Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sofia Villarreal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sofia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Of course, thank you so much for having me!

I would love to share the story behind a music festival that I started that revolved around the question,

“Can we heal the Earth with Music?”

For a long time, I used to feel really hopeless by trying to save the Earth as a musician. I would think, “What good does playing a song help with climate change?” Then I realized that every role in society has such a crucial part to play, and that musicians and artists have an amazing ability to reach people’s hearts and spread powerful messages in a way that others are open to receiving.

Can we make the process of healing Mother Earth fun, exciting, empowering, and BEAUTIFUL? That’s the kind of change I wanted to be a part of.

Thus, birthed The Start Where We Are Earth Music Festival – a day-long festival that took place September 29th, 2023 at the Boston Common Parkman Bandstand and featured amazing music performances, food, and artist vendors

I strongly believe in the ripple effect and that drastic change starts small. The more we have conversations, create art, and work on projects about what we want to see more of, the greater impact we will have in the world. If we can each individually just focus on being 1% better everyday, making small contributions in every area of our lives, this will lead to sustainable change.

Can we raise the vibration of our planet? Can we heal Mother Earth with music? One person at a time, one moment at a time, one breath at a time? What happens if we try?

Change doesn’t have to feel overwhelming and scary.

Throughout this whole process, it was never a matter of “if” but a matter of “when”. I didn’t care how long it took to make this happen, I just knew that it was possible and that it was only a matter of time before its manifestation. I trusted that it was inevitable.

Sometimes questions are more important than answers.

What if musicians and artists could be a bridge between scientists and the general public? What if we could spread messages of hope and love on such a drastic level – these emotions the Earth needs so much right now to HEAL? I really believe that art has the power to shape the world in this way.

Start Where We Are means to embrace, accept, and enjoy the process of healing Mother Earth.

And so, on Friday, Sept 29th, we celebrated Mother Earth with music at the Boston Common for the first ever Start Where We Are Earth Music Festival. It was a really beautiful event that brought together a really amazing community, and will hopefully be the first of many.

Feel free to check us out on instagram @startwherewearefestival !

Sofia, 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 an upright and electric bass player, producer, composer, and educator. I am passionate about using music as a catalyst for positive change within ourselves and the world. I believe in the healing power of music, and one of my biggest aims is to spread that energy with and away from my instrument.

I prioritize embracing the diversity of music and life by making music through different platforms, with different genres, melding genres, and focusing on finding what feels good. I’m currently finishing my undergraduate degree at Berklee College of Music.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I would tell others to please believe in yourself. Sometimes things take time. Everyone’s journey is different and moves at various speeds. Trust and surrender to the process. Know that you have your whole life to continue this journey, so just enjoy where you’re at. If you really love what you do, you will continue to do this for the rest of your life, and you will only grow and get better. THAT is inevitable. The ONLY thing that will prevent this from happening is if you stop. So just enjoy every stage of the journey, and keep going. Find your connection to a higher power, and trust that you are being divinely guided. Listen for guidance, and trust that what’s meant for you won’t pass by you.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal as a musician is to use music as a source of healing. In everything I play, compose, and every project that I work on, I see the roots of healing grounding me in every step, just like the roots of a tree.

I feel like there is so much toxicity in the world, and it can be easy to get trapped in that (even in small ways). So we need to be very intentional about what it is that we want to cultivate. My aim is to help be an anchor and a light that nourishes the roots of love, abundance, and healing.

I want to empower people and help them see how amazing and capable they are. To remind them of these things so they can take better care of themselves, love their lives, and spread that love to other people, animals, and our planet. Again, this is the power of the ripple effect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://createatx.com/sofia-villarreal/
• Instagram: @sofiavillarrealmusic @startwherewearefestival
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVu-e05TIHCN_DUNUeJdlbA