Today we’d like to introduce you to Aldo Cardenas.
Hi Aldo, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Marietta, Georgia, and my family traveled to Mexico City frequently to visit family. Growing up, I was exposed to unique aspects from both cultures; the arts included. Music always played a significant role at my young age, whether it was singing along with the praise group at church or listening to my parents’ old cassettes in the car. I was given my first guitar at the age of 11 and strummed on it for hours on end, but I never had the proper musical training until I joined the middle school band later that year, where I picked up the alto saxophone. I fell in love with it almost immediately. My passion for music lies in teaching and performing. Living in the Metro Atlanta area has created amazing opportunities for both. My desire to teach bloomed when many of our Spanish-speaking family friends had an interest in learning how to play guitar or piano. Even at a young age, I noticed early on that there weren’t many Spanish-speaking music instructors in the Marietta area that were offering private lessons. I began to offer tutelage once I realized many parents in the area I lived in were interested in the beginning but could not find a way around the language barrier.
As I continued to offer lessons in both English and Spanish, I was tasked with building programs in several locations, including the guitar program at CCTK in Buckhead and our music lesson program at Dirt Cheep Music in Smyrna, where I offer lessons for several instruments, including guitar, bass, saxophone, and piano. Outside of the classroom setting, I have had the pleasure of teaching and working with well-known figures, including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who I worked closely with as his guitar/vihuela tech. Performing has played a major part in my personal journey as a growing musician. Being able to share the stage with people with the same passion is a feeling like no other. From rock bands to traditional Mexican music to hip-hop, I have had the pleasure of sharing music with a wide range of audiences and musicians. I currently play in a professional mariachi band (Mariachi Buhos de Oro) front of my creative outlet (City Playgrounds) and regularly work as a session musician in Atlanta. Living in an area where diversity has a significant influence on music has been a blessing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building and maintaining a reliable network of contacts has been quite the challenge – especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With the spare time, many now have, learning a new hobby or picking up a new one has led to a spike in students. However, having to teach online and having last-minute cancellations due to personal issues from either party has made it difficult to keep a consistent routine at times. Several TV and film productions I began work on shutdown. Creative and educational projects fell through. Finding new ways to share a performance or teach through the use of social media and online classes has created new problems I never imagined I would encounter, but exchanging ideas with others who are in the same position has made everything much easier. Thankfully, as more venues and school programs begin to open, opportunities begin to blossom. No matter how difficult anything may seem, I always remember to take a deep breath and try to take it one step at a time!
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 currently work as a music instructor, coordinator and gigging musician. I regularly play in several bands, work as an instructor, coordinator and sales rep at Dirt Cheep Music, and as of recently, began to take part in film and television projects in Atlanta as both an instructor and performer. One of my top priorities is to continue to engage and reach out to the Hispanic community, be it through educational programs or coordinating sound installations with local churches and schools.
My most recent role on as an instructor/tech on a film set was as Dwayne Johnson’s guitar tech on the set of Disney’s ‘The Jungle Cruise.’ I have also composed and co-composed scores for films featured on major streaming platforms, including ‘Mi Casa’ on HBO Max and ‘Unordinary Love’, for which we received a ‘Best Score’ award from Bridge Fest in Vancouver. As a performer, I actively play private and public events with the professional mariachi group Mariachi Buhos de Oro, as the frontman of the band City Playgrounds, and as a session and corporate band musician in Atlanta, with well-known bands such as The Main Attraction Band. Our Mariachi have made many appearances including Lakewood Amphitheater, Viva Tequila Festivals, and iHeart Radio. I have had the amazing opportunity to play and even act in Pinch n’ Ouch Theatre’s productions of Jonathan Larson’s ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ and Rent at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse this past year. I have collaborated with major label hip-hop artists, including Nessly, Future and Lil Gnar – to name a few – and have made appearances on live streams for YouTube and Adult Swim.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My story would be very different from what I have written had it not been for my family, mentors and friends that have led me to where I am today. My parents and siblings continue to encourage me to strive for greatness and have been supportive of my career choice. I am blessed to be surrounded by people who encourage me to become a better version of myself every day (cheesy, I know.) The team at Dirt Cheep continues to make most workdays feel fresh with a brand new bit of information, whether it’s on a new piece of gear or negotiating with clients in and out of the workplace. My students frequently keep me on my toes and help me want to become a better mentor. My fellow musicians and friends, be it at church, mariachi, City Playgrounds or elsewhere, always push me to create something new and meaningful. As a musician, I always aim to become better than I was the day before. Whenever I help a student reach their goal, I challenge them to take it to the next level, much like how many of my mentors pushed me. If I can teach someone something new while I learn something in the process, I am already a step further ahead than I was yesterday. I look at my personal success as continuing to wake up every morning loving what I do for a living, always eager to learn and work until I am tired at the end of the day. As my parents always say, “Echale ganas, hijo!”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aldotcardenas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aldo.t.cardenas/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4N2x4NgvMQyxd4RuOk0rnE?si=TMMwaKy2Rby_CiHnyd14FQ
Image Credits
Mariachi Picture – Susan Reyes Headshot / Session 9 Team – Jose Navarro
