Meet Rico Loma | Musician & Chemist

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

Hi Rico, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Growing up, music was always a part of my life. Karaoke nights, playing guitar, and talent shows are staple activities in Filipino culture. As an impressionable young kid, music quickly fascinated me. There was so much joy to be found in singing, feeling the rhythm of a song, and dancing. All of this was compounded by everything being so family-centered. It was a source of exhilaration and to this day, a source of nostalgia. Although, art and music is so strongly celebrated in Filipino culture, there is an interesting dichotomy that arises when the question of tangibility of the arts as a passion is brought up. Do we love the arts enough to give it substance as a career? Or is it something that we eventually drop and occasionally find fulfillment in when we have the time? It seems that there’s an unspoken understanding for the latter. I imagine many others from my culture have experienced this also. “Resolution” usually comes in the form of slowly forgetting about what brings you excitement, daydreams, and purpose. Sometimes “resolution” necessitates a single conversation discussing life goals and plans to get real. Rarely is that passion entertained past it being a mere hobby.
Some lucky few, such as myself have found a third option, however. My family greeted my dreams with open arms, undying support, and quiet realism. “As long as you have a job to pay your rent”. This was a resounding yes to me. A conversation I had long dreaded turned out as well as it could. Although it was never vocalized, it was almost like there was an invisible hand, a very heavy one at that, that encouraged me to stray away from the arts and onto tangible living, like medicine, science, or engineering. To see that that wasn’t the case, I was overjoyed. Bouts of self doubt have come to pass and to get the green light from the people closest to me has been a blessing. To this day, my grounded approach to my career has kept me at a steady and consistent pace. A pace that I owe to my own past hesitance and subsequent overcoming.

Please tell us more about your work. 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?
One thing I’ve always been a fan of is the intimacy of spoken word and conversational like phrases in music. Music can often be poetic and metaphorical, in order to paint images to the listener in a unique way. However, I find that I really like when the artist is direct and to the point. Its between the lines of hyperbole and exaggeration where a very simple line can shine through. That’s why I gravitate towards artists like Frank Ocean, Chance the Rapper, or even Sam Smith. Sometimes they say a line that sounds like something someone would say in a direct conversation. This is a style of songwriting that I’ve adopted myself, as well. I like to sprinkle simple colloquial phrases when describing heartbreak or even joy. It makes the audience feel as if they’re having that conversation with me instead of just listening to someone’s story. I’m able to hit the emotional beats more effectively. What excites me the most is that as my audience grows and more people listen to my music, I’ll be able to really form a connection with them and continue to have that conversation.

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.
I’m going to take you to my favorite spots in Torrance. I’ve gotten very familiar with the area in the past year and I’m excited to share with you a good time with good food and good people. First stop has got to be Curryfornia in Torrance. They have the best Japanese curry in town. It is my go-to place for curry. The owner is very friendly and they have a wide variety of toppings to add to your food. Next is one of the best ice cream places I’ve been to. The place is called Kansha Creamery in Gardena. I highly recommend the Mr. Universal (it’s vanilla based with caramel and real chunks of oatmeal cookies). If you are up for a drink, then Tony’s on the Pier at the Redondo Beach Pier has their famous Mai Tai. You can share this experience with someone on their upper deck with a complete view of the pier and ocean, along with live entertainment. If you’d like you can also just have a nice relaxing afternoon on the beach next door. Another place I like to visit in the area is Uptown Cheapskate. It’s a thrift store with the greatest deals and the flyest clothes.

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?
One person I want to shout out is my roommate and good friend, Austin Gatus. As a 14 year survivor of childhood cancer, he’s overcome the biggest hurdles life can give and is now a very accomplished musician. He deserves all the flowers for not only beating cancer, but also the level of talent he brings to the table. If there’s anything music related you can think of, he is at worst, proficient at it. A talented saxophonist, amazing guitarist, great vocalist, and a long time friend, Austin continues to inspire me day by day.

Website: https://linktr.ee/ricoloma

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-YSvETRKoIpmCyuiQXcyA

Image Credits
Oscar Martinez