Spark and Hustle
Welcome to Spark and Hustle. The podcast that ignites your inspiration and fuels your hustle in the dynamic worlds of career and entrepreneurship. Join our host Karina a marketing junkie, on a journey of exploration, conversation, and empowerment.
In each episode, we dive deep into stories of professionals, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. Discover the spark that ignites their journeys and the hustles that propelled them to success.
Whether navigating the corporate ladder or building your empire, follow Spark and Hustle for inspiration, practical advice, and occasional humor. Get ready to spark your ambitions and elevate your hustle game.
We believe in the power of connection. Join our community on Spotify, iTunes, and Instagram to share your experiences, learn from others, and become part of a supportive network of dreamers and doers. 🚀✨
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Spark and Hustle
The Rhythms Within | Sofia Peña on Music, Motherhood, and Her album Mexican Muses
Have you ever felt the pull of your roots weaving through the very chords of your life? Sofia Peña, our enchanting guest and Mexican singer-songwriter, brings this sensation to life in our latest Spark and Hustle episode. We're immersed in Sofia's lyrical world, from the echoes of her small-town serenades to her album "Musas Mexicanas," a loving tribute to the powerful women etched in Mexico's history. Her path unfolds in rich anecdotes, from self-taught guitar sessions to songs steeped in gratitude and cultural reverence. She reveals the intricate tapestry of her life's work, where each thread is a note, a beat, a piece of her soul laid bare.
Step behind the curtain with us as we explore the artist's forge—where challenges meld with joys, and unexpected chapters enrich the narrative. Sofia recounts the palpable tension of a music school audition, the year of profound growth volunteering in Colombia, and the delicate craft of turning life stories into melodies that tug at the heartstrings. The intimacy of her songwriting is a dance between personal tales and the larger stage of cultural legacy, especially in her upcoming album, which weaves stories of historical Mexican women with the timeless threads of folk music.
The symphony of Sofia's life is a blend of harmonious collaboration and the life-affirming melody of motherhood. Our conversation illuminates the alchemy of working with innovative producers like Poncho and the irreplaceable magic of live performances that resonate with every soul in the room. Sofia's passion extends beyond the stage, as she shares her philosophy on teaching, mindfulness, and the unwavering belief in one's self-worth. Join us for an inspiring dialogue that reminds us all of the transformative power of embracing our heritage, nurturing our craft, and singing the song that only we can.
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Welcome to the sixth episode of Spark and Hustle podcast, super excited to be discussing a very important topic and industry that is part of my everyday life. However, even though it's part of my everyday life, because I listen to it every day, I'm not too familiar with the behind the scenes of what happens, so I'm so excited to learn about this specific industry Today. I'm thrilled to have the talented Sofia Peña joining us today. Sofia is not just a songwriter, she's also a singer and she's a storyteller who brings parallel worlds to life through her music. Her rich, colorful voice and diverse influences create a captivating narrative that invites listeners to explore emotions, mysteries and the essence of life itself. From singing in Mexico, colombia to the United States, sofia's journey is one of passion, authenticity and artistic expression. Today, we have the honor of delving into her musical journey and the inspiration behind her upcoming album Musas Mexicanas, dedicated to the remarkable woman who have shaped Mexico's history.
Speaker 1:Hello, welcome to Spark and Hustle, the podcast that ignites your inspiration and fuels your hustle in the dynamic worlds of career and entrepreneurship. I'm your host, karina, a marketing junkie, on a journey of exploration, conversation and empowerment. In each episode, we dive deep into the stories of professionals, entrepreneurs and thought leaders, discover the spark that ignites their journeys and the hustle that propels them to success. Whether you're navigating the corporate ladder or building your empire, follow Spark and Hustle for inspiration, practical advice and why not? Occasional handwork. Get ready to spark your ambitions and elevate your hustle game. We believe in the power of connection. Join our community on Spotify, itunes and Instagram to share your experiences, learn from others and become part of the support of my work of dreamers and doers. Sofia, I'm beyond grateful for you accepting to be part of the podcast Spark and Hustle, and I'm very excited to continue to learn about your music trajectory and how everything started. So thank you so much for joining the podcast and I'm super excited to continue to learn about you thank you, karina.
Speaker 2:I am more excited because this is my first time making a interview in English, so I'm gonna do my best to do it and I'm so excited to be Thank you so much for considering me being part of this amazing project that I've told you that it's amazing that you're doing this and you're interviewing all these amazing people, so thank you so much for considering me for doing this.
Speaker 1:Awesome. I'm sure you'll be extremely fine with English and we're very glad that this is your first interview. So there's always a first time, and how honored I am to be able to host your first English interview, thank you. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? How did your whole music journey into music started? Where did you grow up? Where are you from? Just a little bit about your background in general and then how did you get started into the into the music world.
Speaker 2:I'm from Celaya, guanajuato, mexico. I was born there because my mom is from there and then, two or two months later that, since I was born, I moved to Mexico City. So I'm mainly like from everywhere in Mexico, like I like my whole life. I was being like moved to Mexico City, so I'm mainly like from everywhere in Mexico, like I like my whole life. I was being like going back and forth to different cities and, well, music has always been my passion since I was little. You know, like all this when, when you're a kid, when you're little, when you're young, you dream about being something right like some some people dream to be astronauts and some others dreams to be dancers and all this amazing stuff, and for myself it was to be a singer. That dream never let me go and I kept doing that.
Speaker 2:Uh, no one in my family is a musician, so I'm the first musician in my family, like for generations. So, uh, that was a little bit surprising for my parents because they were like, okay, so no one is artistic. Like what's going on with this girl? And I remember that I used to uh learn the songs very, very fast. So my mom was like, okay, this girl has like something. She gets the song very fast and she learns them faster than anyone.
Speaker 2:So after that when my parents discovered that I was like good at singing, it was when I was singing for the choir of my school when I was very young and I got a solo and with that solo in the presentation my parents were like, okay, I think this girl can sing. And after that I started a more professional. So I started with opera classes, like classical music. So I got started with classical music and I got into Mexican folk music because of my grandparent he was very into agustin dara, vicente fernandez, for those of you who do know vicente fernandez, he's the king of mexican music and a lot of different, very cool artists, mexican artists.
Speaker 2:So that's why I started with Mexican folk and after that, when I was 14 years old it was my first it's when I wrote my first song and, yeah, that song I wrote it for my parents. I was like so grateful for them to just I don't know, I was so happy to be around them and my whole life has been amazing because of them. So, yeah, I wrote a song for them. It was my first song and I learned to play the guitar also at the same age, and it was by ear. So I started like watching all these amazing like videos in YouTube. Youtube is an amazing teacher. If you haven't tried it, it's so cool and uh. So, yeah, I started learning the guitar and because I I don't know I was thinking about how can I go everywhere and sing, not just like acapella, but like just comp myself with something? So I realized the guitar was like my perfect best friend for that. So I did it and that's how I started like I kept going into music.
Speaker 2:And then I think that's the most important part about my professional music background is that when I was in high school and I was graduating from high school I was, I got into like physics and stuff like that. I wasn't good at it because I pretend that that was gonna be my future because that's, you know, like sometimes we're just very into like what's gonna give me like an economic I don't know, like being stable economically. So I thought like, um, being an engineer it was gonna make me that. And then my mom was the one that just uh, faced me and she was like you know what? You don't like that that much I know. Your passion is music, so why don't you try it out and see what happens? I think that's what you really want in life. So I faced with her and I faced myself and it was like a moment where I, um was a little bit more aware of what I really was passionate about, and it was music.
Speaker 2:So, uh, I quit that part of me that wanted to be a engineer and I applied for one of the best schools in music around the world and I was like, okay, I was a little bit hard on myself now that I like go back and remember it, but I was like you know what, if I get accepted into this school, I'm gonna go and do music, but if I don't, I think it's not for me. So I was so hard on myself, you know, I was like, okay, so it was the only college that I applied for, like for music, because obviously now I know that a lot of people apply for many colleges right, because you want to have a lot of options. But myself was like, okay, no, I'm just gonna apply for this one and let's see if, if I get in and if I don't, uh, then this is not for me. So, uh, yeah, I applied, I got accepted and I was like, okay, so I think this is a sign of God in life that I need to do music.
Speaker 2:So I think that's that's how I got into like studying, like going to college for music. So, yeah, and by now it's been a journey, a quiet journey, and I'm graduating next June. I know it's been a while, but you know, covid and a lot of different stuff got in my way, but here we are finishing what I started.
Speaker 1:So you know, congratulations. I knew you were going to one of the best schools, that you weren't going to pursue your passion if you didn't get accepted into the best school, but congratulations. That's quite a journey and I'm very excited for you to be finishing up this coming June. Junior, I've mentioned in other episodes the importance of having family or friends to push you and to influence you. In this case, your mom was a key person of the journey, admitting that you weren't really passionate about engineering. But I wanted to ask you how was the process at applying at one of the best schools? Very curious to know what the process is like for going into music. How do you get accepted? What's the process like?
Speaker 2:So it's a quiet process. So what you do is you apply online. First, like you fill a form. They ask you, like what's your music background? What is your main instrument? Uh, how many instruments you can play, which level of each instrument is like the one you play? And then they make you make an addition. That's like the most like um scary thing, or like where they they really consider you to be part of it. Or they tell you like you know what, like you need a little bit more, so you need to keep like working on that, and then you come back in a fight again.
Speaker 2:So, um, it was an audition. So first you you went to this like different, like I needed to go to me Mexico City, because they weren't um, they were just in Mexico City for Mexico, like for the whole whole country. So Mexico City was was the main place to go if you wanted to do like the audition. So I remember I went and I was waiting in all this like big line, like full of people that was like they all were applying for the school and I was like okay, so let's, let's do it. And I applied with um a song I can't leave. If living is without you. I can't leave of my my record it was that song. And so I came in, I remember, and it was like three people just in front of me, just like the movies. So I was like, okay, so I'm gonna get started. This is the song that I'm gonna be singing to you. So I sang that. And then I also sang the song that I wrote to my parents, so like the songwriting one, and it was in spanish, like they they were. They were like, okay, like we don't understand a thing. But that was cute because it was like a lot of feeling in between, right, because I've always said that music is not about language, it's about about what it makes you feel, right. So, um, it was. It was amazing. They were like very impressed about that.
Speaker 2:And then they make you read music. So I was like I had a, like a sheet music in front of me and I was like, okay, so now read it to us, right. And that was a little bit hard for me because I I didn't know how to read music. So it was like, what am I gonna do? I don't know how to read it, I'm not gonna get accepted and whatever. And the other thing that they make you do is, um, it was improvisation, I remember that. So they were playing something in the piano and I needed to improvise on top of that with like singing, so like scatting kind of jazzy thing, because Berkeley, the college that I applied for, it's jazz, it's contemporary music and it's jazz mainly, so it's based on jazz.
Speaker 2:So that's why All the improvisation thing. So that's how it was. And then two weeks I think it was two weeks after that they told me that I was accepted. But it was very, very it was. It was very I don't know. Like after I got accepted, instead of going I gave myself a year. So I went for volunteering to Colombia for one year. So I went for volunteering to colombia for one year. So I paused that like acceptance letter for one year and then I came back and then that's how I went to do to me, like yeah, so it's valid.
Speaker 1:You can, you, you are allowed to do that. Um, you're allowed to say, okay, I'm accepted, but I'm gonna take some time off for myself and then I'll come back. Is the acceptance letter available for a certain period of time?
Speaker 2:yeah, for one year so you have that gap in between, like if you are not able to uh pay it, or if you're not able to, I don't know whatever that comes to your life like in the way. It's just like okay, we give you one year, and if after one year you're not coming, then you need to apply again. Right, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's very wise of you. Was there a reason why you decided to put it on pause, or did you already have the plans to go do this volunteering, or did you decided to do it? I just think it's. In my opinion, it's very wise for you to not jump on it right away and just take some time to really process and prepare yourself into this new I mean career or project that you're gonna take on, which it's not gonna be a year long it's how many years is it to graduate?
Speaker 2:so for music is four years, usually like, uh, yeah, it's yeah, like a normal, um, I don't know, like whatever other degree you know. So what I did it wasn't because I wanted to take time before studying music, it was because I consider myself a person that always likes to help other people, and when I was younger, I used to go to missions every holy week. Was younger, I used to go to missions every holy week, so, um, I thought that that was something amazing to do and I felt so fulfilled after that and then this year that I went to Colombia it was for volunteering, but like as missions and a thing. So I was living with um las consagradas they call it, like like that in mexico. So I was living with them for a year. So I was in charge of the oldest girls in the school, so like seniors kind of thing. So we're like, um, the, the girls that were on high school, so before going on, uh, for college. So I was in charge of them, just like to be in present, you know, someone to be around them uh, for helping them, for whatever they were needing, it needing in that moment. Some of them were going through very hard stuff in their families and stuff like that. So I was able to help them.
Speaker 2:And also it was very cool because I got the chance to sing a lot, to write a lot. I've have written a lot that year and I haven't released anything from there, like from that year, and it's it's a while, because I have so many songs and, uh, I also got the opportunity that year to teach kids to play the guitar. So it was very, very nice. So that's why I took that year, not because I wanted to take time, because I've always wanted to do that year also. So I was like how can I get those two things in my life that I really want to do together and don't lose none of them right? So I was like, okay, if I have one year of the acceptance letter for comeback to music, maybe I can give myself the opportunity to go and volunteer, because if I don't do it right now, maybe I'm never going to do it again, I'm never going to have the time, I'm never going to be this young, and so let's do it. So that's why I did it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very, very wise of you. I mean I have a lot of respect for your decision making at that age, because I feel like at that age you're just probably thinking about going to school and not focusing on other passions that you have, which is volunteering and helping others, and truly I mean, when would have you had the time if you wouldn't have taken that opportunity? I mean going to school for four years and then life happening marriage, kids, everything. It's like I think you have the best decision, so I'm, and for me it got faster.
Speaker 2:I didn't know I was gonna get married um at this age, but I'm so happy like it's. I think it's one of the best decisions I've ever taken, so, uh, but yeah, I didn't know this was gonna happen, so yeah and going back a little bit to we we hear Carlos going down a little bit you started on classical music.
Speaker 1:Why did you start on taking classical music lessons? Were you always into classical music or were your parents, did they influence you to start with classical music?
Speaker 2:No, so I wasn't into classical music. So I was like a little girl that just wanted to sing pop stuff, you know like ballad stuff. I remember that in in those times, um, cinderella was very, very famous, so I was just like very into that stuff. So I didn't want to sing classical. But I remember this teacher told me, like the basic of music and the basic of a singer is the classical. No, I was able to sing classical music, I was going to be able to sing whatever.
Speaker 2:So, um, and because it's hard, right, it's hard to get into and it's very I don't know it's, you need to have a lot of discipline in this, in this genre, to to make it work. So, uh, I started with that and also, um, it was very cool and also a little bit challenging because my voice was changing. I was very young so my, my voice was still like a little kid kind of voice, so it was, it was gonna change in and it was, it was awesome, like this teacher that I had. He was, he was amazing. I remember him and uh, that's how I got into into classical music.
Speaker 2:And then I've always been into like church music, because I've always sang in church my whole life. Yeah, that also helped me for, like, singing the Ave Maria and all this kind of amazing like more classical songs. So, yeah, that's how, that's why, like mainly that's why because my teacher was like you know why? Like you need to learn this if you want to be a professional musician and a professional singer and like, yeah, if you want to and if you don't, just like, let's sing pasta what a good advice.
Speaker 1:I I never really thought about how difficult. I mean it sounds very difficult, but I mean, if you can learn how to sing classical, you can practically learn how to sing many other genres. Um moving to the songwriting process, um, so your songs often delved into deep emotions, like you were saying. It's about how you feel um with the music, and can you walk us through a little bit of how the songwriting process is? How do you typically find the inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?
Speaker 2:oh, that's. I think that's one of the most amazing questions that I've like ever. And I also ask myself that because they each song, like it's born in a different way. Sometimes it starts with the melody. I just like I'm walking and it's like, okay, I don't know why, but I have this melody on my mind, let's do something about it. Other times I just write the lyric and then the music comes after. And some other times I'm just like I don't know like having a harmonic thing that is just the music in the background, like the harmony, the chorus or the progression, and then I start doing something on the top. So it's been different, like musically, um, it's, it's, it's different for every song. I always say that every song is unique and it has its own life and its own I don't know, it's, it's amazing, that's. That's the most amazing amazing thing about music and about art. It just comes and goes in so many different ways.
Speaker 2:But what inspires me to write mainly is stories. I'm very into stories, so other people's stories. I'm very into other people's stories and my stories. So I'm more like other people's stories and my story, so I'm more like a other people's story songwriter. Okay, I don't usually write about my stuff. I don't know why. I just like I think there's so many interesting stories out there, uh, and not because my story is not interesting, but I don't know. I just like I just feel that I got again more inspired by others than by myself sometimes, uh. But then I'm gonna talk about why I'm inspired right now in something about my life.
Speaker 2:But, um, something about other people's life is like I don't know, when people come and sit with me and tell me their story, it's amazing to be part of that and to be able to I don't know, to write that story in a song that it's gonna last forever. So, uh, yeah, I think I got. I get inspired from that mainly, uh and I know it sounds like cliche but of love and heartbreak. I think those two emotions and those two situations are the most common in music, because those, like whenever you love someone or when someone loves you back, I think is one of the most amazing emotions and the most human emotions that exist that the way of communicating them is through art. So that's why I love like love songs and heartbreak songs, even though I'm not in heartbreaks, but I always like cry in those songs like I can't believe it. I feel that I'm the heartbroken, but I'm not it's so touching.
Speaker 1:Everything you just said it's very touching and you're right, mean, even though I'm not heartbroken. But every time I listen to a sad song or like a touchy, emotional I wouldn't say sad, because not all of them are sad, but they are about love. But then whenever they get too emotional, I'm like, why am I crying? I'm not heartbroken, crying, I'm not heartbroken. Yeah, I didn't know. That's beautiful that you get to share other people's stories through your music and, like you said, they're they'll live there forever. Um, can you remember the last time that you started to write a song and what did you base it out of? What? Who's not you don't have to say whose story, but what's the story behind it?
Speaker 2:okay, so I think the last song that I wrote so I work for a company that, um, like, we do songs for people, for different experiences. So if it's gonna be someone else's birthday or if you wanna, like, tell your husband you love him, I just make a song about your story and about what you want to say, but in a song. So, um, the last song that I wrote, um it was it was, it was a hard story, like it was this girl from ma, maine that she met someone, like via Facebook, but he was from Colombia, so he came to the US but he wasn't able to cross the border, so the border was in between their love. So that was like the main thing. So it was so hard for them because they were so in love and I think they've seen each other once and and they were like I don't know, this connection is amazing how you can have a connection with someone that is in another part of the world Just by calling him or texting him or without touching each other, kind of thing.
Speaker 2:So it was a story that I don't know it. It really, uh, makes me feel very I don't know passionate about what's going on with with all this kind of stuff like right, the border stuff, so, um, yeah, I think that was like the heart, not heartbreak, but you know, like I'm gonna fight for you kind of song I wrote for them. So I think that was the last one, like I think I wrote that two days ago, so that's, that's like the last one that I've treated oh, that is so nice.
Speaker 1:I didn't know you were working for this, uh, company that did this kind of things and like it's similar to those companies that write a book about your story, right, so you know, it's not that, it's like you've never, right, like you can put your own love story into a book, like an illustrative, illustrative book more than anything. I know I've done that for jose before, but I've never done this someone. So that makes me very interested to know how does this whole company work. So you have to send me after our conversation, you have to send me the name, or I'll have to look up different companies that do this kind of things, because I didn't know that that was out there. So really good to know. It's pretty cool, yes, exciting, um, and then so talk.
Speaker 1:So talk to us about your upcoming album. I know that the last song is coming out soon and it's called Musas Mexicanas. Can you tell us a little bit about the album and how did you incorporate your cultural heritage into music you mentioned? You mentioned your gram, your grandparents or your grandparent, um, liked mexican folk, uh, so, yes, if you could just tell us a little bit about how the culture hedges into your music, and what role does it play in shaping your creative expression?
Speaker 2:okay. So, um, I think it was very interesting how this album was born because, um, this album is musas mexicanas, and I'm gonna talk a little bit more about the album first. So this album is inspired in women that have made history in mexico. So I was like I don't know why, but I feel that no one's talking about what women have done in mexico. It's more about miguel hidalgo, um cristobal colon, right he coming, and then morelos and all these people that were very important for the conquest, the independence and all this historic things that happened. But no one was talking about this amazing woman too, right? So I was like I don't know, I think I can be the voice for them.
Speaker 2:So this project started when I was studying at Boston. It's, it's pretty awesome how how things happen because you don't. It's like the the. The quote says right, like you don't know what you have until you lose it. So I was in the us and I was like why I, I don't know, like I've always loved mexico, but I loved it, like I love, love Mexico more now that I'm here in the US. So it's like, how crazy is this? So I was like, okay, I think I can do something about it. So I started singing a lot of Mexican folk when I was at Boston, a lot of it. So I was, um, yeah, I was going around just singing that style of music.
Speaker 2:And then when I came back, because of the pandemic, one of the classes was about writing a song that had, like, a main character of your country in it. So I was like, okay, let's see. So I opened the history book from mexico so I was like, okay, let's see what we found here. And the first woman that I found was La Malinche. So, yeah, so I was like, okay, who is La Malinche? I've heard it in the lottery, but I've never heard it. Like I don't know anything about her. So let's read a little bit more about her. So I read about her, I did my research and it was amazing, everything like all that I found about her. I did my research and it was amazing, everything like all that I found about her. So that's how I got inspired to wrote my first song La Traductora, so the translator, because she was a translator From Nahuatl to Spanish For Hernan Cortes. Okay, so, yeah, it's like a whole history background. It's amazing, uh. So that's how the first song was born.
Speaker 2:And then the other songs, uh, were born from other women that have made history in mexico, and the last song that is coming up next month is going to be the last one of that album. Like, I have been releasing them by singles, so that's why you're you're not gonna be able to find musas mexicanas album in um digital platforms. You're gonna find them by singles because I haven't released them by an album. So that's why it's gonna be completed in one month, okay, so, with my last song. So keep posted for that. It's going to be amazing and, yeah, that's how that album was born and that's how I implement the cultural Mexican stuff in my music. So, yeah, I think this album is very special for me and it's going to be, I think, the most cultural one that I'm going to write. Yeah, I've ever written.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love how you're focusing on women who had made history because, yes, you're so right, we don't really get to hear much about about the women and, for example, I didn't know who La Malinche was. I've heard the name La Loteria, and I know there is a content creator who's called herself La Malinche and I always thought where is that coming from? And I know I've seen her wear like indigenous stuff. But now that I looked it up, I'm like everything makes sense, why she calls herself La Malinche, why she wears like all this Indian stuff. But, wow, very interesting to know and I can't wait for your album to come out how many songs.
Speaker 2:So it's going to be five songs.
Speaker 1:Oh nice. Is it going to be your first album or my first EP? Yeah, oh, that's so exciting. Congratulations. I can't wait to listen to it, and I'm going to go listen to the other songs as well. Wait until you do it, and I'm gonna go listen to the other songs as well. Um, so, how does? Can you walk us through a little bit uh about how the album creation works? Maybe, maybe this could be inspiration and motivation for younger girls who also aspire to be someone like you or a singer. How do they start like, how does an album creation work? What's the process like?
Speaker 2:so, um, the album process for me because I think it's different for everyone, just like for every artist it's just like whatever art, like a I don't know, like a piece, like um, like lots of paintings and lots of you know, but for me, as a musician like sofia peña talking about myself, uh, for me it was just like uh, first, what is the theme? Right, like, what is the topic I'm gonna be like talking about, right, it can be myself, it can be love, it can be heartbreak, it can be whatever, but what's like the main topic? Then, from the main, you go it's like the core, it's like the earth, you just go like from the outside, and then you go like more into like deeper, deeper stuff, so that's like the main thing. And then, like, how many songs are gonna be? Um, doing right writing, so, uh, what are gonna be the songs about? Like that relates to that topic, and then, um, just letting inspirations like come to you.
Speaker 2:Sometimes what some other people do is collaborations. I think is one of the most intelligent, smart things to do, because you get other people to be part of that also like creative process. So I think, if you have the opportunity to invite someone else to the project and to be part of it. It's going to bring so much more um I don't know colors and diversity than just yourself. Like writing something. So that's what I do I write my songs. But I have a producer that he's amazing, his name is poncho, and with him we work together in collaboration with all these amazing musicians that have been like recording the guitars, the drums, all the instruments that sounds in my music, like sound in my music. So, uh, with all of them, I have made what I, what I've made, like, with my album. So they are very, very important for for what I've done. So, yeah, I think, um, yes, just be clear of what you want to transmit and open yourself to collaborations awesome.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. How did you find your producer? Did you? Was it someone that you knew? Uh was a word of mouth. Um, how do, how can people find their own producers?
Speaker 2:there's a lot of producers out there and right now, because of social media and stuff like that, like you, you're able just like to I don't know, just in your story, like someone producers, or if you go to a music college. There's so many over there and there's so many people that are all that are open to helping other people, like we in music we are. Sometimes people think that we are not very open, but I think we are. We are very open to help others, to be part of different projects. So I think you can find them, just write them, just like, text them, message them on instagram, on facebook, whatever. You see them, just like, send them a text or a message. I I think they're gonna, um, answer you back.
Speaker 2:And the way that I found mine, it was so funny because I won a like a contest three or four years ago for a song, uh, for missions, so he was the one, the producer, that produced the song for the, for the winner. So that's how I met him and then after that, we became friends. So we've been friends since then and it's amazing like I have introduced him to a lot of other artists and musicians and he has done that for me too. So I don't know, it's been like an amazing kind of relationship where we are both I don't know connected in music, right, like musically. I think we're connected because he always gets my ideas. He's like I know what you have on your mind. It's like okay, let's see.
Speaker 1:And he knows that, yeah, you got very blessed and lucky to find someone that you connect, you can connect with and basically you can read what you want to do with with music. So that's, it sounds like a great teamwork effort. Yeah, for sure, for sure. I want to go back back whenever you were younger. Have you always been and I'm relating this to your live performance have you always not being shy to perform in public? How did you, how was it? Whenever you did your first live events and with people performing in front of many people?
Speaker 2:Hey, you know something about that. Like it's very funny that you're asking this, because I've never been shy of singing in front of a lot of people, never, not even when I was younger. Like my parents were like in, like in a restaurant. We were at a restaurant and they were like, okay, can you sing us a song? And I was like yeah, so I, I just like stand and start singing in the middle of the restaurant. So like people were like, okay, what's going on? But I wasn't like I don't know why I I wasn't ashamed or I wasn't shy about that. So I was like, okay, let's sing, I love to do this, so let's do it, uh. So yeah, I've never been shy about it, never.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, very, very passionate about, I mean all around, all all around music. So, from singing, from writing, from performing live, what do you enjoy the most? Uh, about performing live.
Speaker 2:I think what, what I enjoy the most is just connecting with people. I think that's the most important thing to do, and I don't know whenever I have all these people in front of me. It's not about me, right, it's about them. And what do I make them feel with what I do? And what I also feel when they're there appreciating what am I doing? And, yeah, I think that's the most amazing, amazing thing about live music the people that is out there listening to to you and to your art. That's the most, I don't know. I'm always very grateful for all these people that listen to myself, because they take the time to listen to my music, to listen to me and to appreciate the art that I do. So that's the main thing.
Speaker 2:The second is, like it's I don't know, it's so different the live music than recording sessions. I think you can tell that too. You can do the song in a different version, you can do variations and stuff like that you don't do in a recording, and also you can connect variations and stuff like that you don't do in a recording. Um, and also you can connect with people. You can. You can talk to them, you can ask them questions. They can ask you questions. I love live music. I love live performances. I think it's one of my favorite things to do yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:I, I, I totally love live music as well. It's it's just the energy that you get from all the people being in one place and listening to their favorite artists, or even new upcoming artists. I, I really hope to see you at acl one year. I think that would be amazing. How do you prep, like what are your? But before you go sing live? Is there anything that you do like I don't know a mantra or I don't know something that you do every time before you go and perform? Or is it more just like okay, we're ready, let's go?
Speaker 2:so um, yeah, I think I do before getting into stage or before getting into, yeah, into live performance, a live performance, I always do like little warm-ups, always like try to warm up my voice a little bit, and I always um also, I don't know like I do a little prayer. I always like give thanks to God just to be able to be there, to be able to share my talent with a lot of different people and being able to connect with them. I think that's that's one of the things I'm great, like, most grateful in my life. And yeah, I think that's that's what I do. I don don't do a lot of very complicated stuff or whatever. I just come in and I try to enjoy it. I tell myself enjoy it, it doesn't matter how it goes at the end, just enjoy every moment.
Speaker 1:And yeah, that's okay, good to know. Praying is always always helps and giving thanks, it's always very important. Yes, being thankful. Well, we, I can definitely see everybody's listening, but I can definitely see that we have Carlo, so we have two guests. We have Sofia and we have Carlo, which is love me as a baby and congratulations again for being a mom. He's so precious. And I wanted to ask you how motherhood has influenced or inspire your music and creativity and, you know, has it brought any new perspectives or challenges to the artistic journey?
Speaker 2:so I don't know, like at the beginning, when I first realized I was pregnant, I was so excited but at the same time I was a little bit not worried. But I was thinking about what was going to happen with my music career or with music right but after he was born well, not after, in the process, when he was in my inside, my belly and when he was born I realized it's one of the best, like one of the greatest, inspirations I've ever had. So my next album is inspired in him. So it's gonna be eight songs. It's gonna be a little bit longer than the past one, and this one is gonna be a little bit longer than the past one, and this one is going to be a little bit more pop. So we're going to have also Spanglish.
Speaker 2:So both languages for all the people. To all the people who can't understand, because I'm like in the middle right now, I'm from Mexico but I live in the US, so I think I want to communicate that in both languages. So, yeah, I think he has inspired me to write a lot of new music and, um for sure it's it's. It's been a little bit challenging because I need to take care of him like 24, 7, all day long. So sometimes I I really need to to organize myself a little bit more and to make myself um a time when he's sleeping or something like that, to to get creative and to to get into my music. But definitely it's been more positive than like negative.
Speaker 2:I can say like for sure, and um, yeah, I'm so happy that I have him. So, yeah, I'm grateful, I'm very grateful and yeah, I think I I don't know if I, if I answered.
Speaker 1:Yes, no, of course, I'm super excited and looking forward to seeing what you're going to be creating around him and about him, so I'm very excited to see what's coming. I know I want to be very respectful of your time in his, so I think I just have one more question, which is beyond volunteering and helping others and beyond the music and art what other passions do you have? What? What else are you passionate about?
Speaker 2:all of us, as humans, have, like, different passions and many passions. Do you have? What else are you passionate about? All of us, as humans, have different passions and many passions. I've always said that you don't only have one passion. You have many passions in life and different stages in life too. Right, when you do all these different passions. One of my biggest passions is to teach others. So I am. I'm a teacher, so I'm a music teacher too. Oh, I love giving to the world what it gave to me, like it was given to me before. Right, I don't know. I love to share knowledge with people because I think that's the most valuable thing you can do for others Just share what you know and share what you have so they one day can share them to someone else. I think that's one of my passions. Other of my passion is, like I don't know, getting very deep.
Speaker 2:I love to reflect about like making reflections about life, making I don't know just like mindfulness and all this mental health stuff. I am very into that. I love helping others in whatever way I can, so I think that's my biggest passion. Like beyond music, beyond anything else, I think helping is my greatest.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing, Helping and teaching. It's also another blessing I've also mentioned this in previous interviews that it's one thing to know, but another thing to share with others what your knowledge and I don't think it comes natural to everyone. So if it comes natural to someone, I always think it's such a blessing. Then, to wrap up, just two last questions that I always like to ask. It's one what ignites your creative flame?
Speaker 2:Mainly God.
Speaker 2:I think he's the one that is behind everything that I do, everything that I say, everything that I am as a person, my family, by now, my son.
Speaker 2:I think he's the one that is helping me really, really go for my dreams, because I've always said like, oh, yeah, you should dream, and I've been inspiring other people to do that and follow your dreams and do whatever is in your heart, and it's like sometimes I find myself not doing that, and then I realized that if I want my son to be able to follow his dreams, I need to follow mine first so he he can have that example and like, okay, my mom, my mom did it.
Speaker 2:Why can't I do it? So, um, yeah, I, so yeah, I think my family and also myself, like being able to believe in myself and be able to let the fear out and let the obstacles and all these excuses that sometimes we always say to I don't know like I was talking to you about that right, like we always have excuses, we always have something that makes us not do what we want to do. Right, like we we've always wanted to do. So I think, um, yeah, ourselves are the most important thing to be aware of when it comes to make dreams come true thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing it's. It's really been an inspiration to to have you and share your journey. Uh, just the last question. It's gonna be what trade secret could you share? And it doesn't have to be like a trade secret, but just maybe, um, a tip, a trick or something that you know that you'd like to share with others, so they can also take advantage of this trade secret of yours okay, I think it.
Speaker 2:It's related to the last question. So I found myself in the way like right now, I've just been working a lot on myself. So I think the most important thing and the most amazing thing you can do for yourself is love yourself, is being aware of where are you at and what does your body and your mind needs in the moment. So I think, uh, just remember to love yourself first and remember to put you first. In like a lot of different situations, it doesn't matter, like it doesn't mean sorry, that you don't have to care about what others like feelings are, but like put yourself first and know that you are enough. I think that's my quote for this year. You are enough. So, yeah, if I can, if I, if I was able to, to be in front of you guys, the one that, like all these people that are listening, listening to to us, it's like you are enough and you're able to achieve whatever you want to achieve in life. Just be aware that you're gonna. You need to start with yourself.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I think that's thank you, my heart is so full. Thank you so so much, sophia. I'm very honored to have the opportunity to interview you and continue to learning from you. It's really been an inspiration and I'm very grateful that we had this opportunity. Thank you for sharing your insights, your story, your experiences, and thank you for being here and for considering doing this interview. I'm very grateful for you and your friendship. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Thank you, kari. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to talk and just to be part of this amazing project we have. So, yeah, thank you so much, Sofia.
Speaker 1:Again, thank you for sharing your incredible journey and insights with us today. Your passion for art and storytelling shines through in every word and note, inspiring me and us to embrace authenticity and delve into life's subtle details to our listeners. Be sure to check out sofia's music and stay tuned for her upcoming album musas mexicanas. You can also find music on Spotify as Sophia Music and also on Instagram as Sophia Music underscore mx. Until next time and keep sparking and hustling. Thank you everyone.