Meet Alejandro Montoya | Musician, Singer-songwriter & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alejandro Montoya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alejandro, how do you think about risk?
I need to take a minute and a couple of deep breaths to answer this one. I believe the safest way to think about risk is through the idea of trust. It applies to almost any aspect of my life, and I’d dare to say it even regulates many decisions I make on a daily basis. I wouldn’t be a musician if I didn’t trust that all the risks I took, and continue to take, are leading me to the goals and dreams I’ve set. Risking for me is ultimately accepting and surrendering to trust.

I’m originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and I lived there for twenty years. I was blessed to grow in a family that had the means to support me in my education and I never felt economic hardships growing up. However, the decision to move away from everyone I knew, the comfort of my family, and start my life in Los Angeles by myself has been to this day the riskiest move I ever made. Somehow, I held onto the trust that my path would be forged daily, and I would eventually find a way to live and breathe my aspirations as a musician. Taking risks shaped me up. It taught me about failure, too. And through failure I learned my lessons, I prioritized, and understood how resilient I am.

Los Angeles is a risk-taking, challenging, competitive city, and it feels fast. It is easy to lose focus and get lost. I certainly took different paths while establishing my career as a singer-songwriter, musician, and music teacher in this city. I think through trust is when I understood that it’s not meant to be linear, and that it’s okay if I fail and find another way to get to where I want to go.

Risks brought me to this city, introduced me to the most wonderful professional and personal relationships, opened doors to communities of artists of many backgrounds, and allowed me to fall onto job opportunities that have shaped me as the artist I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It feels kind of surreal to feel that this is perhaps the most exciting moment of my career so far. I am about to release the first single as a solo artist of my debut EP. Simultaneously, a lot of the excitement right now comes from teaching. I’m discovering music and my love for it through the eyes of my students from different backgrounds and ages. I am inspired by their passion and the joy and comfort it brings to anyone, no matter who they are.

After this past ridiculously challenging years globally, my creativity hit a wall. Not only that, but my personal life entered this dark hole, where I was ultimately faced with the heaviness I’ve carried throughout my life, and forced to prioritize my mental health so I could keep going. I felt deeply disconnected from my family and my friends, which impacted every other aspect of my life. Through wonderful resources, I got answers to those life-stopping questions, rebuilt myself, and started to journal again. I penned down stories about how the days morphed into weeks, months, and years. The hardships of isolation. Love in the middle of loneliness. The rebirth of myself as an artist, and beginning again as a person. I managed to understand that this type of story-telling, the one that holds onto metaphors and dives deep into emotion is my brand as an artist. I’ve never felt more like a songwriter than I’ve felt during these past months. I managed to reconnect with some of my friends and producers and gave new life to the songs I wrote alone.

I would like the world to hold onto the idea of risk as trust, and art as truth.

The first single of the EP is titled “Breathe Again” and it will be released on April 15th. It’s a story about love through the eyes of anxiety, or through the feeling of desperation and sadness. The “Prologue” EP will be released at the end of April.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to my favorite hidden cove in Malibu. I love nature. I grew up surrounded by mountains so my go-to is always that. Los Angeles offers different options when it comes to going around mountains, so I’d definitely take them to the local hikes: from Runyon Canyon, Griffith Park, and the Hollywood Sign, to the trails in Temescal Canyon, and Franklin Canyon. The peaceful hiking spot in the Hollywood Reservoir is a favorite spot of mine.

My job is in the Silver Lake area, so after the nature spots, we’d go to some local places around Silver Lake and Echo Park. We’d drive back to Mulholland Drive, catch a view of the city, and probably dine someplace in between North Hollywood and Studio City. I’d also make time for The Last Bookstore in Downtown, catch a show at The Troubadour, and end up with a concert of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to Alexandra Domingo: my vocal coach, mentor, and friend. In the past years she has not only help me shape my voice and musicianship, but has been a rock and guide through my career and life in Los Angeles. She is a dedicated educator, committed to her work, and a passionate advocate and loving supporter in her community. I admire her so much, and am very grateful for instilling in me knowledge, the idea that when we love we love fully, and for supporting me since the day I met her.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amontoyamusic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amontoyamusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amontoyamorales/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-oJQ_LfHti8PFJXD7-WodA

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alejandromontoyamusic

Image Credits
Peter Kim Abraham Matias SCM