Today we’d like to introduce you to Alvaro Pastor
Alvaro, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am an Argentine musician and educator living in Utah, USA. I came in contact with music at a very early age and created an almost unconscious but very powerful affinity. My brother Sebastian, 14 years older than me, used to play for hours and show me his favorite bands. My parents, noticing that I liked it so much, took me to my first guitar lessons at the age of 5. I took group lessons at a free academy in my city, with maestro Raul Diaz, who quickly taught me the basics and I was able to start private lessons. I got into the regional music of Argentina and in turn into the world of classical music, something Raul loved to play and teach, that’s why my roots are with the Nylon guitar. I integrated several groups, among them Las Cien Guitarras Argentinas, I traveled and met many people during my elementary school. A little later, already with a certain understanding of the instrument I participated in different bands of rock, blues and pop music in my city Villa Mercedes starting to see that it was possible to live from music and that gave me the last OK I needed to decide that this was what I wanted for my future. I decided, once I finished high school, to move to the city of Córdoba, where the music scene was much bigger and there were very prestigious music universities. There I went, and together with the maestro Horacio Burgos I got my degree as a superior instrumentalist specialized in Guitar. The city of Cordoba really showed me what it means to be a musician, it took me to all its corners and told me everything I needed to know at that time. Once I graduated, I decided it was time to get involved in a new scene and I focused on the United States, I got a scholarship to study at Snow College and there really wasn’t much to think about, I had heard that the program was very good and slowly I was reading about the educators there, I was 100% convinced. I arrived here in August 2022, got my degree, and now I can have the great honor of working alongside these very talented artists as a colleague, as an adjunct professor in the guitar area. I also managed to integrate myself into the Utah music scene, and I have toured almost everywhere in the state, and many others playing with wonderful people, it definitely is and was a much bigger challenge than I expected, but at the same time much more wonderful as well.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all, making this decision was very hard because it changed everything from one day to the next. I don’t regret it for a second because the reward is, and I’m sure it will be totally fair. I prepared myself a lot, but still very tough challenges arise and continue to arise every day that I would never have imagined I would have to face. Living in a place that you have never even visited before, and that you can hardly communicate with sometimes hits you hard, but it opens your eyes and teaches you, at least to me, the most valuable things I have ever learned.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a musician, I compose my own music and produce it, but I also participate as a session and contract musician for other bands. In addition, I work as an educator for several academies in the Utah County area, including Snow College.
I am very proud to have overcome the difficulties that were presented to me on this journey. But I am even more proud to feel prepared to face the ones to come. I like to challenge myself, and I have learned to fight from discomfort.
What matters most to you?
I care a lot about caring, I know it sounds rhetorical. But I like to build, I like to make those around me feel good and always “push” them to something better.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_alvaropastor/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alvaro.pastor.501
