We recently had the chance to connect with Ana Vázquez-Landeros and have shared our conversation below.
Ana, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I was sitting at a guild screening of the new Springsteen movie at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank when I got a Facebook notification that read “HS Class of 2016 Reunion”. I accidentally let out a loud laugh in the theater because I don’t think my 17-year old self would have believed the places we would venture through in ten years.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a film composer, orchestrator, and arranger currently based in Los Angeles, CA. After a year of working in LA, my career has evolved between writing music for film to collaborating on songwriting for musical theater and arranging for live concerts. I deeply enjoy my work as I frequently get to assume different musical roles between every project. Last month, I was working with my lovely friend Aizhou Hao and arranging strings for her scoring session at the Power Station recording studio in NYC. Before that, I was invited by another friend Jorge Vázquez to help prepare music for Mexican singer Lupita Infante and her concerts with the LA Phil. For that particular job, I got to mesh my childhood upbringing as a mariachi violinist into the classical space of the LA Phil which was a complete dream for me (I originally started my musical journey as a classically trained clarinetist). The privilege to work in places such as an LA Phil rehearsal at Disney Hall to working remotely for a team in NYC is a unique and interesting element I continue to adore in addition to constantly meeting new people in my work.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
I am a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, my parent’s relationship taught me to pursue goals and stand true to values in the face of fear and discrimination. With love and passion deeply integrated in my culture, I see myself as a continuation of their hard work and sacrifices in pursuing the American dream. Although I didn’t come from a musical family, my parent’s immediate support and belief in my goals gave me an understanding of fearlessness in my upbringing. If you feel inclined to listen, I wrote my orchestral score “Perspective of You” as a representation of their life story and how I see my parent’s courage and determination within me and my little brother. Otherwise, words truly fail to describe their influence on me.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I used to think that failing hard defined me and that was the end of it. When I was in college, I had a challenging recording session with many technical difficulties in which I lost control of time and barely managed to get a full take of my music with the orchestra. I felt ashamed because an important visiting artist was sitting in during my session and I was trusted to give the best impression of the film scoring department. When I was done, my plan was to get back in the control room, formally say hello, and quietly sit in the back. As I was ruminating on everything that went wrong, my arm was grabbed pretty hard and I was dragged to the farthest corner of the room. In my shock, I was face to face with Nan Schwartz who gave me a reality check on my work and how to learn from what went wrong. That moment meant the world to me and helped me realize that we must adapt from personal failures in order to grow. Through that experience, Nan extended her friendship and years later I found myself working (completely by chance) in a recording session at Warner Brothers for her arrangement of Moon River with the LAFCI Studio Intensive Orchestra. That hard failure years ago changed my mind and helped me develop into the composer I am today.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Everyone is welcome to the party. As a Mexican-American, I grew up in a community where your neighbor’s grandma’s gardner is invited to the quinceañera and wedding. Family is not defined by who you are related to, instead, it is the people you are surrounded with and I absolutely adore that. I think that value of community influenced my career choice because I find so much joy in a collaborative environment and scoring sessions are my weird version of a party.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Any day that I get to be in a room with an orchestra is my favourite. Recently, the opportunity to join Lupita Infante’s rehearsal with the LA Phil is a part of the process I treasure in my work. In addition to physically preparing music or creating recording plans for scoring sessions, it’s always exciting to hear what you have been working towards come to life through musicians and engineers in the studio. I have “tap danced” to work before despite the intensity and amount of preparation a day can bring.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anavazlanmusic.wixsite.com/mysite
- Instagram: @anavazlanmusic
- Youtube: @anavazlanmusic
- Other: Tiktok: @anavazlanmusic
