We had the good fortune of connecting with cruz anthony herrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi cruz anthony, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always felt a connection to music. I was formally encouraged to perform live when my mother was diagnosed with cancer, that led to musicians in my school community to engage me in music for a positive focus while my mom was in treatment.

Before I knew it, I was the drummer/percussionist for the school choir then I was creating music for the school plays. The musical director Robin Shelnut kept me very busy in middle school creating music with drums and percussion for the productions. Then in high school while playing for the high school jazz band the director asked me if I could go to play in college with the Jazz big band. Professor Leon Matalon opened the door to big band jazz and college for me and I never looked back! I had always been a writer but now I am writing songs and spoken word. During the pandemic my spoken word was showcased and has been performed at local festivals, but music just seemed to become my path.
I started acting as another form of art. Acting has led to wonderful opportunities. The last short film I acted in led to the opportunity to play percussion on the soundtrack for the film.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My greatest joy is creating and performing music and spoken word. I am primarily a jazz , Latin jazz drummer/percussionist but when I get the opportunity to jam on other genres it is very satisfying. I have been performing since I was 14. My approach has been saying YES to everything! I have found in every gig I learn something and grow as a musician. I spent (and still do) many hours practicing and learning, honing my craft. At first it was hard to have older musicians accept me as part of the bands but once they let me play and understood I truly loved jazz music I was accepted. I learned early on from a mentor to give each performance your all. Whether it is a crowd of 5 or 100 I give each performance one hundred percent; it is the joy I find sharing music with the audience and making a connection that keeps me going.

From an early age my mother taught me to give back and help people. Community service has always been part of who I am, so I created the AV Jazz Project. We are a group of musicians who perform at non-profit functions, although I just started it, we have already played for some organizations with more requests coming. I play with several bands and through that have seen some amazing places and performed at important cultural city events. I teach drums to a local nonprofit drumline; Universal Unique Drill Team and Drum Squad It makes me happy to see that my musical efforts are put back into the community. Traveling with the drum squad opened the door to see some amazing gospel performers and now I am a huge fan. Ultimately after college I wany to bring jazz music programs back to my hometown for the underserved youth. I want the kids to see jazz music as I do, a thing of great beauty. I was one of the lucky ones through fate to have mentors and I want to pay those blessings back by providing more opportunities for the youth.
I am working on the release of my spoken word and continue to write music with the goal of releasing some of my music in 2024.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite city places are of course music venues. If I could have a day to just be I would visit some historic places where the musicians I like have played or lived. Then I would go to a nice dinner and show at my favorite venue the Catalina Jazz club. I am a competitive swimmer so I would squeeze some ocean time in. I grew up swimming in the ocean so next to music I enjoy going to the beach with people.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been fortunate to have caring music teachers, people who have inspired and supported me along my path. Lonnie Silva from Blacklist9 met me on a movie set over three years ago. We discovered we were both drummers, he has been a huge influence and he and his band gave me the kick start (and drum kit!) I needed to feel confident. They included me in rehearsals, and I even got to play with them during rehearsal and help as a roadie on their show. Lonnie and his band’s kindness and how they started gave me the push I needed to pursue my music. Fast forward to the lock down when I met my teacher and mentor Peter Michael Escovedo. Peter Michael comes from a family of legends, yet he is the most down-to-earth person, very kind and giving. I started taking lessons and he truly developed my technique and style. I had been playing congas for school productions but over the years I can now play congas and timbales for jazz band performances. Peter Michael has always been encouraging for me to develop as a musician and performer, he has influenced my stage presence but more importantly he has shown me the kind of person I want to be. He taught me discipline and dedication and that the gifts we are given are meant to help and give back so that is what I continue to do. When I was twelve, I went to the Catalina club and since then I dreamed of playing there. I did get to play with a jazz band, but the greatest gift was getting to play with the legendary Pete Escovedo one night for the closing song. I would never have been ready if not for being able to study with Peter Michael.
I have played drums and percussion with organizations who helped me further my skills, the Antelope Valley College, La Jazz Society and Jazz America. They had me play venues and festivals with them that have been such a great experience. Community service has always been part of who I am created the AV Jazz Project. We are a group who performs at non-profit functions, although I just started it, we have already played for some organizations.

Website: www.cruzanthony.com

Instagram: cruzanthonyh

Youtube: cruz anthony drums herrera

Other: IMDb Cruz Anthony Herrera Acting and writing credits

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