Music is in my soul and even with all the money in the world, I would find a way to fit it into my everyday life. If money was not an issue I would travel the world learning music from other cultures. I would study how the sounds and rhythms of these types of music came about and book sessions in the best studios in the country and partner up with the masters of studio recording in the region. I could maybe even recruit a famous musician from that part of the world to join the production. Before the production, I would of course strive to find the best master classes from experts in these places to start creating my own personal global network of musicians. Going beyond music, I would also work towards connecting with people of these different cultures and understand their way of living so that I can more efficiently bring the joy of music to them. The connection between the musical essence of the player and the audience is crucial to the soul of almost every musician. I find the ability to create this connection outside of your home/habita/comfort zone an amazing experience. Another thing I would do on my trips is collecting regional instruments so that I can add unique colors to my sound collection. With these instruments I would experiment the boundaries of their sonoríceme qualities to maybe bring them outside of their element and expose them in new and creative ways. Finally, after each adventure, I would honestly just want to go home and rest, and also share and use my acquired knowledge in teaching, performances and more producing. In summary, if money wasn’t an issue, music would still be my life. It would still be, as Moana would say the “line where the sea meets the sky and it calls me”.

I came up with this piece sometime ago, yet it is one of the best representation of music expression I feel I have ever done to date. After a series of events we can narrow down to “band drama”, I sat in my bedroom quite annoyed that this guy who wanted to leave the band and take the rights of this song that I mostly composed and produced, just because he had written the lyrics. So that night I sat down wrote a new set of lyrics and re-arranged the whole song as a reply to his song and what he had done to the band. That moment has been one of the milestones in my journey towards self-expression through music. The next: music university.

Chess has become one of my best friends in the past year. Upon my father’s death, I kept trying to find activities that would keep me busy and focused in such a difficult time. Being a computer scientist and a lover of logic and strategy, I found refuge in chess. Chess.com has been my allied through these though pandemic times. More than once I became frustrated when loss after loss, I would lose points until I got to the very bottom of the rankings. However, I was determined to really learn to play the game and finally be able to win at least a game. In that learning process I grew focus, patience, and discipline, making myself practice every day tactics and matches. After I reached a level I was comfortable playing in, I decided to keep it a little more casual and apply these learnt skills in others areas of my life. I am currently working towards pursuing a degree in music, which has always been my passion. I’ve even come to see that just like every move is important in the chessboard, so is every note you play on your instrument. And just like playing your instrument is an expression of the soul, each chess move is an indicator of your character and your problem solving techniques. Chess can be compared to music in so many ways. Just like music, chess is a universal language. They are both logical expressions of feeling, algorithms that elevate our minds. So much so that with both we can create conversation between the players, even if they have different styles of play. In music this is called counterpoint. The beauty of a counterpoint melody is the perfect complement to the main melody just like the perfect defense move against a menacing attack. Finally, I can say that chess helped me grow, calm my mind and overcome grief. It has been a part of my life that I am sure that will continue teaching many valuable lessons that can be applied in different aspects of life.

With the tech industry on the rise, creating a virtual world separate from our actual reality, I’ve found the cliché “music is the universal language that brings us together” very relevant. True music appreciation allows us to live in the moment and connect with that true reality in front of us. Lately, connecting with people in such state been my goal. I started studying music since I was 9 years old, and by 16 I knew that it was what I was meant to do with the rest of my life. Even though I let life steer me on a different path, and I went with the flow preparing myself academically for what would be a job that is in demand. However, the feeling of pursuing my true musical passion always remained. After graduating with high honors from a bachelor in computer science, I now pursue a degree in music from the best music school my island has to offer: The Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. It is here that I plan to polish my skills and fully let go of my creativity to indulge in the art of creating moments and experiences for people that go beyond a screen. My previous degree showed me critical thinking, business strategies, and problem solving. All these things, I apply in my daily life as well as in my music. I am always looking for creative ways to solve problems that arise as a musician: the arrangement of music, the technical sound setup, the logistics of playing a gig and many other adversities we suddenly face on the spot. This has also helped me develop my improvisation skills and what we would could say is like thinking on my feet because “the show must go on”. My ultimate goal is to be able to combine both of my degrees and create technological solutions that could benefit the music business as well as independent musicians while creating unforgettable experiences for the audience. For that, fully learning the musician’s point of view is a crucial part of my development. This No-code scholarship could help ease the economic struggle of studying a second degree, since I already used most of my federal economic assistance on my first degree. I want to be able to fully focus on my college education and make the best out of the experience of studying something I absolutely love. I appreciate your consideration and your interest in the both technology and the creative arts, since that’s really what I’m mostly about. I truly believe we can find the balance between the virtual reality of the global internet and the present reality we experience, and find effective ways to exploit our creativity for the best. We are in the middle of a changing era, and I personally can not wait to see what this universe has in store in all its mystery.