{"id":385,"date":"2019-09-06T21:53:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T21:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marmoset-journal.flywheelsites.com\/music-licensing-quitapenas\/"},"modified":"2020-12-16T01:25:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T09:25:00","slug":"music-licensing-quitapenas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/music-licensing-quitapenas\/","title":{"rendered":"The Artists Behind Music Licensing: QUITAPENAS"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \" data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \" style=\"max-width: 1000.0px;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \" style=\"padding-bottom: 66.69999694824219%;\" data-animation-role=\"image\"><br \/>\n<noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/the-best-undiscovered-music-for-commercial-licensing.png\" alt=\"the-best-undiscovered-music-for-commercial-licensing.png\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/the-best-undiscovered-music-for-commercial-licensing.png\" alt=\"the-best-undiscovered-music-for-commercial-licensing.png\" data-image=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/the-best-undiscovered-music-for-commercial-licensing.png\" data-image-dimensions=\"1000x667\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5d728e750c69a90001da2b6d\" data-type=\"image\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/667;\" \/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"><\/h2>\n<p style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Some of the most important stories in music come straight from the artists themselves. It\u2019s one of the reasons we\u2019re taking a little extra time and care to connect with those behind our roster of music \u2014 because there\u2019s value in uncovering the architecture of an artist\u2019s work; honoring the pieces that define their journey into becoming an artistic creator.<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\u201cOur Artists\u2019 Stories\u201d collection celebrates our artists\u2019 backgrounds and explores what community means to them. Today, we present Daniel Gomez of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/artists\/quitapenas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">QUITAPENAS<\/a> \u2014 their music overflowing with vintage inspiration (spanning the 60\u2019s to 70\u2019s to 80\u2019s) woven with the sounds of Colombia, Brazil, Peru and more.<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">We talk with Daniel about community and his climb into music. Read on for more.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \" data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \" style=\"max-width: 1500.0px;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \" style=\"padding-bottom: 150.1377410888672%;\" data-animation-role=\"image\"><br \/>\n<noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/music-licensing-license-quitapenas-marmoset-music.jpg\" alt=\"Band members of  QUITAPENAS\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/music-licensing-license-quitapenas-marmoset-music.jpg\" alt=\"Band members of  QUITAPENAS\" data-image=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/music-licensing-license-quitapenas-marmoset-music.jpg\" data-image-dimensions=\"1500x2250\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5d72a6c932b29900016be633\" data-type=\"image\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/1500;\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p class=\"\">Band members of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/artists\/quitapenas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">QUITAPENAS<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Marmoset: Looking back on your earlier years, what was something (or someone) that inspired you to create music?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel Gomez:<\/strong> Being a child who couldn\u2019t sit still or do one thing for too long helped me find creativity. Music was one of the only things I could really focus on for a long period of time and still feel calm, along with a sense of accomplishment. Seeing some of my uncles play at family parties and hearing stories of them playing gigs made the idea of playing music a real possibility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">You could be a real, normal person with family and friends \u2014 you didn\u2019t have to be a famous talented superstar on TV. Also, just supportive family and friends who showed me a lot of love and excitement as I progressed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>M: How does your background tie into your culture and how do you think it\u2019s helped shape who you are?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel:<\/strong> We are children of immigrant parents so we were fortunate enough to have a multicultural household. We were able to be part of a culture that celebrates family values, hard work and storytelling with the privilege of growing up in America while also being immersed in pop culture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">On a personal level, it\u2019s helped fuel our empathy and understanding for others; it helped develop a wonder for other cultures beyond just our own. As musicians, I think the fact that family gatherings and celebrations always included loud music, dancing, conversations and late nights really influenced <em>why<\/em> we play music. When we perform and connect with the audience, we feel at home \u2014 we feel like we are all one family enjoying a special moment in time together.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"block-animation-none\">\n<blockquote data-animation-role=\"quote\"><p>&gt;<br \/>\n\u201cPay attention to the world around you and help those who need it. Build communities and work together with as many people as you can.\u201d<\/blockquote><figcaption class=\"source\">\u2014 Daniel Gomez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>M: What was your family\u2019s role in supporting your music? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel: <\/strong>Family and close friends have always supported and encouraged the band\u2019s journey both as individuals and as a group. They support by buying merch, providing a space for us to rehearse, cheering us on at shows and just sharing our existence and our music with people they know.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">From time to time you do get a discouraging comment and those can feel heavy. Being a musician is hard and it isn\u2019t for everyone. It does take a lot of time and attention, it can feel hopeless and frustrating. It is, however, very healing and inspirational \u2014 you sometimes need people to try bring you down as a reminder why you are making music in the first place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>M: Have there ever been moments you\u2019ve considered shifting away from music? What kept you going to pursue it further?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel: <\/strong>Yes, of course. Being a successful musician can be challenging. It\u2019s hard when you\u2019re young while trying to balance life, school, work and family. It is hard when you are an adult and trying to find time between a full-time job, children and friends and other adult responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">As musicians you hit plateaus like writer\u2019s block and lack of inspiration. You ask yourself, \u2018is it worth it?\u2019 or \u2018what\u2019s the point?\u2019, \u2018where is this going?\u2019 \u2014 but as long as you have those answers and continue growing, then you always find yourself doing what you feel the most passionate about. We\u2019ve been fortunate to have received a lot of that goodness, also the fact that [the band] has always been friends makes it easier to keep going.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>M: How would you describe some challenges you\u2019ve face along the way, both as an artist but also on a personal level? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel:<\/strong> One challenge is keeping all of us involved and finding time to keep create music. There are a lot of lives to consider, it can be challenging coordinating to meet in one space and contribute what we can. Another challenge is keeping an audience&#8217;s attention \u2014 trying to stay relevant in today\u2019s social media madness. There is so much content at everyone\u2019s grasp, it gets harder to stand out and keep the music and vision fresh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>M: What\u2019s something you would pass along to a fellow artist facing similar challenges?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel: <\/strong>Work hard and keep going. Stay inspired and curious. Stay learning and evolving. Pay attention to the world around you and help those who need it. Build communities and work together with as many people as you can.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>M: Can you share where your desire to create music comes from? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel: <\/strong>The desire to put our music out there comes from being fans ourselves. We were at one point just listeners and students taking in the music and poetry around us. It helped us get through life and find happiness in what we do \u2014 we hope to show people they can do the same and continue the tradition of storytelling and dancing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>M: Looking back at your arrival and where you are now presently \u2014 how would you describe your journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><strong>Daniel: <\/strong>I would describe it as exciting and humbling. It\u2019s helped me conquer fears and grow as a person, it\u2019s helped shape other aspects in everyday life. Our musical peers and other artists in our community have also been very influential in helping us continue our journey and shape our contribution to this story we\u2019re telling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some of the most important stories in music come straight from the artists themselves. It\u2019s&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3760,16],"tags":[3762],"class_list":["post-385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","category-music","tag-artist-highlights","has-excerpt"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/the-best-undiscovered-music-for-commercial-licensing.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marmosetmusic.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}