We’re looking forward to introducing you to ALFREDO MURO. Check out our conversation below.
Hi ALFREDO, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
I think integrity is a fundamental human value; without it, a combination of intelligence with a lack of integrity can occur, and that intelligence and energy can be misused.
Consequently, risk arises when, without integrity, something or someone can be manipulated, taking advantage of something or causing harm. We can observe this every day in the handling of so-called fake news or manipulated information.
On the other hand, integrity is synonymous with trust; we can trust that a person will act fairly and ethically.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Peruvian-American musician, concert guitarist, and guitar teacher.
Before I reached the age of six, everything related to percussion attracted me so much that I wanted to be a drummer, but when I got my hands on a guitar, everything changed; it was love at first sight. It was a “before and after” that changed my life forever and allowed me to express with the guitar and using it as an extension of myself.
In my family’s eyes, being a musician was seen as a hobby and not a serious profession. Even today, this misconception persists, and very little has changed.
Faced with this family and social pressure, I had to choose to study a “serious” profession and chose to become a lawyer.
I practiced that profession for a few years, but when you have the ability to recognize that vocational calling, and above all, you can acknowledge who your mentor and inspiration is, then you can change the course of your desires and drive to do and be what you truly desire with passion.
What makes my role as an artist is not only presenting concerts but also bringing Western and Latin American culture to the audience, conveying what the composer wants to express, telling a story behind each piece. I also bring music closer to the listener from a didactic and aesthetic perspective.
As a guitar teacher, I always try to instill in my students the capacity for musical expression and dynamics. It’s not enough to play technically well; you have to use that technique to convey the soul of the artist.
As a musician, you are always evolving in direct relation to your learning. The wonderful thing about music is that you never stop learning!
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was young boy with great sensitivity and dream, I was very observant and fortunately I came from a musical family and exposed to music, poetry and arts. I’ve always loved music with passion and dedication, but I was also aware that it’s a very small and difficult market.
My aspiration was always to be a good professional musician, but I never imagined that music and my guitar would become a kind of international passport that has led me to perform in more than eighteen countries and on four continents. For me, that was like a dream come true, but it didn’t come out of nowhere. Hard work, discipline, dedication, and passion, plus a dose of talent, are the fundamental components to achieve that goal.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, of course, like everything in life, there are times when you feel like the doors of opportunity aren’t opening, but a reflection made me think that you don’t have to wait for the longed-for opportunity, you have to embrace it.
In my early days as a musician, I had to start working professionally at 13 and experience a world, environments, and even schedules that weren’t the most suitable for a teenager. But all those difficulties were part of what we now call experience and part of what today is your musical background. It was a kind of learning without being taught, that is, being exposed to different styles of guitar playing or rhythms from your own cultural roots.
When you identify what you want to be, then that will be the essential driving force in your journey through ups and downs.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
That’s an interesting question. I am convinced first as a person and second as an artist, whether interacting socially in your community or in the artistic scene, as is my case, you have to show always the authenticity of your personality. You can’t pretend to be something you’re not.
You can’t convey in everyday social interactions what you’re not and what you don’t feel, so it’s essential to be authentic and sincere so that this message comes from the heart and soul. Just as a musician you can play notes and more notes, and perhaps that’s why they call you a musician, but if you play with your soul, you will be a genuine artist and a genuine human being.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If immortality were real, what would you build?
If I had the “gift” of immortality, I would try to contribute to my community, my family, circle of friends and the society in general to making the world a better place. How? Through education and values, culture, the arts, love for reading, and music that is a universal language. When we experienced the pandemic, in one way or another, we were able to appreciate and value the importance of music in society and appreciated the depth of simplicity as well as other values. As the great Cuban composer Leo Brouwer once said: “If we went 48 hours without music, a global catastrophe would occur.”
I think education is essential for facing the world and its challenges, and it helps you weigh things with discretion and make correct judgments. It helps you cement your values. Reading allows you to soar to unimaginable places.
I’m sure that each of us can contribute with these personal ingredients to became a better human beings and would help build a better world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: alfredomuro.9
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alfredo.muro.9
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alfredomuro
Image Credits
Photo credits Rosemarie Schild & VerdeMenta Estudio de Fotografia
