MY STORY

I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela's capital city. My parents tell me that I used to get all my mom's pans from the kitchen and hit them with wooden spoons. Soon after that my parents put me in drum lessons around the age of 5 and I never looked back. I always used to admire the drummer at my grandpa's church where I grew up. He was blind, but an incredible drummer. 

I stuck with drums, and my parents bought me my first drum set when I was around 10 years old. As I progressed into my teenagers and grew as a drummer, I began getting opportunities to play drums in churches and gigs. I practiced at least 2 hours a day after school while my other friends were playing soccer and video games. Since I started playing drums, I always knew I wanted to be a drummer when I grew up. That love grew and grew, and as I progressed in my music and in age, that desire continued.

But devoting myself to the drums didn't always go over well with my family. Sometimes I would argue with my parents because they wanted me to pursue other career paths. And my parents had a good reason - my dad is a ENT doctor and my mom is a speech therapists. It was hard for them to grapple with the fact that their son wanted to be an artist, a musician. They wanted me to pursue a 'normal' career. Things weren't easy in Venezuela, the economic and political situation got worse as I was growing up in Venezuela. If people can't pay for food, why would they pay a live musician? Or to go to a live concert? My career options weren't looking good as a professional musician.

But my dad surprised me one day. He came to my room with a ticket to Mexico City, and told me he found a music school in the city where I could take my music skills to the next level and begin developing myself as a producer and recording engineer as well as a drummer.

I spent a great year in Mexico City at the SAE Institute. But as the economic situation got worse in Venezuela, I was unable to continue my studies and I returned home to Caracas, disappointed and frustrated. 

It took me awhile to get back on my feet after I got home. But then a great opportunity was presented to me - I met the owner of a studio that wasn't being fully utilized. He was about to close down the studio. But after convincing him that it wasn't a good idea and that I could help him revive the studio, we reopened it together, as business partners.

That's where I created the studio named Stage III Studios. That's where I fell in love with being a mix and recording engineer. That's where I cut my teeth in music production, producing and recording music all day and all night. Meanwhile, the situation in Venezuela got worse, to an unlivable point.

For me in particular, as someone who opposed the socialist government, had voted against the current leader, and even participated in social media and in person protests, living in Caracas became impossible and dangerous. I knew I needed to leave, and fast. 

As a musician, I had begun to hear about a city called Nashville, Tennessee - Music City. I decided to visit Miami and then Nashville to see what was going on. During my visit, the situation got even worse. I heard that I was being specifically targeted and I feared for my life.

I felt the only option was to stay in Nashville and apply for political asylum and see if it would be possible to make a new life here. I knew it would be a hard road - I had no idea quite HOW difficult it would be. But I knew God would be with me and that as a musician, being in Music City had to count for something.

But where to start? I went back to the place where I had always loved playing drums - the church. I volunteered at many area churches (mostly small, Spanish-speaking) as I made friends and connections here. But it wasn't easy. The first two years I was almost ready to give up. Even though I was in Music City, I was no one. I had no music connections, no opportunities. I was far away from my family and couldn't go home. 

I tried to connect with as many local artists that had been in Nashville for a longer time that I had. I started playing gigs with them and recording small projects with them. Doors slowly began to open as I got an opportunity to record, do live gigs, and return to what I love doing. It was so difficult, but I counted even a small opportunity as confirmation that I should keep going.

Then, the pandemic year. 2020 changed everything for me. I felt that a lot of things were going to change, I just had no idea what. 

I had found a church home where I was getting to do live sound and play the drums. I was finally able to work a steady job and have some financial security. I also met the woman, Jenaye, I would marry a year later and our relationship blossomed even during quarantine. She didn't let me quit music, even when things were so difficult making money from music in 2020. She came into my life and pushed me to continue chasing my dreams, even when it seemed impossible.

We got married in May of 2021 and it was a fresh start in so many ways. My family came to visit from Caracas. We moved into a new home where I finally had the space to set up a residential recording studio that Jenaye and I have been building together. In 2022, we launched our music business, Nomad Music Collective, LLC.

I've learned that the right opportunity always comes at the right moment, even when you least expect it. I've learned that you need people around you that won't let you give up on your dream. Jenaye did this for me, and I've done this for some of my other friends who were ready to give up their dream.