Hi Gabriel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

It’s difficult to say when I started just because I was just so little when I took my first footsteps on this journey. I was fortunately born into a musical family, with my father a musician by profession. He was part of a lineage of musicians from the Philippines, and although I was born in Malaysia without having been surrounded by his mentors, I continued that lineage with me.

Over the years, having studied the violin and the drums, I took interest in learning other instruments by myself, and as a result, music composition and arranging as well. In high school, I was able to take composition classes and write for the school orchestra and smaller ensembles that I would play for as well. This passion eventually grew, and I further pursued composition and music production at Berklee College of Music. Today, I am a freelance composer, as well as an educator in Los Angeles.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Nothing has been easy so far. I am incredibly grateful for every experience and every person who has helped me along the way. Understanding what I truly wanted to do from the beginning as not been certain, despite the fact that it’s always had something to do with music. Finding my own personal niche and finding where I belong in the industry has certainly been the toughest of it all, but I’m glad that I have somewhat found my feet. Now it’s all about trying to get myself out there and make a big impact.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

Many people around me have trusted me in many aspects of music, and I cannot thank them enough. I have continued to perform around Los Angeles, but I have also been entrusted with compositional work. I spend most of my time composing freelance, but also as a composer for a music production library. I would say that I have a long way to go to be proud of my work, but I would have to say that my perseverance is a trait I am most proud of. Having been here for just under half a year, I have worked to gain the trust of industry professionals and what keeps me going is the beauty of collaboration with them; I always look forward to the next project.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?

Independence – I learned to be self-sufficient in many aspects of the music industry. I began constantly practicing and doing work that otherwise would be given to me, but I spent a lot of my time producing music and releasing music. I also did my first internship during this time, which I am eternally grateful for.