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

Hi Hannah, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks is a key factor when it comes to transformation.

I grew up in a city where people believe that musicians will always struggle. They will end up as either performers or teachers. Some believe that there’s no other path – nobody knew other ways of succeeding in music. No wonder, in my mid 20s, I was following the path that was presented to me: I was working as a music teacher in a prestigious school in my hometown, and working as a performer on the side. I was financially successful and the work environment was good.

However, deep inside I knew that I could do more in music – I loved to arrange, orchestrate, create covers, and collaborate.

My transformation started when I heard that someone from my hometown was studying at Berklee College of Music to become a film composer. My eyes were opened and I thought “if he did it, I can do it!” – If it was possible for him, it is also possible for me.

That was the moment I noticed I had to leave that safe and predictable place I was in, in order to experience more in life. I had to embrace the unknown, and that’s what I did:

I took the risk to leave a secure and predictable career as a teacher, to pursue a desire to be a composer.

This shift happened during the pandemic.

In 2020, when we were sent home, I had the time to think about who I was, and what I was doing with my life. Then I decided that it was the moment to apply for Berklee College of Music – my thought was: “If I don’t do this now, I will regret it later”.

Almost a month after the audition, I got the decision letter with the best news: I was accepted to study at my dream school with a scholarship that covered 40% of tuition!

That was amazing! I did it! I’m going to study Film Scoring at Berklee!

After that I created a crowdfunding campaign in order to help me with the expenses for my first year in the U.S.

When I moved to Boston, it wasn’t easy, because I had to leave everything behind. I left friends, family, career, lifestyle, and even some of my freedom, to pursue this dream, in a foreign country with the hope and the desire to do more in music.

I graduated in 2023 and moved right after to Los Angeles. In my mind, there’s no time to waste. LA is the place where the film industry is located, and I am giving all to build this vision that has brought me here.

In my journey, I have learned about how we depend on each other to pursue our goals , and the importance to dream and act on it.

Deciding to change was the best decision I ever made.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally and what sets you apart from others?
What keeps me busy is my work as Media Composer and Music Teacher at The Wonder Note. I feel that what sets me apart is my personality, life experience and curiosity. In order to tell stories we need to let ourselves live and feel our emotions. We need to let ourselves enjoy, struggle, fall in love, get disappointed, learn, grow, win, lose, find balance and lose it. The human experience is what connects us.

I believe I got here professionally because I created a clear vision of the future for me: I wanted to become a composer for media. After that decision, all steps became clearer: I decided to get out of my comfort zone, get back to school, learn about the technologies related to composing for media, and pay attention to advice coming from people that were successful in the industry I wanted to be.

I am excited to share that I have already 4 projects booked for this year, and they are all fruit of connecting with amazing and creative people. I can’t wait to collaborate and see these stories coming to life!

To get here it wasn’t easy, but I have a list of things that I do when I feel that it’s hard to move forward:

First: I look back, and feel thankful for the decisions I’ve made, all the people around me, and the life I live now. Gratitude is my way to go whenever things start to get hard.

Second: I always ask myself what I have to learn or who I should talk to in order to overcome challenges. I learned that challenges are a sign that we need to grow and expand our comfort zone.

Third: I take action, even if it feels draining, or if I feel like an impostor. Just showing up everyday, and being consistent, helps me to overcome problems.

Fourth: I give myself time to rest and replenish. I know that building a career is like a marathon, so part of the training consists into resting and sleeping, so I make time to reset, rest and get back more focused than ever.

Each person is unique, and has something to say. My mission as a composer is to make space for voices to be heard, stories to be told, while inspiring others to pursue their dreams, being authentic and nurturing the relationships around me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First day we would spend the whole day walking around Santa Monica beach, and enjoy Mexican food at Blue Plate Taco.

Another day we would enjoy some hiking at Griffith Observatory, walk around the walk of fame and eat at Float Hollywood at Vine St.

Another day we would eat Korean BBQ at Hwang Hae Doe watch a concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

On the last day we would watch a musical in Hollywood and pack hahaha.

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?
Yes! A huge shoutout to my parents and sister! They were always there for me, and I feel thankful for them! Even after moving by myself to the United States, they always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and work for what I wanted, even if it seemed impossible.

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

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

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koQfLwotHUI&list=PLcDJH6Pq8NQxfOUCUhPrpJ3m9d6BlVrMS

Other: https://soundcloud.com/hannahcabrall

Image Credits
Everson Gomes Moriah Ozberkmen Mateo Garcia (@alchemistlens) Hannah Cabral

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