Meet Maria Castro Medela | Drummer & Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Castro Medela and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, why did you pursue a creative career?
I am originally from Panama, and artistic careers are still very stigmatized. I knew I was taking a risk by doing so, but I never really saw myself doing anything other than arts. I was a straight A’s student back home, so choosing to pursue a music degree came as a bit of a shock to some teachers and family. I did have a couple of options: it was either music or writing (because I love poetry), but both of those options were artistic. At the end of the day, I would have definitely resented my younger self if I didn’t give music a shot. It is an arduous path to choose to go through. Every artist is aware that music is not usually something stable, but it keeps life interesting for now. I also can’t see myself having a sit-down office job that is more left-brain inclined.

Going for an artistic career has also led me to meet a very warm community of musicians. Pursuing this music career has opened up so many opportunities that I would have never even imagined I would have if I hadn’t taken a risk. Every little goal, like being another artists’ drummer or finding small success with my own project, Tambor, means a lot to me.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
There is definitely a bit of a stigma when it comes to female musicians, and that is what sets us apart. I personally find that female musicians have to work double when it comes to proving themselves to be great. As a female drummer, I get very excited about the community that we have created for ourselves, but it definitely comes with some challenges. Part of my “brand” is being a drummer who is also a singer and songwriter… I always had an admiration for drummers who led a band and sang. I try to do so with my project, Tambor, which is more like singer/songwriter and alternative inspired.

A lesson that I’ve learned along the way is the importance of networking, and I’m sure that creatives are tired of hearing about networking (myself included). But it took me a while to understand what “networking” really meant and how I could make it work for myself. A lot of artists are naturally more introverted, so networking can be a challenge. I remember when I first started college, a lot of clinicians would say that they would “go to every party and every gig” in order to meet people. That isn’t necessarily the case for me. What I consider networking is looking at the people that are on the back of the vinyls I buy and looking up their names on social media. I will usually just express my admiration, and most of the times they will reply with a thank you! If you can continue supporting their work, I’m sure they’ll start having some sort of small appreciation for you and hopefully you can slowly build a relationship with them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question because I love being my friends’ tour guide. I have lived in LA for about five and a half years and I have developed a deep appreciation for this place. I especially love meeting people who are natives of LA because you can tell how much they love this place. As for some of my favorite places… Let me start with food. Porto’s is my go-to because I have a huge sweet tooth. I love doing taco nights on weeknights so I go to Angel’s Tijuana Tacos. My favorite coffee place and vegan place are in Pasadena. They are Jones Coffee Roasters and Naughty Vegan (which is Asian-fusion). If I’m craving burgers I either go to Burgerlods in Chinatown or Monty’s in Ktown. As for hanging out… I have recently been loving just going to Echo Park Lake. Bonus points if I bring food and have a picnic. I also love bringing my friends to The Huntington in Pasadena or The Getty Center. Both of these have great art and good views and gardens. If we have time, I take my friends up to Santa Barbara. It’s beautiful up there. What’s exciting to me about this list is that I have just now started to explore more and more communities in LA, so I’m sure that this list of favorites will keep expanding!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I appreciate how this question puts the focus on others because I would definitely not be where I am if it wasn’t for a number of people. It is very obvious that I should give a shoutout to my parents, who at first needed some time to digest my decision of pursuing music as a career. They have been very supportive along the way, and have made a lot of sacrifices to have me here in LA and give me a chance to pursue my dream. I feel very lucky that I’ve had that opportunity. During my senior year of high school, I became really close friends with a group of musicians from back home in Panama. They don’t particularly know it, but they cleared out a lot of my insecurity about pursuing music. My circle of friends back home are all very talented and they are killing it locally. They are always on my mind and are a constant source of inspiration for me. I am their biggest fan and objectively love the music they’re putting out. Their band is called Dvrso (@dvrsorock on Instagram).

Lastly, my best friend is a driving force in my music career. He is definitely way smarter musically than I am so he keeps me on my toes. He helps me better myself as a musician and even helps me write some of my own music under my project, Tambor.

(Also, all of my drum college professors who saw my potential from day one also deserve a huge shoutout!)

Instagram: @the_life_in_clicks is where I’m active (drums/pictures)! @tambor.official is just for little updates on my own music.

Linkedin: Maria Castro (Freelance Musician)

Twitter: MariiGabzz

Youtube: Maria Castro

Other: For YouTube, you can search up my singles (Cigarettes & Poetry, 2016, i guess we could be friends) and my project’s name is Tambor.