Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Estrella.
Andy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been around music all my life. In my childhood, I was constantly listening to the music of my parents, whether it was my mother’s disco records or my father’s smooth jazz albums. At the age of 13, I picked up a guitar for the first time, and I’ve been hooked since. During my teens, I researched the lives of my heroes and found that many of them attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Naturally, I knew that I wanted to have the same formative educational experience they all went through. After years of practicing and honing my craft, I got to attend the College slightly later in life. Graduating from Berklee led me to move to LA to start my music career, and this is the life where I, fortunately, find myself today.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey that took me to where I am now wasn’t always easy. I had to spend countless hours working on improving on my instrument with and without instructors. Practicing alone is never easy because not having a more experienced set of eyes to steer you in the right direction prolongs the process. This is why I’m eternally grateful to all of my instructors for providing me with the tools to better myself. There were also logistical challenges that I had to surmount when I moved to the US. I’m thankful to the friends and family who facilitated my move. My life would have been significantly more difficult without them.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a guitar player, I’ve had the chance to work on some music for sync licensing opportunities. I’ve gotten a glimpse of what it’s like to work with other forms of media that cater to a wide audience. I’ve been able to write and record pieces of music for these projects that I’m proud of. I’ve also written and released an EP with my progressive metal band, Lacedaemon. I worked on these songs with some dear friends of mine, and we are all so proud of it. Lastly, I’ve recently started teaching guitar and music theory privately again after a three-year hiatus. I’m impassioned by working with students of all backgrounds and levels and coming up with unique lessons for each of them, depending on their goals.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The two things I like best about LA is the laid-back atmosphere and the warmer climate. These were very welcome changes when I moved here from Boston. I also found the liveliness of the city to be refreshing. There’s always something interesting to see or do at all times. The thing I like the least is that there seems to always be a lot of traffic on 101, no matter the day of the week. However, this is a minor issue compared to all the good things the city has.
Pricing:
- Guitar/Music Theory lessons $70/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: andyestrella.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyetoile4/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conrado-andrew-iv-estrella-417424154/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/58Ll0qFvcVFF8R7OkGhms0?si=YBe8qbQ2QUqESvQnZ3OHAQ
Image Credits
Timothy Mah
Speeve Kayne
Asher Thomas
