Meet Spencer Arias | Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Spencer Arias and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Spencer, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
As I have grown as a composer, I have realized that I owe the vast majority of any success I experience due to the relationships with the community I have created. As an artist, your community is rarely built into the experience of growing your career, and it truly takes a village to take off.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work centers on the human experience and how our connections with others shape our stories. Without my collaborators, my work does not exist. I have written music for Bands, Orchestras, String Quartets, and a lot of saxophone music. I have worked in electronic, pop, classical, and rock music, and I’m currently writing a musical. I love to explore all genres, as we learn the most about ourselves when faced with people who think differently than we do. I’m most excited about my upcoming album, which I will present at the forthcoming New Music Gathering event in Portland, OR in June, to finally share what I’ve spent the last three years on.

I got to where I am professionally through the mentorship of some excellent teachers and the connections I’ve created with some incredible musicians. I also want to thank my parents for always being supportive. This was not easy. Music is not easy. Many people go into music thinking that they have talent, and if they don’t make it within the first few months/years, they are a failure. The reality is that those superstars represented less than 0.01% of the people who work in music. Mozart had to teach to pay the bills. Charles Ives had to sell Insurance. Art Garfunkel was a Math Teacher before he got a Number 1 hit. Music takes dedication, persistence, and the drive to keep going even when told no. You. might not be Adele, but you might be Adele’s teacher, and isn’t that also impactful?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I was born and raised in Phoenix. I left in August 2013 and am excited to return home as a New Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Arizona State University. I come home 3-4 times a year, so some of these things are things I’ve done over the years. My best friends are scattered worldwide now, so I have considered this. It will probably be October or March. This itinerary would work great for a 24-hour visit, especially for music lovers. As I return, I’m excited to see what new things I discover!

Wake up around 7-8ish, head to Auwatukee, and split a Bagel from the Bagel Man (you will see why to make room for all the excellent Food I have planned). These are Some of the best bagels I’ve ever had outside of New York, where I lived for two years after graduating from A.S.U.

From there, drive north up to Camelback Mountain, hike to the top, and get a panoramic view of one of my favorite cities worldwide. It’s funny; I never did this when I lived there, and it’s only recently that I started hiking, and I probably equate that to my time in the Pacific Northwest, where I wrote multiple pieces about mountains. Having lived in Michigan for the past few years, I miss the mountains, so having one close to everything is just so spectacular.

Having worked up an appetite, we would then drive up to Valle Luna on Cave Creek and Greenway Parkway, where we would enjoy, in my opinion, the best Mexican Food in town. Having been gone from Arizona for ten years, this is the spot I go to EVERY time I visit. It brings me home. The staff makes you feel at home, and the Food is like a big hug every time.

Now if you are like me and my family, a meal at Valle Luna usually leads to a day of being lazy, but with the knowledge that I only have a short number of hours to hit my favorite spots, I would then choose to take my visitors to the Musical Instrument Museum which is 5 minutes from my parent’s house off Tatum and the 101. This part of the day helps work off lunch but also shows you one of the best museums I’ve ever been to, and I have been to some of the most famous ones in the world, from Paris, Madrid, New York, and Chicago. The Musical Instrument Museum is a gem that any visitor should check out.

By 5 o’clock, we are probably tired of walking around, so a drive back down the 51 to my new neighborhood in Arcadia to change, uber to grab a beer at O.H.S.O. Eatery & nano-Brewery. I love a good patio, and who does Patios better than Arizona?

However, this stop is a short one to get to Grimaldi’s Pizza in Old Town around 8ish. Say what you want about other pizza; in my opinion, this is the Best Value Meets Quality in the entire country outside of New York. (it hails from New York, and honestly, it’s not the water because I’ve tried all the locations in N.Y.C., and the ones in Arizona are better).

If they aren’t exhausted yet, we might end the night at one of the cocktail lounges in Old Town before calling it a night for an epic day of Adventure, Food, Drinks, Culture, and fun!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to thank the entire music community. They make me want to keep going, due to the love and support that they provide me!

Website: Spencerarias.com

Instagram: @slarias

Twitter: @spencerarias

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarias

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/spencerarias

Other: https://soundcloud.com/spencer-arias https://spencerarias.bandcamp.com

Image Credits
Headshot – Nick Zoulek Flute – Brice Smith Rest- Spencer Arias