We recently connected with Osmar Okuma and have shared our conversation below.

Osmar, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The first thing I did to begin learning about music is to listen to a lot of it. I remember always listening to totally different styles of music and being open to enjoy music that was new to me. And then once I really got into it, I tried to emulate what I was listening. Practicing and trying to get every nuance of whatever record I was listening to at the time. Its something I still do since we dont really ever stop learning and there is always new music to find.

Another important skill to have when learning how to play an instrument is simply the discipline to sit down and practice the areas that need the most work. This was always my obstacle when learning my instrument because I always wanted to play music I enjoyed instead of working out the things I needed to practice at the time.

Osmar, 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?

I am a musician and educator in Los Angeles where I currently perform, record and teach. I play and record for several different projects in the area ranging from film score recordings to theater performances. One of the bands I am currently part of is Latin Grammy Award winning “The Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra” which will be performing and recording a new project next year. I also record for commercial and music catalogues and do music production and sound editing for podcasts or other media. Most of my main work is based on performing and recording music but also teach lessons.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is simply doing what you love and enjoying the whole process of getting better at your craft. I feel that anyone who really loves the art will eventually get better and be able to make a living off of it. Being an artist also means that every day is different, I get to be a part of different projects and play different music all the time. Being able to escape a monotonous routine has a lot of value to me.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

One of the things that would support artists is if people are more willing and open to enjoy art that is unknown to them. I think that streaming music and internet in general has made it easy for people to box themselves into one category of art with no need to explore new art. I think art thrives in environments where there is variety and an audience that helps variety grow. Getting out of your comfort and learning about new styles of music or art can be a great learning experience for anyone and it would help artists because there are artists creating a wide range of variety everywhere, but there also needs to be an audience that is willing to explore that variety as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.osmarokuma.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osmar_okuma/