Daily Inspiration: Meet Alessandro Lani

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alessandro Lani.

Hi Alessandro, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am Italian. I was born in Rimini in 1996. I started playing guitar in 2009 at the age of 13. I joined my first band at the age of 16. We used to play in bars and small squares. We started out as a rock/blues band focusing on 70s and 80s music from England and America. After two years we decided to change the style of our music so we started playing Italian pop/rock music.

At the age of 19, I was hired by my teacher to teach guitar in the music school he owns. I taught mostly to beginners. I also joined him in his acoustic duo, which became a trio with me (me and my teacher playing acoustic guitar plus a singer). We used to play pop music, Italian songwriter’s music (mostly from the 70s) and my teacher’s original music. We used to do busking (playing on the streets) and attend contests for original music. We won the prize for best lyrics at the Live Song Festival in Traversetolo (Parma, Italy). Winning this prize led us to open for Federica Carta (famous Italian pop singer). After that, I moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to study guitar at Musicians Institute. I graduated in 2019.

After graduating, I started running an activity as a session musician playing in other artists’ records. I focused on recording sessions because with covid-19, I knew I wouldn’t have had the possibility to play in a live performance. In September, I connected with Leon Sylver III. Former bass player of the family group “The Sylvers” (very active during the 70s) became a producer between the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s. But his Grammy nomination came only in 2010. He made me play a guitar part in Nikkole’s record. Nikkole is a platinum-selling artist who has reached twice the top 10 of the Billboard Dance Music Club charts. I also started a collaboration with hip-hop producer K-Def who worked with many great artists like Puff Daddy and Ghostface Killah. I have other collaborations to come. I also developed a relationship with Koch Amps and I am in the process of filming a promo video for the Studiotone XL head.

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?
No. It hasn’t been a smooth road. When I started in Italy, I was a guitar teacher and a player. The students I had weren’t so many and they weren’t even that good and focused. Some of them came for a couple of lessons and didn’t even come back. With my electric group the gigs went down constantly over the years. With my teacher’s acoustic trio, we used to attend contests. We were kicked out and rejected by almost all of them. When I’ve moved to Los Angeles, I’ve had to change my lifestyle first, and that hasn’t been easy. Then, I’ve had to stay away from my family. But the most challenging thing for me has been socializing, networking and building relationships in a business (music) where these skills are essentials. I still have to improve a lot on this and the fact that I lack in it is causing me some trouble.

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 am a guitar player. I can perform live, I can be a studio players and I can teach guitar. I’m also a songwriter. I write songs for myself mostly but I can write for others as well. I’m not good at lyrics so I focus more on the musical stuff of the song. I’m proud of the things I’ve achieved so far here in L.A. like playing in Nikkole’s record, getting to know her, knowing and working with his producer, working with K-Def. Hoping that other opportunities like that will come. I think that the things that set me apart from the others could be my guitar tone, my versatility. I have also a pretty good pitch and good understanding of my instrument and music in general.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Social media apps have helped me a lot in making myself visible to others. For my work, the internet (especially Google) is essential. I do a lot of artist’s research.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://stereolani.wixsite.com/mysite
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanialessandro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alessandro.lani.5/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOTzq32c-ahRvsFS-fpnMQQ?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Anabel Dflux