Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus “Ritmo” Figueroa.
Marcus, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I first picked up the guitar 10 years ago. Having solidarity in your passion is very important. If you treat it like anything less, it’s just a hobby. I am proud to confidently say that the minute I picked up the guitar and started learning covers of my favorite bands, I knew right then and there that I wanted to do nothing else with my life but to be involved in music professionally.
After being in multiple bands and groups, I had so many ideas for my own songs that were rapidly growing. So I then made the decision to compose and produce for myself. When people would listen to my music at the time, they would always tell me that they can hear them in movies. At that moment is when I decided to compose and produce for TV and film, and or have my compositions placed.
After secluding myself to learn the craft, picking up bass, learning piano, living in Nashville, and now Los Angeles, I am here to pave my own way into the TV and film industry, and to be a session musician for engineers, producers, and artists of all kinds.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My art is very personal to me. The whole reason why I’m in music is for 100% therapy. Despite what people have been through in their lives, no matter how old or how young, music is always the outlet in some way.
Rather than allowing sad, stressful, or hurtful situations overcome me, I am blessed to be able to channel all of my deep emotion into my music. The titles of my music purely reflect the emotion, or feelings I had at the time I was creating a song.
Overall, my main goal in music is to touch my audience on an emotional level. I want my audience to feel every emotion that I felt when I was creating the track that they’re hearing. That is also dominantly why all of the music that I make is instrumental. I make sure that I truly embrace every instrument that I’m using to create these deep, sorrowful, and touching tracks.
If people take anything for my work, I would hope that it would be understanding. I want people to get goosebumps when they hear my music, like I do when I listen to my idols. I want everybody to understand that beauty can come from negativity. I just want everybody to feel my music that I bleed my soul into.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
In the modern world that we live in, when you think you saw it all, something new will always come up and continue to surprise us. I feel like for anybody that is in the Arts in general, it is our duty to bring people peace, happiness, and a sense of comfort.
Whenever I have the chance to really sit down and watch the news, or see what’s going on with the world, I can get a little overwhelmed with what I am seeing, and hearing at times. Bearing witness to certain things definitely still serves as inspiration for me. Knowing that people all over the world are constantly going through stressful or traumatic times, I want to serve as part of that comfort for everyone to help carry on!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Everyone can follow my work on my SoundCloud. SoundCloud is what I have been using to release my music. I have a small but diverse list of tracks posted that definitely has a little something for everybody.
You can follow me on social media to see what I’m getting into musically. I’m constantly playing live sets on Instagram, and posting video clips of everything I’m getting involved into on both Instagram, and Facebook.
IG – @therealritmo
Facebook – www.facebook.com/marcusritmo
The biggest way that people can support me is by simply sharing my music everywhere they can, or just giving it a listen. People taking the time out of their day to listen to what I invest so much of myself in is most satisfying feeling ever. Even if it’s just to stop by and say hi, I’m all for it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soundcloud.com/mritmo
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/therealritmo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcusritmo/
Image Credit:
Victorio Ochoa https://www.instagram.com/_snapavicphotog/
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