Meet Angela Petrilli: Guitarist/Social Media Personality

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

Hi Angela, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
A work life balance is an essential part of running a successful business and being a well rounded human. When I first started managing the daily tasks of running a band, as well as building my online presence as a session guitarist, I worked night and day. I was on my phone constantly. I would diligently check emails, write songs, rehearse with the band, post content on my socials, and by the end of each day, I was drained and tired. I love what I do tremendously, and I was beginning to feel alarmed as I was finding myself depleted on a regular basis. As this was happening, I knew I needed to change my work habits. I began to place restraints on my phone time, and was more conscientious of how my work time was being spent. I started to make lists, and began to prioritize my tasks. As I began to prioritize my work tasks, I found that this had allowed me to also prioritize the things I enjoy doing for myself outside the scope of my work: making time to meditate daily, visualize what success means to me, checking in with myself; it completely changed the way I work and how I feel at the end of each day. I decided to work smarter, not harder, and that has made the biggest difference.

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.
I am a professional guitarist based in Los Angeles, CA. I grew up in a musical household and started playing guitar at the age of nine years old. At thirteen, I began to study guitar with blues guitarist Jimmy Scott. I went to UCLA and received a degree in Communication Studies. During my time at UCLA, I interned at a local record company, and worked with artists including The Bangles, Al Jardine of the Beach Boys, and Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees. In 2013, I founded the band Roses & Cigarettes with Los Angeles singer-songwriter Jenny Pagliaro and released two full length albums. Roses & Cigarettes opened for Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters, Jim Lauderdale, Luther Dickinson, Marc Broussard, The Record Company, Amanda Shires, Elizabeth Cook, Eric Tessmer, and Radney Foster among others. Since 2016, I have been creating guitar videos for my Instagram Channel (@angelapetrillimusic) as well as demoing guitars as host of “Petrilli Picks” on the Norman’s Rare Guitars YouTube Channel. I love to play and perform live, but I also have a great passion for teaching guitar. I have been honored to join legendary guitarist, Jennifer Batten, as an instructor in her “The Guitar Cloud Symposium” an online interactive guitar course. In 2020, I introduced my new band, Angela Petrilli & The Players at the legendary Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, CA. You can check out our performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8dHwSQGdJg

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Here’s how I would play tour guide for a week in Los Angeles: For a Bite to Eat/Drink: 1) Langer’s Deli (Los Angeles): Get the #19. 2) North End Cafe (Manhattan Beach, CA): Out of this world food and great people 3) Ortega 120 (Redondo Beach, CA): My favorite Margarita in LA 4) Hinano’s (Venice, CA): My favorite burger in LA 5) The Old Place (Cornell, CA): Get a steak and take the scenic route to get there. Places to Visit: 1) The Mint LA, The Troubadour, Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles, CA) Catch a show! Support indie venues and indie artists! 2) Pappy & Harriet’s (Pioneertown, CA) One of my favorite places to go in California. Get the BBQ. Stay for a show and enjoy the desert. 3) PCH Drive: (Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks, CA): Start at the Santa Monica Pier, take PCH through Malibu. First stop at Point Dume. Do some hiking. Get back in the car and pull over at El Matador. Walk down to the rocks and climb up to over look the ocean, eat a picnic lunch. Hop back in the car and then check out Leo Carrillo State Beach. Take a canyon road for a while and explore the beautiful canyons. Then grab dinner at The Old Place. 4) The LA Museums: The Getty Museums, LACMA, Natural History Museum, La Brea Tar Pits, The Broad 5) Music Stores: Norman’s Rare Guitars and McCabe’s Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to the amazing folks at Norman’s Rare Guitars (Tarzana, CA) and my friends at The Mint (Los Angeles)! The wonderful people who run these two staples of the Los Angeles music scene care so deeply about the growth and nurturing of up and coming artists. I owe a massive debt of gratitude to these amazing people, as they have been a large part of my story. #saveourstages #supportlocalbusinesses

Website: www.angelapetrillimusic.com

Instagram: @angelapetrillimusic

Twitter: @angelaplaysgtr

Facebook: www.facebook.com/angelapetrillimusic

Youtube: www.youtube.com/angelapetrillimusic

Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8dHwSQGdJg

Image Credits
Photographers: Jen Angkahan, Lauren DiMascio, Rachel Louise Photography