Daily Inspiration: Meet Amanda Mora

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Mora.

Hi Amanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey as a musician started when I was in 4th grade! I had tried a bunch of different instruments before finally landing on trombone once I had gotten to 6th grade. At the time, my band director had incentivised me that if I gave trombone a shot, she’d put me in the jazz band (which was where all the cool kids in band were). I ended up continuing to play throughout middle school and high school in every single ensemble that was offered. Along the way, I met a retired band director who took me under his wing and helped to get me established in the music scene of the small cities of La Verne and San Dimas where I grew up (shout out the late Ed Wolfe!). I spent many hours as his mentee, taking private lessons from him, playing in his professional groups, and befriending lots of musicians along the way. It was during this time that I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Jazz trombone performance. Although I got into my dream school in New York, Covid changed up my plans, and I ended up starting my degree at a Cal State in 2020.

During my time in college, I got my first real exposure in the LA music scene by working as a keyboard tech for the amazing Brandon Coleman. While working for Brandon, I was getting a foot in the door to all of the coolest venues, studios, and connections in the city at a very young age. Eventually, he found out that I was actually a trombone player and graciously encouraged me to sit in and occasionally share the stage with him at his shows. It was during moments like these that I felt like I really learned the most about how to listen and contribute to the music as a horn player. Many opportunities arose from this, including getting to share the stage with giants like Kamasi Washington, but Ryan Porter really became a guiding figure for me during this time, may he rest in peace.

Before my time in college was up, my network of friends and colleagues in the SoCal area had really started to expand. I received referrals to start my first teaching job – teaching classes with The Harmony Project, consistent gigs such as performing at SeaWorld and Six Flags, and even landed a spot in the horn section of a world tour! I learned quickly from the start that relationships and reputations are very heavy in this industry. It is a blessing to have had the trust of so many people to refer opportunities to me, no matter how big or small.

Once I graduated college in 2024, things started moving rapidly for me. I was called by my friend Carlo Rabano to play an international tour with a rock band from the Philippines named Rivermaya – I didn’t even have a passport! Traveling through different countries with different languages, amongst a band and crew who also spoke a language foreign to me was a little trying at times, but an absolutely incredible experience nonetheless. It was never in my wildest dreams that I’d play on sold out shows in front of thousands of people, in historic venues like Madison Square Garden, The Greek Theater, or The Coca-Cola Arena, while sharing a stage with literal rockstars. I still get chills thinking about it! Shoutout everyone in Rivermaya, the crew, and Live Nation for this incredible experience.

Following the tour, opportunities continued to arise at a consistent pace. I’ve had the incredible honor of playing frequently in stadiums, arenas, internationally, viral youtube channels, and on a wide variety of stages across the US with multiple different groups, including my own. Some of these groups most recently include Angel City FC’s first ever house band – Ritmo del Sol with a residency at BMO stadium, Southside Symphony where we’ve performed at the Crypto.com Arena and Segerstrom Center for the Arts, leading my own group The BlackBerry Project at The Music Center plaza in Downtown LA, and leading a group for the viral The Kevin Langue Show on YouTube and Netflix.

With the consistency of playing opportunities coupled with teaching music classes at multiple different schools and programs, I was able to move myself out to my own spot in Hollywood earlier this year! Following the move, even more opportunities began to arise out of sheer proximity, which is how I knew taking the leap of faith to the big city was worth it.

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?
Being a woman in a field as male dominated as the music scene and industry, it comes with a lot of hoops to jump through. There have been, no joke, hundreds of situations, interactions, double standards, and expectations placed on myself by those in the music scene, that would not have been put on my male counterparts. Unfortunately, this is a common experience for many women in the industry, which makes it unnecessarily difficult to do what we were hired to do: make music. However, I am so thankful to have a large support system of friends and colleagues who have helped me navigate these situations carefully and professionally.

These struggles in particular led me to starting my own group, The BlackBerry Project, in search of an outlet and community. The BlackBerry Project started as an all woman and gender inclusive big band, and has since started to include small group performances as well. My goal when starting the group was to have a place where everyone was able to walk into a room and feel completely safe, respected, free to express themselves, and be met with complete equality. It is my hope that people who hear the band, would also realize that women instrumentalists can and do sound as good as everyone else. I hope to inspire the next generation of young women instrumentalists as well, and for them to see that they too can have a seat at the table in this industry. The energy that is in the air of our performances and rehearsals together is unlike anything I’ve experienced before; it’s turned what sometimes feels like a path of being misunderstood and isolation, into something that leaves me feeling inspired every time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I like to consider myself a creative, who specializes in music. My work mainly consists of playing trombone in horn and ensemble sections, recording sessions, teaching, arranging music, and putting groups and events together. I’ve really enjoyed the few experiences that I’ve had as a contractor as well, because I love being able to call friends and offer them an opportunity! If you were to do a deep dive on my background, you’d also find that I’ve been a model for brands like Suavecita, Suavecito, Cerveza Cito, etc. as well as some minor acting roles and appearances in music videos and YouTube channels like Jubilee.

Being a musician is definitely what I’ve become most known for. At my core, I’ll always give whatever the situation might be my best effort, regardless of if it’s a high profile gig, or a small project for a friend. As I’ve become more experienced in this field, I’ve found myself caring about the integrity of the music a lot. If there is one quality that I would want in others, it would be to really care about how the music is being played, so I try my best to possess and embody that myself. At the end of the day, this art form is a spiritual, healing, creative effort, that deserves just as much respect from the listener as the player. I believe that approaching my performance and mindset in this way is evident, and has set me apart from others.

I’m most proud of my all woman big band The BlackBerry Project. There was a time where I would talk about creating it with others, and dream of what it would be like, but it took a very long time to finally execute on my own. Although I’m still trying to figure out how to run a group with so many people and logistics as efficiently as possible, I’m gratified to have finally put it into action. It also brings me a lot of pride knowing that the community recognizes it in the way that I had intended as well; a group meant to empower and uplift women. Creating something bigger than myself to introduce to the music community has easily been the top highlight of my music career.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
First and foremost, I have to credit the Los Angeles music scene for my success. I’ve experienced so much love and support from numerous people who believed in me and saw something in me before I even saw anything in myself. To these people, I have endless gratitude for referring me to gigs, job opportunities, giving motivational speeches, gifting/ lending gear, and only asking that I pay it forward in return.

These days, I’ve been focused on connecting with my Mexican American heritage. After moving to Los Angeles earlier this year, I felt empowered to figure out how to embrace and celebrate my culture in a way that is unique to me. Playing latin music, learning how to dance, improving my Spanish, and working on my faith have helped me to show up as the most complete version of myself.

I think one of the characteristics that I’ve had that’s contributed most to my success, is keeping an open mind. If the gig sucked, at least I got experience playing that music and maybe a connection there will turn into something down the line. If I’m being hypercritical of the way I played that day, maybe it was enough for the ears that it needed to reach. And of course celebrating the wins as they come too!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandanmora/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.mora.252137/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-mora-70509b2b4
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amandanmora

Image Credits
Tim Blackman II
Will Yang
Vanessa Vendiola