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

Alright, Salvatore thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I am originally from Lima, Peru and I left my country at the young age of 18 when Berklee offered me a scholarship to study music in Boston. Music being my passionate and life purpose, I immediately took the opportunity and have been living in the United States since 2020. After finishing my studies in Berklee in August 2023 I started my Optional Practical Training (OPT) which allows me to work in the US for 1 year limited only to my field of studies. Since I studied Music and Audio, those are the only areas in which I can legally work.

This situation put me in a position to make a very important decision which is : Where am I going to live during this year of work? Where are my chances the best they can be for me to succeed and get another Visa to stay in this country?

Despite some very obvious options which were LA or Miami , due to the number of colleagues I knew lived in these music rich cities, I decided after a lot of thinking that I was going to move to Austin, Texas. I did not know anybody in Austin but I was going to take the risk of moving here because I felt this is where I was actually going to be able to give it a shot at my long-term plans and objectives for my life and career. One of these objectives being; to merge the Funk, Blues, Rnb and Rock music scenes from Latin America with those from North America (in the same way that reggaeton and trap had done already). Austin being a developing scene very rich in original music focusing more on the live band oriented sound seemed like the perfect place to try it. It was still a risk because not knowing anybody prior to moving meant that job opportunities would not come easy.

I have been living in Austin for 3 months now and I am currently producing 3 local artists, 1 from San Antonio and 1 from the Dominican Republic. I am playing many gigs for different artists as well as forming part of 1 very successful band from San Antonio called Retro Cowgirl. I am also working in Audio and as part of this Private event company which performs mainly in weddings and private parties. Still far from achieving my goals, I am really proud of what I have accomplished so far and the steps I have taken in the direction of my dreams. I am looking to make as much as I can while I am here for this year and putting it all on the line to be able to stay in this country which is my one shot at growing musically and building a bridge between my culture and this culture.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a 22 year old multi-instrumentalist musician, artist and producer currently living in Austin Texas. I am originally from Lima, Perú, where I lived until the age of 18 when I moved to Boston to study music at Berklee College of Music.

I first got into music at the age of 8 years old as both my father and my grandfather where very passionate music lovers. My grandfather gave me my first nylon guitar when I was very young where he taught me how to play Peruvian waltzes. Since I can remember I have always been passionate for music and this passion only grows stronger by the day. I told my parents I wanted to become a musician when I was in high school and so I attended university in my hometown for music. After a year of studying here, I got the opportunity to go to Boston and so I took it without hesitation.

I am currently working as a performing and recording musician here in Austin, as well as being a Producer and an Audio Engineer. Combining all these skills, I help other artists and songwriters to understand their musical vision. I structure, arrange and produce their ideas into a finish product to be released into streaming platforms. Since I am an artist as well, having released two EPs and having performed original music live, I understand the Artist and Songwriter mentality clearly which sets me apart from a lot of other producers who have not been on the spotlight before. This is a big factor into how I produce because I ultimately expect everything I do to translate properly into a live setting. This is where music really flourishes and develops its own legacy.

I produce both in Spanish and in English but aspire to work more and more with Hispanic artists because one of my life objectives is to create a bridge between the music scene in South America and the scene in North America. Very similar to what Trap and Reggaeton have done but with other genres like funk, rock, rnb and reggae which are my strongest areas. Most of the music I have released as a solo artist ( going by the name of ‘PES’ ) can fall into one of these categories.

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

I can only speak in regards to the position I am in because it is the one I understand best. As a musician who is on a limited visa term and seeking to apply for a new one (the O1B visa aka the Artist Visa) I consider the barriers for work and opportunity to be the hardest thing to overcome. The status for a musician or a creative who is an immigrant in the United States is extremely hard because we are led by a conditions which were formulated in the 90s which essentially put all types of creatives into one box. This being actors, painters, musicians, comedians, film-makers, poets, media creators. It is extremely hard to build a portfolio which can be merited by an Artist visa when we are put into all of these categories like they are 1. There are more and more forms of entertainment every day with technology enhancing our lives and the way we consume things. Unfortunately for us creatives the legal terms for us to work and potentially stay here do not adapt as fast.

There are many people who have given me and other peers chances to work and prove ourselves during my time in OPT which I am extremely grateful for. These people understand that we are bringing creative and new ideas into their country which ultimately helps them and the economy by enriching the culture and the number of eyes looking into all the new things coming out of the United States.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I understood the importance of networking at an earlier age. Friendships have always been important to me but I never really realized how important it was to maintain connections with people I have met that perhaps aren’t my ‘friends’ but they are great people I admire nonetheless. I have only come to understand this recently and more importantly, I have a better understanding of how to build network so it isn’t just about chance. Through networking I have found new job opportunities and in some cases new friendships as well.

One of my long term goals in life is to open a music school in my hometown and I believe that my knowledge and understanding of networking is going to be essential in doing this. I wish I had this knowledge before when I was living in Peru.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/SalvatorePes
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pes_musica/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-sissa-music/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pesmusic9946
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4BVWxUi0JK1m94DKhBcGqQ?si=ZHbUEF01SC2uDYtJAqCRRQ