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

Hi Pete, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Since as far back as I can remember…. I always wanted to play the saxophone. Music has always been a big part of my life!

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.
Over the last 15 years I have been recording, touring, playing, and teaching in the Los Angeles area.
For me the hardest part was the uncertainty . Moving on faith and relying on lots of old and new friends helped a lot. I learned so much from other musicians about the nuances of the music business. And I’m still learning.
Los Angeles is an expensive place so yes, there were some very hard times but I was committed to make it work somehow and wasn’t leaving until it did!
The biggest lesson I have learned in the scene is that the gigs that come to you are yours and the ones that don’t just weren’t meant to be. We all want the next best gig but sometimes it takes a while to come back around.

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?
We would start off with a few beers at Salsa and Beer in NoHo! One night would be at Trattoria Piccola in Santa Clarita for amazing Italian food and drinks. We could also check out Fausto Cuevas at the Floridita in Hollywood. We could catch a live band at the Mint or Black Rabbit Rose. Definitely hang out with Stanley at the studio for some good vibrations!
Santa Clarita also host an event called “What The Truck” with great eats !!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have had some great music teachers throughout the years. Mrs Debenedetto, Mr Morris , Mr Berry , Mr Alcala, Berklee College of music, and Cal State Fresno. At Berklee I studied with Dino Govoni, Jim Odgren, Andy McGee, Fred Lipsius, and more.
I thank God for the gift of music and the Goat Stevie Wonder for giving me the opportunity to tour and make music with the greatest of all time!

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