Songstress: Interview with Jasmin Alvarez - Singer, Songwriter, & Pianist
Music has always been a big part of my life. Not in the way that a musician would say it is, but rather, I’ve always enjoyed listening. This may go back to when I was a kid, and my dad would play his old vinyl records. We’d also listen to oldies in the car. Later, my brother would get boxes from Columbia House, cassettes of alternative rock, and pop (remember Ace of Base?). Then later we got CDs: 10,00 Maniacs, Queen, Bob Marley, Live, Nirvana, Greenday, etc.
In middle school, everyone tried to decide if they were a part of the rocker group or the hip-hop group. They’d debate on whether Tupac or Notorious B.I.G. was better, or whether Nirvana or Metallica was better. In the meantime, I was listening to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk, along with stuff from the 80s, 70s, 60s, and 50s.
Some songs are touchstones of my life, or “life-songs” as I call them. These songs that denote particular times in my life: No Ordinary Love by Sade for my first crush is one. New Zeal Theme from the Chrono Trigger video game for when I spent two years picking up my sister from Middle School when I got a car. Jason Mraz’s entire “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” album for when I proposed to Cynthia. Colbie Caillat’s “Magic” for our wedding day. Then some artists have permeated all these moments, artists like Bonobo, whose discography has been the soundtrack to my life since 2004.
Needless to say, music is a big part of my life. So when I got to hear about Jasmin Alvarez over the summer of 2019 and what a remarkable and inspiring singer she was, I was keen to listen. Once I did get to hear, I wasn’t disappointed, but rather astounded! Then when I actually got to meet her, I was equally impressed by her as a person.
It was a privilege to sit down to discuss her music, her process, and get an understanding of the person behind the voice.
Take a seat, grab a drink, and let’s see what’s poppin’.
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JB: Who are you?
JA: My name is Jasmin Alvarez. I'm 24 years old. I'm a singer and a songwriter, and I also play the piano. I've been blind since birth. However, I have never considered this to be an obstacle in my life since I live a normal life like anyone else.
“I’ve been blind since birth. However, I have never considered this to be an obstacle in my life since I live a normal life like anyone else.”
JB: When did you first realize you were interested in music, and what gave it away?
JA: Well, I would have to say that I was practically born singing. Music holds a very special meaning in my life. Since both my parents had to work, my grandparents were the ones that mostly took care of me when I was young. My grandparents were always very musical, especially my grandmother, since she's a piano teacher. So, music was always surrounding me in one way or another. My grandparents would play their favorite songs, and I found myself trying to sing along to the words. Many times I would sit on the piano and start banging on the keys and trying to play the melodies I would hear. Eventually, my grandparents and the rest of my family started to notice how happy music made me feel. Not long after, I started taking professional singing lessons.
JB: You also play the piano, are you self taught, or did you receive formal training?
JA: Since my grandma is a piano teacher, I also began learning basic piano when I was three. However, I didn't really take many piano lessons. I learned notes and a little bit of music theory. I mainly concentrated on my singing, so I play the piano by ear and accompany myself when I sing.
I would really like to continue improving my Piano skills. My grandma can basically only teach up to about a second or third-grade level, and I need more advanced lessons. That's why after I learned the basics with her, I had to continue self-teaching and learned to play music by ear. So I am hoping that I could eventually find a teacher to help me with more complex things to improve my playing.
JB: You sing and play the piano, do you play anything else?
JA: I'm a person that always has to be learning something new, especially when it comes to music since I'm interested in a variety of genres. So when I graduated from school, I decided to start learning a new instrument, the Accordion.
JB: Why the Accordion?
JA: Besides the fact that I love challenges, I really like to listen to German folk music. Since one of the main instruments in this genre is the Accordion, I wanted to learn to play it so I would be able to sing these songs and accompany myself. I found that even though I could play them on the piano, it just wasn't the same. It took a while to find an Accordion and a teacher, yet I was determined to search. After about 6 months, I found a teacher and eventually also bought my Accordion.
JB: What is your favorite genre to listen to, what is your favorite genre to sing, and what is your favorite genre to play?
JA: Well, this is actually a pretty hard question for me to be honest. The thing is that I'm pretty random when it comes to the music that I listen to, especially since I'm always open to learning about different genres, singers, and songs in general.
I listen to pop, I like listening to a lot of ballads and love to sing a lot of slow music since I find that it goes well with my voice. I also like Jazz and some swing, a bit of alternative and rock, I like classical music and even country music. German folk music and also Greek music as well. It really just depends on what mood I'm in and the song that I'm in the mood to play and sing at that moment.
Although I listen to modern songs, I have to say that I love oldies music very much. My parents raised me listening to the 80s, and my grandparents took me back to the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I feel like I enjoy singing oldies most of all. Back then, there was something about music that I feel like nowadays doesn't exist anymore. The lyrics were so meaningful, singers were just so incredibly talented, and best of all, the musical arrangements were so unique and pure.
Another thing that I love is that music back then was all live. I have always loved listening to live orchestras, I can't express how many emotions go through my head when I listen to music played live. Back then, you were able to appreciate a beautiful arrangement and a live orchestra, something that is much harder nowadays since everything is digital. I usually find myself listening to Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and many many more from that era. And I enjoy singing their songs as well. I also like music from Celine Dion, Whitney Huston, and Andrea Bocelli.
“Back then, you were able to appreciate a beautiful arrangement and a live orchestra, something that is much harder nowadays since everything is digital.”
JB: How do you approach singing a song vs. playing a song on the piano, is there a difference for you?
JA: I feel like singing always comes more natural for me and is much easier for me than playing. But in the end its basically the same for me. When I hear a song that I like, I listen to it a lot to memorize the lyrics. After I memorize the song, then I focus on learning how to play it. This can sometimes be a little challenging. It depends on the song. I listen to the musical arrangement and try to play what I hear on the piano. Once I learn that and practice, I put it all together.
JB: What inspires you to play?
JA: So many emotions and moments can inspire you, and it can be many different things for everybody. For me, it just depends on where I am, with who I'm with, or just how I'm feeling. I think that inspiration is extraordinary, and it doesn't always come when you want it to. Sometimes it's just random. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I wake up suddenly with a melody in my head, and that's where my inspiration begins. I have to get up, put my headphones on, and sit in front of my keyboard and play, then record it, so I don't forget it. Sometimes the lyrics come with the melody, and I write it all down. Usually, it's in the most unexpected moments when I get inspired not only to compose but to sing and play in general.
JB: What is your proudest moment musically?
JA: I honestly think that I've had a couple of those. There have been a few performances and events that I've very much enjoyed, but the one that mostly gave me real joy was last year. I had the honor and privilege of participating in a very special event. I took part in an evening gathering event that was part of an international convention of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was an 8-night event, and we had four shows in English and four in Spanish. I was one of the lead singers. We had a choir composed of about 80 people, along with dancers and a beautiful orchestra. I had the amazing opportunity of performing in front of thousands of people that came from many countries. The joy that I felt to be part of this event is indescribable.
JB: I am a fledgling, or rather, a flailing guitar player, I find music to be immensely challenging. What have been some of the challenges you've faced, and how did you overcome them?
JA: Yes, music can indeed be challenging. But I try not to see it that way all the time. I guess its probably because I love it so much and it makes me feel happy more than anything. I'm always challenging myself in one way or another, and I try not to let challenges define or stop me. I think one of the challenges I face is that sometimes I really want to sing a song I love, and it can be very hard for me to play it. As I said, since I'm mostly self-taught when it comes to playing, sometimes it can be challenging to learn a song by ear. However, I haven't let this stop me from singing what I love; it's just given me a reason to work harder in improving my skills and figure it out as best I can. I can't really say that I've overcome this challenge, but by working hard and continuing to face it, and by practicing so much, I can say that I've noticed that I've improved a lot. I plan to continue working hard every day to continue to grow.
JB: You're a pretty down to earth person, given your huge talent. What's kept you so grounded?
JA: Although singing is something that I enjoy very much and makes me happy, I don't consider myself the best or better than anyone else. I thank God for giving me the gift of singing, and I believe that music is something that makes everyone happy no matter what their circumstance. I think that music can change people's lives for the better. I feel that it's a privilege for me to be able to do what I can to give some sort of encouragement to people by using this beautiful gift. I would like to continue to do that. I've never really wanted to stand out or put myself above someone else.
I know that in fact there are many many other amazing singers and musicians out there and I feel like I am still learning from them every day. Learning on how to improve, and continue to grow musically. I feel like there will never be a day when I will say, I finally graduated! Because with music, there's always something new to learn every day. Knowing that I have been given a gift that I can share with the world, that alone makes me very happy.
“Knowing that I have been given a gift that I can share with the world, that alone makes me very happy.”
JB: You're also a bit of a linguist, aside from English and Spanish, what other languages do you speak?
JA: I also speak German and Greek.
JB: Why those languages?
JA: I'm a person that loves learning new things. Something in particular that I'm interested in is in meeting new people and learning about their culture. I believe that there is no better way to get to know a person then to speak to them in their language. There's something about talking to them in their native language that makes the connection between you and that person more significant and unique.
To me, learning languages has always been fascinating. I like the German culture and language. So as soon as I graduated from high school I immediately began searching for a teacher. After some time I found her and we started lessons online. Two years later, I went to visit Germany and there we stayed with a Greek family. As soon as I heard them speak Greek, I fell in love with the language and immediately got curious and started asking them questions and learning basic words. When I got back from my vacation, I started learning Greek. I'm delighted that I learned both German and Greek, and I also enjoy singing in these languages as well. I would also like to learn some more languages in the future.
JB: Many people know you for your music, tell me something most wouldn't know about you.
JA: I think that something that most people don't know is that I have always been a very persistent and determined person. I believe that in life, if you really want to accomplish something, just saying you want to do it is not the solution. However, even though you sometimes may try, it can sometimes be very hard to reach your goals and dreams, or things that you really want to do. But that has never really been something that has stopped me. I think that if I hadn't been persistent and determined enough, I probably wouldn't have accomplished things that I really wanted to do in my life.
“I believe that in life, if you really want to accomplish something, just saying you want to do it is not the solution.”
JB: What do you do to relax.
JA: I like reading and watching movies, going out for a walk, and playing with my dogs.
JB: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
JA: If I had the chance to travel anywhere now, I would probably go to Greece. I love the Greek language, Greek food, and also the Greek culture. I would like to spend some time there, visit my friends that live there and also speak lots of Greek. That would be amazing.
JB: What are your short and long term goals?
JA: I would like to learn a couple of new languages. There is one in particular that I find super cool, and that is Japanese. I know its a hard one, and the fact that the language is very visual makes it even harder because I know I won't be able to learn to write it. But I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to find a teacher or someone that could help me so at least I can learn to speak it.
I would also like to continue improving my piano playing and maybe even learn to play another instrument. I would also like to travel more. Besides Greece, I would also like to go to Spain, Italy, and it would be great to go to Australia.
I would also love to have a concert of my own one day. Although I've performed in many events throughout my life, I would love to experience what it’s like to be able to do a show of my own. Sing the songs that I love and to be able to share a special moment like that along with my family and dear friends. I don't really know if this one will happen, but I feel like its definitely something I like to have as one of my goals.
Thanks to Jasmin for taking the time to chat with me and give us a glimpse of the person behind the voice. I don’t know about you guys, but I am pretty excited to go to a Jasmin Alvarez concert.
You can find her on her own YouTube Channel, I wholly recommend it!
