Meet Nick Gomez: Musician and educator.

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

Hi Nick, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
One of my musical heroes, John Coltrane, said “invest yourself in everything. There’s fun in being serious”. This is a sentiment that I try to organize my life around. My convictions and passions are what make my life worth living, so I hold those above the accumulation of wealth or status.

Trane was the embodiment of this statement. He continually evolved past the expectations of critics, the public, and even his peers, pushing for a deeper and more complete relationship with his craft. He believed that his music could heal people or motivate people to do great things- more important ends than monetary or critical success.

My most peaceful movements in life have been when I had the time and energy to dive into my passions: family, music, and lately, activism. I try to instill this understanding in my students, encouraging them to leave the rat race behind and devote that energy to the things that bring them peace.

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 saxophone, flute, and clarinet player and a music educator. I teach music history, jazz improvisation, and private lessons at San Bernardino Valley College and UC Riverside. Before Covid, I worked regularly with a variety of LA groups, like the Ron King Big Band, Breakestra, and Vatomico. My own jazz groups have played (and will hopefully return to) venues like Mantra Coffee in Azusa, Edwin Mills by Equator in Pasadena, The Press in Claremont, and Waters Edge Winery in Long Beach.

I have always maintained that nothing in music came naturally to me. Everything that I do professionally is something I was awful at starting out. When it comes to sight reading, jazz improvisation, or even just playing my instruments in tune, I can recall moments when it seemed like everyone was leagues ahead of me. Today, I am not an expert at any of those things, but I can hold my own and am always getting better.

Because of those experiences, I have had to develop systems for learning new skills. I think that my method of teaching improvisation, sight reading and technique is practical and effective, so I want to expose as many people to it as I can- especially those who, like me, are feeling very passionate but very behind. My specialty is learning and teaching others how to learn, The videos I have started to post to my youtube channel are just an introduction to my methods. I hope they will lead passionate people of any age or background to reach out for help- whether that come in the form of lessons, or just a long e-mail. I want to struggle along with people.

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.
During the pandemic, we have sadly lost one of my absolute favorite places in Los Angeles- the Blue Whale jazz club. I desperately hope that other businesses will step up to fill the void it left. That said, here are some of my favorite places:

Music: Sam First

After the Blue Whale, Sam First was the best place to experience the cutting edge of jazz and other creative music. I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time there once the world opens up again.

Food: Grand Central Market

Whenever I’m in LA, I have to drop by Grand Central Market for tacos or pupusas. I guarantee you will discover 5 other places that you have to come back for.

Inspiration: The Last Book Store

This place is just magical. I love going there on dates with my wife to buy books or records or simply to be among all the incredible sights. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Throughout the pandemic, I have sorely missed my musical family. Their encouragement, along with the promise of creating art with them again, has kept me going. Here are just a few that I worked with a lot over the past few months and could use a follow on social media and some support when live music comes back:

Vatomico- acid jazz trio

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMQC1uYEhTi3GXewfzVqwqQ

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vatomico/?hl=en

John Strattion- composer/singer/songwriter

website: https://www.johnstrattonmusic.com/riversrecording/

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riversrecording/

Website: https://ngomezmusic.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMwq7cH5dS5SI3SEdv2wWig