life experiences with others who might be facing similar challenges so they too can develop the faith to keep going. All I can say is that God truly is good ALL the time. I’ll just leave you with this, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5: 3-4 NIV

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hype.co/@cesaralanmusic
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cesaralanmusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cesaralan/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cesaralanmusic

Image Credits
Getty – Mindy Small Sally Nieves