Daily Inspiration: Meet Irene Diaz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Irene Diaz.

Hi Irene, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I was 7 when I first started learning piano. My parents took us to church every Sunday, and there was a girl who started learning piano from a teacher in Eagle Rock, CA. I don’t remember if my parents asked me if I wanted to take lessons or if I told them I wanted to, but I did know I wanted to. I was this petite girl who couldn’t even reach the pedals or stretch my hands out an entire octave; it’s still a stretch to this day. As the years went by, I became bored with practicing and started creating my own on the piano. That was when I realized I wanted to be a composer, and at that time, I had more in mind a composer for film. One summer, I picked up my dad’s guitar and started messing around; he saw that and would leave me drawings of chords. I started practicing, and then I eventually started teaching myself to sing and play with guitar. At the time my parents were going through a divorce, and I suspect writing music was a way for me to cope with the energy in the house. I ended up going to college out of high school and couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to major in. I took music classes, but it was so technical, and looking back I could have majored in music, but I took what I needed from these classes to continue creating my own pieces and songs. By 23, I still hadn’t figured out school, so I decided to go full-time with music. I started by playing open mics in Los Angeles and eventually found my way into the Chicano music scene with artists such as Las Cafeteras and La Santa Cecilia. By 2013 I released my first EP titled “I Love You Madly” inspired by artists such as Nina Simone, Billie Holiday etc. and it garnered attention from Alt. Latino NPR music. This EP was self-produced and because it was self-produced, I wanted to work with a producer for my next project. The manager I had at the time worked with Carla Morrison and suggested working with her. In 2016, she reached out, and we met in Mexico City. I began the process of working with her and her producers for my first full-length album. I was very open to the possibilities of where this album could go. It was quite the experience working in Mexico City Day in and day out, watching the producers build my songs from scratch, searching for sounds on Ableton, and restructuring the songs. I’m grateful for this experience because it really showed me parts of myself, I needed to work on, from my voice to what type of artist I wanted to be. This album became pop, a genre I hadn’t explored, and I definitely gave it a try. Performing out, I had to learn how to use backing tracks along with my wife Carolyn Cardoza, who performs along with me. We both had to learn the ins and outs of Ableton, whereas before when we would perform live together, it was just me on piano and vocals and her on ukulele. In 2022, I released the album, “Lovers & Friends”. I went on a 3-week southwestern tour opening shows for Carla Morrison in the spring of 2022. Performing the album was an amazing experience, but I felt the pressure to fit the role of a pop artist, and I realized I had reached a tipping point. Last year I made some major changes in my career, I went back to writing solely on piano and started performing solo shows. It really feels like I’ve come full circle because now I am looking to self-produce my next project with all the knowledge and experience I’ve gained. I’m also going back to a rawness that I missed by creating a pop album, I’ve even began exploring more improvisation on piano. I’m excited to see where this next project takes me as I’m more aware of what sound I gravitate towards and who I am as an artist. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say there have been many learning experiences. It takes a lot of resilience and awareness to be doing music professionally. You realize how important it is to be well-rounded as a person, from making sure you get the proper exercise to having either a life coach or therapist. When I first started doing music professionally, I was struggling with a lot of anxiety, and I never thought or knew I should take the time to look at it. It affected how I handled certain relationships and decisions with music. I went to therapy for the first time in 2018 and left, finding out I hadn’t processed a lot of the effects my parents’ divorce had on my mental health. Currently, I have a life coach who is helping me find my roadblocks. You can’t do it alone. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write love songs on piano and guitar. The style I gravitate towards is soulful, cinematic, and nostalgic. What I am most proud of is that I’m starting to teach piano and vocals; it’s exciting to be part of someone’s growth in music. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Be patient and patient. If you don’t know who you are as an artist, try different things and be ready to fail gracefully. Be knowledgeable about contracts, distributing your own music, all the behind the scenes that goes into releasing music. Every experience is a learning opportunity, “good” or “bad.” Do everything on your own to the best you can before you work with someone, and when you do be transparent and aware of your relationship, have things down in writing so there is no confusion. Make friends, have fun, be business savvy. When you start making money, write everything off as you are self-employed now and can save on tax season. Keep learning your craft and practice every day. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.irenediazofficial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irenediaz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irenediazmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@IreneDiazMusic
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/irenediazmusic

Image Credits
Carolyn Cardoza