We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Johanny Navarro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Johanny, appreciate you joining us today. Are you 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?
I have been a full-time composer for a year. Even though I have been a professional composer for 7 years it was inconceivable to live only as a full-time composer. I had to teach, play, perform, etc… all those years. I’m not saying it was a bad thing but at some point was overwhelming. The burnout of the emotions, the stress, all of those things affected my writing and my creativity. But then work started to appear. I started to get more commissions and more opportunities for myself and my art. In August of 2021, I decided that I was going to live as a full-time composer mostly working on commissions, music arrangments, and passion projects. Some days I just can’t believe I am living what at some point in my life I dream. I woke up thinking about music and I end my days thinking about music, and that’s a divine blessing, which I’m eternally humble.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I grew up surrounded by music. As a little kid, I remember my father, a Latin jazz composer, arranger, and pianist working in our living room, which for him was playing the piano while copying his ideas in the score. My two brothers and I would listen to music while we danced and sang. As we grew older, Dad would teach us about our music: the music from Puerto Rico and el Caribe. From that moment on, I was amazingly attracted to the aesthetic of Caribbean music. And that is my most beautiful inspiration. I work those rhythms through my “classical” technique and create music pieces that honor my culture and my ancestors. This intriguing musical aesthetic is refreshing and in an interesting way different from any classical aesthetic that one usually knows. The combination of not only the rhythms but the stories of El Caribe inspired me to keep creating and writing musical pieces with meaning, colors, and sabor. I have the enormous privilege of creating this sound world and sharing it with the performers and the audience.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I want to be able to know everything about myself and every time I work on a piece of art I get the chance to discover what I am in music and what music is in me.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The chance of sharing your art with the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://johannynavarro.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johannyivelisse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohannyNavarroComposer/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannynavarro/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/johanny_navarro
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkIQvwrl5dYqVVB-_d7-3FQ
Image Credits
Ricardo Acevedo, Esteban Morales Neris, Ricardo Alcaraz