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

Alright, Ishmael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I want my legacy to be filled by the positive influence and ethics I portray into my business dealings. I want to leave behind a pathway for people to recognize that they can also become successful in their own journey, despite how difficult or how long it takes to achieve success. I want people to recognize my (and some have already) my tenacity for achievement and passion for my artistry.
I have chosen one of the most difficult paths for a person to take to become financially stable. The reason I continue to pursue the arts is because I love it and doing anything else would be an internal lie. I want to become successful through my passions, I want to show others that as long as you maintain a positive attitude towards your passions that you can become successful in your own way, I want to show that talent never dies and will always achieve a longer lasting influential effect in the minds of the crowd.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

There are many facets of my passion for the entertainment industry that I have a foothold in; one of them being a filmmaker. I have been an on camera actor since 2014 and have since created my own production company called “Cimitoro Productions”. Through acting and filmmaking I have met many of San Diego’s best actors and actresses and have been blessed to have worked with so many of them. If you want to check out some of the completed projects you, as the reader, can always check out my personal Youtube and Cimitoro Productions’ Youtube. With so much experience on set I provide a safe and fun environment for my cast and crew. I can produce pretty much anything that anyone can ask for. I can write any kind of script, from kid-friendly to adults-only, through many genres.
As a musician I play live shows as a singer and percussionist and have played many venues across San Diego. I know how to set up for live stage events and recording studios. Currently I’m composing for films that I’ve worked on and once that’s complete I plan to have a group of films travel through many film festivals to put Cimitoro Productions in the eyes of potential investors for bigger projects. These original songs I’ve been creating lately will also be used towards my first solo album, but that’s another project that although isn’t in the forefront, will be completed.
Also as a musician, I’m a music tutor. I teach advance vocals, songwriting and percussion and intermediate guitar and piano. I teach online, in my in-home studio and at student’s homes. I have students that have competed in singing competitions and have placed, utilized their skills towards recording and singing live, and some that just learn because they enjoy it.
In my in-home studio not only do I teach music and acting but I record voice over and auditions. Some of our local artists you know may have used my in-home studio to land a part in a film or recorded their voice for a character in a project.

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

I can easily say that seeing my art coming to life, whether it’s playing live music and getting the audience to interact, cheer and applaud, showing a completed film and getting the right emotional reaction from the audience, and earning appreciation from peers is my most proud moments, but it’s honestly not. To me, the best moments in my life is always seeing and knowing that my peers and students have grown from being in my projects or taking lessons from me. When I see someone achieving success after being a part of something that I’ve been in, I can’t help but be proud that I somehow helped in their growth. Yes, I enjoy my own growth, but directing an actor, honing in on a singer’s skill, directing the timing of a scene from a script I’ve written, bringing out the emotions of my scene partner, harmonizing with a fellow musician, all of it feels better than my own success. It’s success as a team, not just as an individual, and that means more to me than achieving something alone.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

To keep moving forward. I don’t ever want to stop. If the day ever comes where I feel like I want to stop I could only hope it’s because I’ve achieved so much self proclaimed success that I’m satisfied with retiring. I hope to always be inspired by other’s creativity so I can be challenged to show I can also do it. Being an artist isn’t about trying to prove being the best, it’s not about being famous, it’s about doing it because you love doing it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishmael_a_meza/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamishx/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishmael-meza/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ishmaelmeza
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ishmael-a-meza
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/@cimitoroproductions
  https://linktr.ee/ishmael_a_meza

Image Credits

Cimitoro Productions Logo, Copyrighted. Created by Ishmael Meza.
Ishmael’s Music Tutoring created by Ishmael Meza.
BTS pics from “Crooked Mile” and “Martial Hearts”.