Meet Elisa González

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elisa González.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Elisa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am from Bogotá, a Colombian city surrounded by the chilly Andean mountains and the home of vibrant colonial history and modern architecture. I was raised in a family with strong and driven women figures who not only taught me the value of my worth, of care and love but paved the way of my musical journey. The women in my family were essentially my main influence due to their passionate love for music. My interest in art and music grew throughout my childhood as I watched my mother fall in love with art and music every single day and as I watched my grandmother sing boleros throughout her days. My journey has been marked by a family who is deeply in love with music and art. That love was instilled in me from my early years and has driven me to where I am today.

Throughout my school years, I was constantly taking voice, guitar and theory lessons in the afternoons after school but during my vocal training in high school, I suffered a vocal injury which took a long time to diagnose and kept me from singing for quite a while. This injury shifted many things in my life but all for the best. I am sure that without this injury I wouldn’t be the singer I am today as it gave me an entirely different perspective towards singing and my body as my instrument.

While dealing with the mystery that is a vocal injury at 17, I realized I wanted to study abroad as I didn’t see myself building a music career in Colombia. After searching non-stop, I decided to move to Los Angeles to go to college and study music. Moving to LA was never in my plans but honestly, it was one of the best decisions of my life. I’ve been here almost five years and living here has given me the opportunity to grow in ways I have never imagined and has given me a place to find myself and my music.

I am finishing my bachelor’s degree in vocal performance right now and my time in school has been crucial to my development not only as a musician but also as a person. I have met the most inspirational, creative and wonderful people while being here and they have been such an important part of my life. They pushed me and helped me become the person and musician that I am today.

I’ve been constantly working with people in and out of school on my own material, on friend’s projects and basically helping others create their own vision. I’ve been part of projects as a lead singer, backup vocalist and session singer and I have been recording and co-writing with several musicians as well. I also discovered my love for teaching by working both as a teacher and coordinator in a non-profit music instruction organization called SLAM! Program.

I’ve been slowly searching for my sound and for the artist I wish to become. I’ve been patiently unlocking my true essence and finding the ways to fill my music with it. Right now, I am allowing myself to get out of my comfort zone, work towards my craft and let my music be a vessel for my stories.

Has it been a smooth road?
I am sure that if you ask any musician, they will tell you they have struggled in some way or another. Being a musician requires to be vulnerable to some extent especially with yourself and I think that is the biggest struggle; to be real and honest with who you are as a musician and to accept that. For me, a career in music is not only a career but it’s a whole life in itself, which is sometimes the most gratifying feeling in the world and other times it feels like you are down a deep hole. This vulnerability that we need to reach as musicians makes the process unexpected and scary at times.

In my journey, one of the things I’ve struggled with the most has been with self-doubt. During my time in school, I have had many moments where I have self-sabotaged because of my own insecurities and the fear of not being perfect. I doubted myself so many times thinking I couldn’t achieve certain things, but it was only me who was standing in the way of achieving them. The idea that everything I did had to be perfect stopped me from excelling in things that I was completely capable of doing. This is something I still struggle with but after realizing that fear didn’t serve me or my music, I have been able to let go of the idea of perfection and accepting who am I Being able to let go of this self-doubt and sense of perfection has allowed me to unlock parts of myself I thought I could never achieve, and it has made me a better musician.

Apart from this, I think I’ve always struggled with my flow of creativity. I consider myself creative as am I indeed an artist but there has been many moments where I feel like I am unable to be musically creative and I struggle with thinking I am not creative enough or that I am unable to be creative at times. However, I’ve learned to be patient with myself and to give me the space I need to be creative. I have learnt to nurture myself into certain moments where I allow myself to open up and find that space where the magic can happen.

I am learning from myself everyday and learning how to tackle my own obstacles. At the end of the day, it is me who stands in my way and it is me who will be able to pave the path that I am searching for. I am slowly learning to be kinder to myself, learning to fully grasp my own capabilities and learning how to transmit all that I have to offer through my music.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a vocalist, singer, songwriter, and performer.

I consider myself a very versatile singer who can mold into various styles depending on the situation however what I love and do most is a mix between RnB, neo-soul, pop, and jazz. During my time in this city, I have been able to explore many different situations and genres. This has allowed me to grow into a well-versed singer and performer which I am grateful for because each situation has taught me a little bit more about my musicianship and my artistry; things I have been able to adapt to my own music and performance.

As of right now, I specialize in both background vocals and session singing. Through many opportunities I’ve had here, I learned the intricacies of vocal harmonies and I fell in love with how vocals can blend and create beautiful layers that can make a difference in a recording, an arrangement or a performance. I’ve been constantly learning about vocal harmonies and I have sung background vocals for several local artists and bands.

I’ve also been working as a session singer for several musicians in different genres like jazz, bossa nova, pop, electronic and minimal house. Most of my session work comes hand in hand with direct collaborations with these musicians where I have been able to also be a co-writer in their songs.

I find pride in my ability to adapt to a musical situation and work through it. I have learned to adapt to many scenarios, some which I have been comfortable in and some others that I haven’t, and I think it has been really important for me to be able to be versatile and be able to adapt easily to any type of situation. I am also proud of my will and work-ethic to make a project succeed and be the best it can be, regardless of the situation. I think that when you commit to a project you should be a vessel to the music even if the circumstances are not ideal for you. To be able to do that and detach your personal ego from the situation is something I find really helpful when working with so many people who all work in different ways. Learning how to read a situation or person and be able to mold into their ways and find a balance is something that I have found to be crucial while working within the music industry.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In these next few years, I see myself working as a professional musician in different areas of the music industry.

I think I mainly see myself being a performing artist as my main focus, meaning I see myself leading my own project, performing and recording my own music. I would like to have a couple EP’s and albums out in the span of 10 years from now and be in a way settled as an accomplished artist of some sort.

However, I don’t see myself only being a performing artist. In the next few years, I would love to keep exploring the world of background vocals and be able to support several and also continue recording and co-writing with many other musicians.

There is also a part of me who sees myself teaching music and I think that will be part of my life at some point. I saw the impact my music teachers had on my artistry and my musical growth and that has inspired me to be able to have that same impact on someone else.

My plans for the future are based on my present path and how I am building my musical journey day by day. Some days it’s easier to decide where I am going and some others it is definitely harder but what I know today is that I am figuring out step by step where I want to go and how I am going to achieve it in my own way.

I am finding new parts of myself as an artist every single day and I am searching for my path as I go with the help of a wonderful network of people that surround me every single day either next to me or miles and miles away from here. Even though I am not completely sure to where I will end up or how things will exactly look in 5-10 years, I know the path I am building feels right and things will keep on blossoming like they have in these past few years.

Contact Info:

• Email: egonzalezbmusic@gmail.com
• Instagram: @egonzalezbmusic
• Facebook: fb.me/egonzalezbmusic

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