Today we’d like to introduce you to Julio Mendoza.
Hi Julio, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My name is Julio Mateus Mendoza, I’m from Guarulhos, Brazil and I moved to Los Angeles when I was 24 years old to pursue a career in the music business.
But my story starts way before that, when I was a kid, I have early memories of being in the car with my dad, and he would listen to the best music, from Michael Jackson and Luis Miguel to Aerosmith and Guns N Roses. At the age of 10, I suddenly asked my parents for a Guitar, and they got me only for Christmas that year.
I was 10 years old when I started playing, from there I started taking music lessons, at the age of 14 I was already playing local clubs, and between 16 and 24 I had all kinds of experiences from touring the country, to recording and releasing albums with several bands, playing with international acts and so forth.
That period, I also went to college for Social Communication, where I fell in love with Production. Learning how the things we would watch and hear were actually created and how there was an entire crew working to make a concert happen was something that fascinated me; putting in a cooking metaphor, I didn’t want to eat the food only but also to go to the kitchen and learned how the food was made.
With that in mind, I started offering video and photography production services for friends and artists with whom I shared a network within the music industry around me, including my own band and personal brand.
At the age of 24, I felt the need for expansion, so I came to Los Angeles to study music at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood to learn more about the scene and be around the people and the industry that inspired me so much growing up.
Combining my music skills with production skills, I was able to work, collaborate, and learn from multiple artists and groups I’ve worked with in the city, from small independent acts to bigger productions. Until I was found by a company called Pickup Music, that has around a million followers on its Instagram platform and sub-brands combined. They’re an educational music platform that teaches guitar, and I joined their team as their Video Production manager.
At the age of 31 now I’m still living in Los Angeles, working at Pickupmusic as a Production director and is very inspiring and such a blessing for me to be able to turn my childhood dream into an actual livelyhood.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There were struggles for sure, mostly on the financial side. My family comes from a very normal background, and for one of us or someone in the city where I was born to be in the US, especially in Los Angeles, which is one of the most expensive cities in the country, is a big deal. I always had faith in my journey and respect for my family, so I know how hard they fought and still fight for me to able to have this opportunity.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a production director in a company called Pickup Music. It’s a music learning platform that teaches guitar, bass, music theory and so forth. Our teachers are A-class Los Angeles musicians who play with major American acts such as John Mayer, Olivia Rodrigo, and Jason Mraz, just to name a few.
I oversee all the production aspects of our lessons, such as set design, scripting, video shoots, editing, creative and social media, marketing, and so forth.
Growing up I used to watch a lot of guitar instructional videos (it used to be VHS back in the day lol) – and those were all made and produced here in Los Angeles with LA Musicians, and now, to be here producing the same type of content with such talented people is very inspiring and special to me.
On my spare time I’ve been doing some guitar instrumental music, something that always helps me remember why and how everything started for me. So, I have a small team that helps me produce and record my own tracks that I release on social media every 3 or 4 months.
How do you define success?
I think the definition of success is a very personal thing for everyone, but for me, as more time goes by, it became less of a goal-oriented journey and more of a health matter; my family to be healthy and to be able to wake up every day and perform in life. That’s real success for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: juliomendozamusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1u2eKVfXuOmb413caIgL4l?si=D03dMBHxR–UBPW7dUwVCQ
Image Credits
Alexandre Magno
