From: Valencia, Spain
Age: 27
Instrument: French
Horn/Orchestrator/Arranger/Composer
Job Title: Freelancer in all fields listed above in US, Turkey and Spain
Favorite Drink: Cappuccino and Mocha
"I left my family and friends in Valencia and moved to a different country, and I had to learn a whole new language and way of speaking. I struggle with living here, visas, immigration stuff, finances, and sometimes I think, “is it worth all the trouble I’m going through, to have left those I love?” I get work, I’m happy, and I love what I do, but sometimes I feel like I should be doing better. I left everything and music is what I’m working for. But, I only think these things when I am being melancholy. My overall experience has been so positive, just sometimes, I am a little melancholy. It’s the only struggle I can think of, but then again it’s not really a struggle. I can sum it up as we always would like more, but we should be happy and thankful on some level because this life is worth it, absolutely."
Advice to others: "I don’t know if I can give any advice to anyone, honestly. I’m still getting there, and it’s a ‘there’ that I don’t know enough about. But, sometimes things just work out by themselves. I started out as a performer, but my life turned a little because when I was studying at Berklee in Boston, I had no idea that I was going to live in Los Angeles a few years later working as a composer, orchestrator and arranger. I had no idea. Sometimes we like to try and shape things our way because we want to do certain things, but sometimes there are things that make us change our paths, and we should let go and see what becomes of those things. If you had asked me this 5 years ago, I had no idea how I was going to do it. When I first moved to LA I didn’t know anybody and had no work. Now I have a few good friends, I’m starting to know more people, I have work, I can’t complain. Things just work out. I wish I had a secret formula to do well and be happy, but, you never know where life will bring you and how it will bring you there. You have to be open to anything."
Life Mantra: (In Catalan) "Sóc forta física i mentalment, i no necessite a ningú per a aconseguir el que vull. Sóc jo la que ho ha d'aconseguir. Ningú ho farà per mi."
Translation: I am strong physically and mentally, and I don't need anyone to get what I want. I am the one who has to get it, because no one will do it for me.
How do you define success? Do you think inspiration and motivation are needed to be successful?: "Yes. To be successful, for me, is to be happy with what you’re doing, and I think that’s a very universal feeling. For example, right now I like what I’m doing and I’m doing what I like, which is very important. I would consider myself sort of successful where I am right now because I see how far I’ve come this year and I enjoy what I do and I am happy. But there are different stages of being successful. You can be successful now, but it doesn’t mean that it’s your highest level of success in your life. I know that I want to get to a different point that’s higher professionally. People have to be motivated to want to achieve goals, and if you have no goals, in my opinion, people are not going to be very successful. Success is not black or white, it’s not on or off. Success is a huge palette of colors that happens in the past, it happens in the present, and it can happen in the future."