Have you ever thought of music as medicine? Alex Sanchez said he would consider music not only a remedy, but also a cure-all for just about anything.
Sanchez, a senior marketing major from Odessa, Texas, has been recording with Texas Tech’s Crossroads Recording Studio since 2011 and said working with the studio has changed his life and possibly his career outlook.
“Lubbock at this point is possible for me to make a living off of music because you can get connections,” he said. “In other places, like Austin, there are so many musicians and they don’t get paid very much at all for what they do. To be able to keep doing what I do, business marketing has been such a crazy acceptance phase in my life just because it’s so not me.”
Sanchez said when he first found out about the studio he was essentially selected as a guinea pig but the experimenting turned into something more. Sanchez said he recorded his most recent CD, Emotion Control, in the studio throughout 2011. He said he spends about 90% of his time in the studio for four hours a day.
Sanchez said he is so thankful for the studio at Tech because they don’t charge for the time. He said to record a CD most studios charge $65 to $75 an hour and homemade studios run about $30 to $50 an hour. Sanchez said if he had to guess, he probably saved around $20,000 to $25,000 on recording Emotion Control alone.
So what is Emotion Control and why should you listen to it? Sanchez said when he originally thought the CD out, he turned his life into a social experiment. He said his goal was to help people go on a ride. He said he put himself into everybody else’s shoes and thought about not only the relationships he has gone through, but other peoples’ relationships as well.
“I was just trying to pay attention to see what the human experience would be,” said Sanchez. “I wanted to help people go on a ride because music is a journey itself and you have to keep people interested.”
Sanchez said his interest with music started at a young age. He said for the past 11 years he has been playing bass, drums, guitar, and piano almost everyday. Sanchez said he would describe it as a gigantic, crazy journey. He said thanks to his love for music and with help from the Crossroads Recording Studio, he has met so many people and made many connections.
Sanchez said because he has surrounded himself with music for so long, almost anything and everything he hears has the potential to be a plethora of musical inspirations.
A little preview of Sanchez’s CD, Emotion Control.
“I feel like all of my senses have just become extra sensory all of the time because all I hear is music. From little sound effects, there’s a rhythm to everything, there’s a sound to everything, and it’s awesome,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with it. It’s just this natural thing I’m addicted to because it makes you a better musician.”
Another way that Sanchez said he stays on top of his musical game is by playing with different bands around town three to four nights a week. He said he mostly plays drums, and only started singing recently.
On Emotion Control, Sanchez said that was the first time he really tried out his pipes. He said on his next CD he’s recording he thinks his voice has progressed and grown as an instrument, which somewhat goes along with the theme of the album.
Sanchez said from 2012 to now, he has spent most of the year by himself since most of his friends have graduated or have jobs. He said writing his new CD was a challenge and the test was to write something that he would consider the equal standard of Emotion Control. He said it was a test to see if he would do it without anyone’s help.
“With the next album is called Insight Equals Foresight,” said Sanchez. “It’s what comes after Emotion Control. It’s the concept from 2012 to now. This one is more introspective. It’s past the emotion. It’s funkier. It’s John Mayer, Dave Mathews and Foo Fighters inspired. It’s right where Emotion Control left off.”
He said as a songwriter he likes to put music in his library that can help influence whatever music he is trying to create himself. Sanchez said he looks for musicians that think close to a level he would consider himself to be on, but a little more advanced. He said that way, he continues to learn and evolve even more as a musician. To put it simply, Sanchez said, without music the world would stop.
“Music is the only thing that makes sense that’s going on and keeps everything okay,” he said. “It’s the only thing that’s always there for you. To put it in a language so basic that they can understand and relate to and bring in crazy music ideas.”
To learn more about Sanchez and his music, click here.
About Lauren Estlinbaum
