Meet Noé Socha | guitar & harmonica player

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

Hi Noé, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Hi,
I’m a blind musician from Italy, guitar & harmonica player. I’ve been into music since I was a kid, playing piano & cello for a couple of years before committing to guitar & harmonica. I was 11 years old when my 5th grade teacher introduced me to the music of Bob Dylan. We had to learn “Blowing in the Wind” for our end of school year recital. I didn’t speak english at the time, but something about his freedom in phrasing when singing captivated me. I wanted to learn how to play his music so I started practicing guitar & harmonica every day and taking lessons. I learnt the rudiments of classical guitar, but I also found a teacher who introduced me to blues, jazz, rock, and so on. I also attended a few courses on modern fingerstyle acoustic guitar, trying to diversify my skills. In 2008 I attended a seminar hosted by Berklee College of music professors in Umbria, and received a scholarship to study at the college in Boston.
I’ve always been in love with music, but from day 1 I’ve had a step by step approach rather then looking at the big picture. I always want to have fun when I play, so I’m always looking at what song or guitar technique should I learn next. It’s not easy for a blind person to find work, and I’ve been fortunate to have been able to perform since I finished Berklee in 2013. I’ve been living in NYC for the last 10 years and really love it here.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I play guitar, harmonica, and occasionally bass. I love to have fun and improvise while I play. Connecting with the audience is everything for me, and I always want to challenge myself to play each song or solo differently every time. I love to create songs on the spot on stage, especially during my solo performances.
When I was at Berklee College I was surrounded by some of the greatest jazz musicians from all over the world, and I knew I couldn’t compete with their level of dexterity on guitar. But I never wanted to be the best, I just wanted to learn as much as possible from everyone and find my own voice musically. I won the Billboard & Jimi Hendrix awards while there, but I never did well in competitions as I don’t believe music should be considered as such.
When I left Berklee I had the opportunity to tour with Grammy award winning artist Paula Cole for a few years. That was really fun, I find it’s a lot more pressure to perform for someone like that then my own shows no matter how big my show is. When you’re hired by someone you’re responsable for their success as well.
I’ve been living in New york for 10 years now. I really love it here, such a diverse place. I am greatful that I can travel indipendently to my shows with public transportation. i would have a tough time living somewhere where I’d need to rely on someone to get to work.
I released my first album as leader in 2024, it’s called Simplebluesboy, and I’m currently working on a solo record. I’m also touring through the US with the blues rock singer Kelli Baker.
I would love to get to a point in my career where I can help others fulfill their dreams, and I’m not there yet. Being a fulltime musician in NYC is amazing, but I work 6-7 nights a week in different bars and I’d like to be able to provide a bigger platform to support other up and coming musicians. I’d like to show that’ it’s possible to have a fulfilling life with hard work & dedication without having everything layed out for you. I’m from Italy and when I moved to Boston for Berklee I didn’t know anyone, and when I came to NYC i only had a few friends that helped me.

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.
New york has so much available for anyone to enjoy, and I’m not into touristy stuff, but here’s what I’d do.
Live music at places like Terra Blues, Arthur’s Tavern, or Bar Lunatico in Brooklyn.
Amazing food at places like Aromi in Brooklyn or Coppelia in Manhattan.
Bike ride to the Verrazzano bridge & cony Island, to show that NYC is not just a chaotic mess, and walks in central & prospect park.
Ferry ride to rockaway beach.
Trip to little Italy in the Bronx, it’s pretty wild up there and you feel like you live in a different time.
Taking public transportation to places, you get to see & hear all sorts of people on the subway.
Walking around different neighbourhoods in Brooklyn or Queens, there’s so much diversity, sounds, smells, it’s so interesting.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kelli Baker

Website: https://www.noemusic.net

Instagram: Simplebluesboy

Linkedin: Noe Socha

Twitter: Simplebluesboy

Soundcloud: Simplebluesboy

Facebook: Noe Socha

Youtube: simplebluesboy & blindselfie channels