We recently connected with Nico Martinez and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nico thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I like to try to think of being a musician as a ‘real job’–I use my skills to fulfill a purpose in the world to the best of my ability and get compensated in return. This way, I have a clear objective when I practice and I can feel very fulfilled when I do a good job. You may think that it sounds boring to see music as a job, however I think there is a special beauty in it. When we focus on aspects of the music that will serve ourselves and ultimately the other musicians that we play with, I think we are bringing the community together in an amazing way. Think about how much harder it might be for us to connect with each other if we all knew completely different songs, had different concepts of groove and technique, and lacked a willingness to prioritize service of the music over all else? That said, I still think it is the most fun and rewarding job that a person can have!

Nico, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Nico Martinez and I am a jazz bass player. In the words of a legendary drummer I had the privilege to learn from at The Juilliard School in NYC, I would consider myself a ‘C average’ bass player–and this is a great thing! I don’t misunderstand the relative greatness of achievement I have made compared to the best in the craft, and I have a ton of room for growth. Playing the bass is an often misunderstood profession; sometimes it isn’t so obvious to people what exactly it is that we are doing for the music. Despite this perception, bass playing is one of the deepest undertakings a person can make. Striving to be like the great masters of the bass and expanding musical knowledge will get you on the way to greatness, but it is only the beginning of the journey. Bass players have to be ready to set aside our hangups, biases and sometimes even our own ideas about music in order to do our job to the best of our ability. Bass playing is a supportive role, so this means that we have to play exactly what the music needs at any given time – no matter what. It is the ultimate unselfish role. Well-meaning friends, family and acquaintances may not really having a clue what it is we are doing. “we can’t hear you!”, “you should turn up”, “is that a cello?”. When it comes down to it, I know what I am doing and I know that I have an amazing chance to be a part of a lineage of players that uphold a great American art form–as long as I keep my mind open and my head small and understand that I have a lot to learn!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

A book that has been monumental in my life in recent years is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is about a young boy that leaves his job as a shepherd to go on an adventure to find hidden treasure in Egypt, and the story serves Coelho’s larger message: that we all have a ‘personal legend’ and omens present themselves along the way to help us get there. Personal legend means what we are individually meant to do with our lives. I have also found this book to be full of wisdom about trusting one’s instincts and judgment and being aware of what is happening around us without being overstimulated. These ideas have been helpful for me recently because of my move to New York City to attend The Juilliard School. The city can be ‘a lot’ with all of its opportunity and other musicians that play really well, and I think everyone who moves here from somewhere else has to deal with that somehow. I just try to worry about me and what I’m doing and not get too swept up by everything else–easier said than done for sure. I think also it helps to know that most people who move here probably have had similar challenges, or still do. I remember a bass teacher telling me, “as long as John Patitucci isn’t standing next to me, I can be pretty sure I am the best bass player on this stage!” Sometimes I think about this when I am onstage because it helps me get my head in the game and feel like I deserve to be up there. The wisdom of my many great teachers has helped me with my development as a performer and getting in the right mindset to play.

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

Come out to gigs. Musicians need an audience in order to play the best we can. We can definitely make great music on our own, but I think a special element is introduced when there is a good audience. I remember going on a short tour in the Montreal area with some friends and the audiences were so focused there. The energy was palpable like they were on the edge of their seats. It made it really easy to give the music everything we could, and I think it was a satisfying experience for us. Coming out to gigs also helps support the venues and ensure they stay open and functioning at full capacity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nicomartinezbass.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoarielmartinez/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005270586029

Image Credits
EBAR and Joshua Wang