Today we’d like to introduce you to Gaby Montiel.
Gaby, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the world shut down to stop the spread of the disease. I was eleven at the time, stuck at home with my own restlessness. I had always loved music–listening and singing. One day, I watched this TV show where the main character made her own guitar out of cardboard and yarn and played around her neighborhood. Directly after that episode, a strange obsession flooded over me, and I needed to learn how to play this beautiful instrument. I payed closer attention to the guitar pieces in the songs I listened to and went on many long rants about how I loved the sounds and atmosphere the instrument created. On the first Christmas of the pandemic, I received my first guitar, miniature and bought off of Facebook Marketplace. And then came the YouTube videos.
So many of them playing almost every hour of the day. I was invested in this instrument, my only distraction from the ‘nothingness’ that surrounded everyday life. The pain in my fingers was never enough to stop me. After a few months, I learned a few chords, a strum or two. Not very much to work with, but I was driven.
I started to write music. My first couple of songs were, of course, attempts, unfinished projects. But then, the guitar lessons began. I went to a teacher’s home and he taught me songs I wished to play. He guided me to my first bar chord (in which the word ‘help’ was my main vocabulary). A few months later, I attended a webinar. I was in this school program where they provided online talks with a variety of people who were willing to share their wisdom with middle school students. The webinar I attended was that of Victor Lawrence, an astounding cellist. After the meeting was over, my mom urged me to reach out for guidance on my musical journey. Shockingly, he responded!
After that day, my entire musical life changed. Victor Lawrence became my music mentor, guiding me through this wonderous journey and introducing me to so many opportunities and people. One of these people was my passionate guitar teacher (who still teaches me today) Rogerio Piexoto. Somewhere in this explosion of opportunity, I wrote a very important song: Reality. This song has connected with so many people and still stands as my most popular today. My mind was completely blown at how many possibilities opened up for me with that song.
I am honored to have been listed in Music Connection’s 2022 Top 100 Unsigned Artists of the Year, nationally recognized as a soulful singer-songwriter. I perform throughout southern California and has been requested to write and record songs for social advocacy organizations like AwarenessTies and Fear of Return. I was also interviewed for VenturaRocks.com and WishUSA. Finally, I recorded “Reality” (2021), “Red Letter” (2022), and “She” (2023). Excited to release my first album this Summer 2023!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Most of my journey, I’ve had trouble trusting myself. It is easy to be weary of what others will think or if what you do isn’t going to be good enough. Writing music and going through writer’s block is a really tall mountain to climb, especially when everything you create seems unworthy in your eyes. At one point, I realized that I needed to let go of this impossible vision that I will be able to please everyone. The truth is: the only person I ever have to please is myself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve been interviewed by Wish USA and VenturaRocks.com and have had the amazing experience of performing throughout southern California in many beautiful locations. I’ve been requested to write and record songs for social advocacy organizations like AwarenessTies and Fear of Return, which has opened my eyes to the world. I am so excited to be working on an album with my music family of musicians and producers who believe in me. I was invited to sing at Chick’s Singer’s Night coming on April 22nd at The Sound Palace in Oxnard, where I will be performing three originals with a live band and surrounded by talented singers and songwriters! My songs are my truth. I believe that music can only come from the heart, and that is where I draw all of my inspiration. I’m not afraid to ‘overshare’ because we are all part of the same world. Oversharing is incredibly difficult when we are all connected in some way. I think of my songs as journal entries, and the only thing I have ever wished them to become are pieces that my audience can feel and connect to, no matter how many listeners I have.
There are many different projects I am proud of, but what I most admire is the constant fight for my authenticity. I have fought to keep the feeling of truth throughout this entire journey and still have not strayed.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice for working with people is trust. You want to trust the people you are working with to stay true to your needs and journey. The people who support you should understand you, and they should also trust you to know what you need from them. Also, trust in yourself is key. At the end of the day, the one person you can always depend on to fulfill what you want is yourself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabymontielmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuN5c8-zT0Dvq6AxOTWSbIg
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1F3IFodt50a4hQAaTVXJDy
Image Credits
Credit Image Chick Singer Night: The Sound Palace Credit Image: Wish USA
