Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Ariza.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Juan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Music has been the center point of my life since receiving my first guitar at the age of eleven. Obsessed with music from acts like Miles Davis to Metallica, I couldn’t get enough. I was determined to cement myself among the greatest and strive to create a unique and timeless sound as a composer, artist, and producer.
Before moving to Los Angeles, I attended Berklee College of Music, where I graduated Summa Cum Laudge in the Contemporary Writing and Production program. While attending school, I had the opportunity to play guitar for incredible musicians like Miguel Atwood Ferguson, Aloe Blacc, Chris Turner, Bilal, Kirby Lauryen, Brett Heart, Ray Greene, and Lenny Pickett. This awarded me the opportunity to perform shows internationally in places like Morocco and Romania.
Immediately after graduation, I came to LA, where I began composing music for TV commercials, producing for other artists, and focusing on my career. Since being in LA, I have had the pleasure to work with artists like Sandra Crouch and Philip Lassiter. I also had the honor of playing guitar and piano on Julia Micheal’s newest project, “Inner Monologue.”
Now, my focus is developing other acts, my own music, and sound, and working with and learning from more incredible musicians; forever honing my craft!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s never smooth, but it has always been a journey I wouldn’t trade for anything. The biggest struggle has been keeping my work visa in order to stay in Los Angeles. It’s the biggest reason I why I work so much. I love LA and don’t want to leave. I also believe that the life of a musician in LA is an emotional rollercoaster. A lot of self-awareness, ego-battles, and desire to get better happen all at the same time. It’s a bit emotionally draining, but all worth it in the end.
What else should our readers know?
My specialty is being able to translate the vision of artists around me into a concrete and honest audible representation. As a producer, it is my job to bring their feelings, emotion, aesthetic and vision to life. I love doing that. I believe the biggest thing that sets me apart is the fact that I’m not really precious about anything and that I can manage to switch gears on ideas very quickly.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always a curious kid. Constantly tinkering but when I received that first guitar at age 11, I became obsessed and hyper-focused. It was all I wanted to do all the time. Listen to music and play guitar, that’s all there ever was.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicariza/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/carrenojuan
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hfAjEKTAFTmJvGQCGTED5?si=9ZbYVAIwRxiFQR52wb5IqA
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