We were lucky to catch up with Pablo Bastidas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Pablo, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

The first time I made money playing music was in high school with my first band Bears and Airplanes. We played at a local coffee shop called Sozo where a lot of young people in the Chandler area got their start. I think we just made tips, which we weren’t even expecting! I can’t remember if we pocketed it for making t-shirts or for breakfast burritos, but it was a special feeling to be rewarded for our “work” for the first time. We all play music in different groups now and base pay is sort of standard, but tips always feel like a more personal demonstration of appreciation. It was great to get that reinforcement early on.

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?

I am a drummer and singer/songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve been playing drums for almost 15 years. I started taking lessons at the age of 10 and joined my 5th grade concert band. I was playing soccer at the time and when it became apparent to me how much I enjoyed music, I switched gears and joined my middle school jazz band. I was heavily involved with the jazz and marching programs at my high school and was the drummer for the top jazz groups at Northern Arizona University. While in college, I started playing in too many local bands and fell in love with performing and a life lead by music. I started writing songs when I was about 18 or 19 and would sing back up vocals for some of the projects I was in. I started my own band called Pelvic Trust where I sang and played guitar and realized that I had a knack for being a band leader and singer. I graduated with a degree in Comparative Culture and moved back to Phoenix to throw myself into a bigger pond and quickly got wrapped up in the music scene. Now I play most weekend nights with several local acts and am writing songs, drumming, and singing with my band Pablo Lovetrain.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, for me, is sharing my art with my community. I would be lying if i said it didn’t feel good to be validated by my peers and commended for my efforts. That part is great, but looking out over a crowd from the stage and seeing that my grooves are making people dance, or that my lyrics connect with people emotionally, is an unmatched feeling. I love being able to provide a space for people to come together to laugh, yell, sweat, and let loose.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

It’s an insecurity I deal with from time to time, but I think something non-creatives won’t understand is that I am not chasing notoriety or money. Sure, in some cases that can and hopefully will be a byproduct of one’s works (in this case, performances or recordings) but I really am in it to just do the dang thing as much as I can. I worry about the future and if this whole thing is really sustainable, but I remind myself that music is what’s gotten me to where I’m at and what has pulled me through some tough times. Music is my anchor. It’s not about the career, but about the act of creating. It’s about seeking out unique experiences. It’s about love. It’s about doing it all with people I care about and hopefully bringing people an ounce of the joy that playing music brings me.

Sometimes I lose sight of this when focusing on the business side of my music career, on the analytics and the taxes and the scheduling and the marketing, etc. However, in this modern artistic landscape, I feel fortunate that I can strive to make a living with my passion and continue to work toward my goals.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @pabi_boi
• Other: my band’s Instagram: @pablolovetrain

Image Credits
Chais Gentner Kimberlee Christiansen Trevor Novatin Connor Cubic