An interview with Rodrigo Diaz Nieto by Rohini Soedhwa

 

 

An interview of Rodrigo Diaz Nieto by Rohini Soedhwa

 

 Rodrigo is a music composer, singer and songwriter. He is currently a 3^rd year music student at SFU. In this interview we chat about his music, past and current influences and where he is headed as a music artist. His music is very inspiring and the music above is a really awesome piece called Forge Ahead. He recently composed it for the alto, tenor and baritone saxophone. Listen to it as you read more about Rodrigo in this interview!

 

RS: What’s your background?

RDN: In terms of musical background, in elementary school we had a lot of music classes and choir type of activities. I've been singing for a really long time. I also played the tenor saxophone for two to three years before high school. Then I kind of stopped playing for a while. After that I took a really long break from music. I still sang, but everything else I kind of stopped doing. I guess what interests me and compels me for music is metal and prog style music. That is what I’m also most familiar with now, so I guess that’s my background.

RS: How would you describe yourself as an artist?

RDN: I would say that I'm a composer first in many different genres, because I started with metal and rock and those kinds of traditional types of popular rock music but now I’m also a composer of new music. School has kind of pushed us in that direction which is good because it’s helping me to break out of my comfort zones. Besides that, I’m also a singer and songwriter.

RS: What artists/bands would you say your influences and inspirations come from when you sing?

RDN: The first obvious thing is the Iron Maiden flag in the back of my room. I think that’s the number one band for sure. Other bands are Judas Priest, Dio, Avantasia and Ayreon, as well as Toehider. I find those singers really inspiring and just crazy how big their vocal ranges are, and they can do some crazy things with their voices, like screaming. Ayreon is more like a super group and I would call them a metal Opera where members and singers come together to create a big concept album and that is what has been a big influence for me. 

RS: What is your creative process like?

RDN:  I'm often inspired to write something after hearing something that I really like. It will push me to create. It could be that I hear something, read something or watch a cool movie or whatever and then I'll all of a sudden kind of be inspired to start making my own thing. I also like to tell stories. I'm a very creative person. I just don't have a very good way of getting all the ideas that I have in my head out into art. I just need to find a way to get those stories out and that’s one of my motivations.

RS: Does the Contemporary environment influence your work at all? How does it influence your music making process? Like I myself don’t play any instruments but because of the contemporary stuff we’re doing at school I suddenly feel like I play all instruments.

RDN: I’m not sure. In a way I feel the same way. I don’t really play a lot of instruments and because of school I end up playing whatever is available to us. I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. But I might be underselling myself and maybe everybody feels that way. It definitely helps me I guess, to break out of my habits for writing and my comfort zones of music that I’m familiar with. And I find that I’m writing stuff in which you can see that my influences are there but it’s something entirely different.

RS: What is your most favorite part of making music?

RDN: I like the planning phases and when finally, everything is starting to come together. I think that’s my favorite part of the work process. That is kind of the whole process that I am describing but this is where I get to be the most ambitious and have zero regards for whether it'll come out that way or not. I guess I like seeing how my ideas change and evolve into something else over time. In terms of what I like to do, I would say singing. I always really have fun with that and to record myself. 

RS: What's your most embarrassing moment?

RDN: I like to not remember those. There was one time in grade five that I threw up all over the floor in the middle of class. I had probably eaten too many pancakes. I think that was what happened.

RS: What's next for you?

RDN: I would like to release music that I've made myself and with other friends and musicians that I want to work with. As long as I'm making stuff and get to do creative things, I'm happy.