Osmar Estuardo Meliá Griffith

What does music mean to you personally?

Music is a union of mixed feelings with life events.

Do you agree that music is all about fantasy?

The imagination knows no limits, where our mind can travel to imaginary worlds, from where the best ideas arise. The music world has always looked for inspiration in love when creating the most successful songs, it is not uncommon for artists to pull their favorite comics, movies and books when choosing their stage name or composing their next songs.

If you were not a professional musician, what would you have been?

As a child I always played soccer, I think I would have been a soccer player or an architect

The classical music audience is getting old, are you worried about the future?

Currently it is difficult to see someone young listen to academic music, since in my country there is little support from the government authorities, what young people listen to here is what is fashionable.

What do you envision the role of music to be in the 21st century? Do you see that there is a transformation of this role?

The beginnings of the music of the 21st century have many divergent and even opposing trends in which it is difficult to find a common thread. The new complexity, undoubtedly inheriting from structuralism, are new simplicities and mystical currents.

Do you think that the musician today needs to be more creative? What is the role of creativity in the musical process for you?

The musician has to be creative so that his music transcends and goes to other places. If you are creative you will be more successful, although your pieces are very easy.

Do you think we as musicians can do something to attract the younger generation to music concerts? How would you do this?

In my country, what I have done is rescue music from unknown composers and do this type of concerts, the truth is that if they get crowded, but what is needed is support for everyone in Guatemala.  

Tell us about your creative process. What is your favorite piece (written by you) and how did you start working on it?

I have several, for example: “Balada de Abril”, it was the first one I wrote of popular genre, then “Acurelas”, but my favorites are “Belleza Natural” and “Nocturno” inspired by someone very special to me who is part of my life.

Can you give some advice for young people who want to discover classical music for themselves? Do you think about the audience when composing?

Study hard and always be fit with your instrument, I think that if you don't study you won't succeed.

What projects are coming up? Do you experiment in your projects?

I want to record an Extended Play (EP) with about 8 pieces, currently I only have the single from “Balada de Abril”, a piece that I wrote in 2011.

Keep making music and looking for other sounds.