Mr.V is the band teacher, teaching for 6,7, and 8th grade. He directs the IMS band, making the best band concerts. He teaches all kinds of instruments, like the flute, saxophone, and trumpet.
Panther Press: What was your first memory of music?
Mr.Vasquez: My first musical memory would be 2nd grade. I remember her name, my choir teacher, Miss Gleason. She taught us a song in multiple different languages. I still know it to this day, and I’m 37 years old. So that’s probably one of my first musical memories that I still remember.
Panther Press: What made you interested in music?
Mr.Vasquez: I have always been interested in music. I would watch shows like Spanish TV shows. And I would see all these young kids drumming and stuff. And that’s what sparked my interest. I have always been interested in music.
Panther Press: What was your first instrument?
Mr.Vasquez: My first actual instrument that I learned was the drums and percussion. Then, later on, I learned the clarinet.
Panther Press: Do you think going into a musical career improved your sense of hearing? And how?
Mr.Vasquez: OH YEAH! ABSOLUTELY! And the only way to work on something is to work on it, right? So if you’re surrounded by it all the time, you could definitely get better and sharper at it.
Panther Press: What type of lessons did you take? Self-taught or from someone else?
Mr.Vasquez: So I didn’t start taking private lessons until I got to college. But when I was in high school, basically my teacher tried to teach me everything, and then I self-taught the rest.
Panther Press: When did you think that music would be your career in the future?
Mr.Vasquez: I went to a science and math-based magnet school. Crazy. So I originally thought to be a scientist or an engineer. Probably until I was a freshman in college; that’s when I decided I wanted to do music as a career.
Panther Press: Did anyone inspire you to get into music?
Mr.Vasquez: Yes. It was a sports person. Yeah, so my favorite quarterback for the Rams, his name was Kurt Warner. He was working at a Stop & Shop the year before he won a Super Bowl, so growing up seeing that, told me that I could do anything. So when I was 16, everybody was like ‘You’re too old to start’. But I didn’t listen to anybody. Right? Because he is my inspiration, and I was like, ‘Well, if he could do that, I can do this.’ And that’s why, even though I wasn’t a musician, that inspired me! It’s weird, at the same time, it was the starting late attitude in me, trying to overcome that.
Panther Press: Were there any hard parts in your career?
Mr.Vasquez: Yeah, there were a lot of times in music where you practice and practice and nobody tells you that you are doing a good job, and nobody tells you that you are getting better, so it’s a lot of self-reflection, and those times get hard. Once you get a big gig, and the first time I played with Taylor Swift was crazy! That was like a big moment for me. ‘I did make it! I actually do sound good,’ but it can get tough in that way.
Panther Press: Have you ever felt like you would quit?
Mr.Vasquez: NO! I think I love my instruments way too much. A lot of band directors, like my band directors, just stop planning. When I was in high school, all my band directors pretty much stopped playing at some point. I personally don’t think I will ever fall out of love with music or out of love with my issues. I am 37, and I am still recording everything like movies and stuff. I think I will not fall out of love with it.
Panther Press: How do you think you have grown since you first started playing an instrument?
Mr.Vasquez: That is a great question, OH man, music has taught me everything I can’t even explain music. Music and sports I feel like have taught me a lot, music has taught me the value of practice, music is you knowing you’re going to be terrible when you pick up an instrument, but if you stick with it you just keep trying no matter how bad you are; you will get better at it. That’s what music taught me, I think that was one of my biggest lessons.
Panther Press: If a young kid wants to be like you, what advice would you give?
Mr.Vasquez: You have to keep trying and you have to keep being who you are, no matter who is watching. Like if you have a big performance coming up, you obviously have to practice for that. But what if nobody is watching you, and what if you have nothing coming up? What are you doing? Are you still working the same way? Are you going to be great? If you’re not, you’re not going to be great. That’s my biggest advice.
Panther Press: Anything else you would like to add?
Mr.Vasquez: No, I think you know the last thing that I will say is
music wants to tell me the value of hard work, too. Like, what if you’re hard-working toward something and not getting a compliment on it? It’s very scary!
