Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Alvarez.
Jeremy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I picked up the trumpet in 5th grade. Not only was it fun but it got me out of math class. I owe everything to my first teacher Pete Gamber who didn’t burden my head with technical info but showed me how to love music. Once I discovered this love, I started to seek out ways to get better and better. In Upland California, which is where I grew up, my high school jazz band was quite competitive. We played at numerous jazz festivals under the direction of Marc Capalbo. The festival that changed my life was the Monterey Jazz Festival. After we performed, a man named Michael Miller approached me and asked if I would be interested in auditioning for Berklee College of Music. So right there on the spot, I did an audition. My chops were pretty dead so I don’t know how but I got through it. A few weeks later, I received an email saying that Berklee would not only like to accept me into the college but grant me the Jimmy Lyons scholarship which is a full-tuition scholarship given to one musician on the West Coast. I really couldn’t believe it. I went into Berklee looking to be a jazz trumpet player and instead I came out a musician loving all styles of music. I experienced so many different cultures through the different types of people I met and through traveling to different countries during music tours. I came back to SoCal a completely changed person and today I’m making music and playing gigs of all different genres and styles.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have the greatest parents in the world. Without them, nothing I did would have been possible. The problem with having the greatest parents in the world is that when you leave them and find yourself in a completely different environment, you struggle. It’s inevitable. You don’t know how good you have it until you’re on your own. There’s a point where it hits you and you’re like wow I’m really doing this. This is real. For me, the struggle was trying to find my artistry and perfect my craft, away from home and in a new environment. It’s hard enough to go through the musical struggle that we all have to go through in order to be the best we can be. It’s even harder doing it away from home, from the people you love and have spent your whole life with. It makes you grow up real fast and it can be mentally tough. Once you come out the other end though, because the only way is through, you are so glad that you had that struggle and were forced out of your comfort zone. It has only made me stronger, smarter and tougher. It got me ready to take on the world.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I love working with artists and people who make original music. I want to work with people who are moving the torch forward and who are pushing to create new sounds, new types of music. Yes, I have spent the past eight years or so working toward being a great trumpet player so I can play in most commercial music settings. That’s where most of the well paying work is but my love for music lies in creativity and originality. I love working one on one with producers and playing as a sideman for different artists as well as bands. I pride myself on being a creative person but also being able to buckle down and take on very different musical situations. So I guess the thing that sets me apart is my diversity as a trumpet player, songwriter and creator. You can call me to play a wedding gig one day, the next day I might have classical church gig and then in the morning I’m creating new music and sounds with an artist or producer. Being diverse and creative are two things that I have always strived for and in this day and age it certainly helps a lot.
What were you like growing up?
I was a really happy and curious kid. I always loved making new things. I loved legos, Minecraft, music, making songs on the piano. I also played sports. Until I started getting more serious with music, I was really into basketball and I still love playing today. I loved it when people would listen to me play music, it made me feel special.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 909-732-6252
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008727518978
Image Credit:
Dai Ngo
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