To say music is my passion would be an understatement. My first memories – and my best ones – all revolve around music. 

 

As a child, my father would take me to his best friend's violin performances and that’s where I got a taste for the instrument that would later become my obsession. As a shy six year old with an interest in string instruments, my dad signed me up for my first lesson. 

 

To this day, I remember my first class. I remember walking into a house and down a long hallway before walking through the last door on the left. My violin felt bigger than me, and it was fitting that my first lesson was spent learning how to properly hold the instrument. I spent what felt like an eternity with the violin pressed against my chin and the wall. My professor, both encouraging and demanding, became one of the people I admired the most. From that room, I explored the violin and took interest in many other instruments like the piano outside of my lessons. 

 

The exact moment that I fell in love with music was when I was 12. I was listening to a song when suddenly something clicked. The sounds were no longer just sounds, I knew their names and I could truly hear them for the first time. I realized that I could listen to a song and repeat it exactly, with no sheet music or anything! It was when I realized that I had perfect pitch and it deepened my connection with music profoundly. This is when I started to take popular songs and turn them into violin music. 

 

Around that age, my violin teacher advised me to apply for the conservatory. When I got accepted I was over the moon – despite the time commitment of spending my day at school and my afternoon at the conservatory. This allowed me to be surrounded by music even more than my hometown of Maracaibo, Venezuela already had to offer. At 17, I learned to play viola and 3 years later, I got my first job as principal viola in the Orchestra of Zulia State. At the same time, I was training to become a dentist. On the weekends, I played in a quartet.

 

While I was still a bit shy, I felt that performing brought me out of my shell. I went from playing in front of a few people to thousands. I also fell in love with being in front of an audience. It is an unexplainable, priceless satisfaction to get feedback from people listening to you play an instrument. One of the most amazing memories I have was when the orchestra I played for performed in front of 5,000. It was the biggest concert venue in my hometown on my birthday! We performed with a famous salsa player, Gilberto Santa Rosa. Together, he and the orchestra mixed salsa and classical music. It was amazing! With moments like this, my confidence grew and my avenues to express myself did too. I learned to play guitar, ukulele, bass, and more recently I learned that I could sing. 

​

Music has been a constant in my life, and in some cases it has been a guiding force. About sixteen years ago, I talked with a friend after a concert. He studied and lived in Boston for many years. I told him about my career goals, and he suggested that I come to Boston to study and explore its music life. I visited and liked it a lot, so I applied to schools and a year later I moved to the Northeast (without speaking any English). I studied hard, learned English, got through school, and have lived in Boston ever since. I was the first person in my direct family to move to the United States, and it was the best decision. 

 

My life has always been about music — listening, playing, but most of all, performing. Being able to perform at events for people (like you) is the best. I get to share my passion by playing music that you love on a day that is special to you and I couldn’t be more grateful. ​

​