boston progress radio

Alfa Garcia is a features writer for The Record and The Herald News, daily newspapers in North Jersey.  But wait, she is not just a desk-ridden journalist, even though her job gave her an opportunity to interview Wynton Marsalis, a renowned jazz trumpeter.

Alfa is a 23-year-old singer, songwriter, and musician.  Her mom got her playing the piano at age five, by age eight she picked up the violin.  In middle school she taught herself the guitar.  For seven years, Alfa participated in Dr. Hiao-Tsiun Ma’s (Yo Yo Ma’s father) Children’s Orchestra Society in Long Island, New York.  With her vast music capacity, she had a chance to have an impromptu jam session with Marsalis on her phone interview.

Though, the most impressive about this young budding star is her modesty.  There was a lot to learn when interviewing Alfa because most of her endeavors are not listed on her website.  She said she didn’t want to put up everything, so she could avoid sounding cocky.  Alfa also preferred speaking on the phone instead of going through the inexpressive technology route.  It could be a combination of the trained journalist in her and the hope to build lasting connections.

“Second Skin,” is set to drop in the next couple of weeks.  This is her first LP.  It is a more concentrated effort that shows progress, musically and personally, from her “Growth” EP released in in 2007.  Alfa’s sweet raspy voice paints a woman mature beyond her years.  She thinks of herself as a 40 year old stuck in a twenty-something’s body.  To be able to sing about the curious human existence requires prerequisites of insight and poise.  Regardless if a fan is slaving at work and sneaking the headphones to listen to Alfa’s songs.  She is able to transport everyone to an intimate New York venue where uplifting musical chords and her singing blends together colorful substance.

JM: How did you get your name, sorry if you get this a lot?

Alfa: I have heard a lot of different versions of how I got my name.  It’s the combination of my mom’s and dad’s name.  My mom’s name is Faith.  My dad’s name is Landon.  They didn’t want to call me Lafa, so they reversed the first two letters of my dad’s name.  That’s the last version of the story I know.

JM: One word most people would describe you as?

Alfa: Hmm… I’m not sure. Probably “creative.”  I try to be creative with anything I’m doing, whether it’s music, work or just sitting in the back of a car watching trees pass on a road trip.

JM: You are very accomplished 23 years old, would you be okay if your career stopped at this point in your life?

Alfa: I would not be happy if I stopped right here.  There are days where I say to myself that I have done so much.  There are also days where I say to myself that I haven’t done much at all.  Everyone has those days.  I think there’s still a lot more to be done.  I still want to serve a purpose with my music.  I don’t just want it to be for my own amusement. There’s just a ton of things I want to try, many ways I want to get better or experiment with other sounds.  But I don’t know if I’ll ever feel satisfied.  I think I’ll always think there’s more ground to cover.

JM: How is your 5 track EP, “Growth,” different than your upcoming album?

Alfa: For the 5 track EP it was done over the course of a few years.  I did everything by myself.  I did all the guitar, violin, piano and of course the singing. I hired my own engineer for the album.  It was very slow going.  I met Alex Houton in 2006 and for my next album he said I had this amount of time and I had to do it.  It was not whatever.  I had a task.  It helped me to stay focused.  After the first album was done I couldn’t relate to it anymore.  Since the second one was done shorter, it honed in on one period. My new album was done between February to May 2008.  I was going though the post college crisis, what am I doing with my life?  My whole landscape of life changed.   Life was pretty much planned until I was 21, go to college, do good in school.  But not every song is about being lost and confused.  This was around the time I started my relationship with my present boyfriend, so I have songs about budding relationships, about being hesitant to fall in love.  There is also a song called, “Supergirl.” “Supergirl” is a song I wrote as encouragement for all the times I would ever second-guess myself. I think everyone has those moments when you just feel like you can’t do something and the song is just meant to be that extra push you give yourself.

JM: If you could have a super power what would it be?

Alfa: I was talking with my co-workers about this.  Actually we were talking about which super hero we would be in “Heroes.”  I would want the power of the girl who runs really fast, so I can be anywhere in 10 seconds.  I could go around the world, get away when I wanted to, I could go to Paris.

JM: Do you still feel lost and confused?

Alfa: Not really.  It’s not as vehement as it was the first few months out of college.  You form acceptance in the things you don’t know.  You can either be afraid or enjoy the big question mark.  But I am not this Zen-like all the time.  I definitely want more people to hear my music and to play in front of bigger crowds.  I don’t feel like I’m quite where I want to be with music.  I can only feel so down about it before I get an e-mail or a Facebook message from someone who’s taken something positive out of my music.  I get reminded of why I do this in the first place.

JM: What would you categorize your music as?

Alfa: It’s kinda creative suicide to categorize your music.  But if you held a gun to my head and I needed to categorize it.  I’d say acoustic pop rock folk, putting it all together.

JM: You started writing song lyrics as a teenager, how has your content changed, or maybe it hasn’t?  Has the way you express your emotions become easier?

Alfa: I think with any songwriter, the content tends to mature over time. I’ve definitely grown more deliberate with my lyrics.  When I was younger, it would often be about what rhymed with what or what sounded good but, especially with “Second Skin,” I’ve made more conscious efforts to keep a storyline consistent.  I don’t know if it’s become any easier to express emotions overtime. That’s always the challenge of any song.

JM: “Songwriters” thrive on mood changes”–how often does your mood change? Are you a moody person that reacts to situations without processing the information first?

Alfa: I don’t really think I’m a very moody person.  I am fairly well-balanced in general, but I think as a songwriter I capitalize on those “down” moments, or those really inspiring moments. I think songwriters always have to stand apart from situations a little and look on with a measure of objectivity.  That’s when you’re really fishing for the little pieces that eventually make their way into music. Sometimes if I’m too far involved in something, it’s hard to write music about it.  I have to be away from it a bit to get some good perspective.  But no, I wouldn’t say I’m a moody person.

JM: Would people ever call you an introvert?

Alfa: I am not an introvert.  There is a part of me that doesn’t want to disclose everything.  There is also a part of me that is boisterous and talkative.  I get this from my mom.  I love being around people as long as they are not jerks.  People call it networking, but I call it meeting new friends.

JM: Have you always been comfortable on stage?

Alfa: I loved music so much I didn’t care if I had to sweat bullets.  I wanted people to hear my music.  I was actually surprised that people stayed to hear the full 40 minutes of my sets, when I was just starting out.  At 17, I was not as good of a singer, my songs were too long.  I can be shy, but I don’t let it get in the way.  It’s not so much getting in front people, but more performing my material.  Even though being shy is a part of me, it dissipates when I am on stage. Some people have told me that I kind of have an alter ego when I get onstage, like you can tell when I have my “game face” on for music. I think that’s something I’ve just developed after all this time playing gigs. I don’t let nerves get to me anymore, and if they do, I can hide it pretty well.

JM: How has the NYC music scene shaped you as an artist?  How would not attending NYU have changed you and your music career?

Alfa: I think NYC is really good for songwriters because there’s so many places for people to play, try out new material and get some good feedback.  Not to mention there’s something interesting lurking in every corner. It’s almost like every other person in the city is a songwriter so there seems to be a common sense of understanding among artists who encounter each other.  I am not sure what would have happened if I didn’t attend NYU.  It might have been harder to find a lot of places and opportunities to play music if I had ended up in another city.  At the same time, though, being in a smaller city might have made it easier to get noticed.  So, who really knows, right?

JM: What is the major difference between the piano and the guitar?  Do they inspire different parts of you?

Alfa: No, I have no favorites.  Each is good for something different.  The guitar is good for rhythm, it is more flexible, but does not have the depth for expression as the piano.  Unless you are Ben Folds who does everything on the piano.  I use it when I get into one of those deep dark moods.  The piano is more personal and intimate.

JM: Which is your favorite song on the album?

Alfa: It always changes every once in a while, but right now my favorite is “Second Skin,” the title track. It’s the most straightforward love song I’ve ever written and it puts into words that kind of love that you imagine as a young girl.  There’s a line in the chorus that goes, “I’ll be the reckless love you wait for, the storybook you never stopped believing in. I’ll be your second skin,” and I think that kind of sums up the kind of “love” I was aiming to portray in the song.

Alfa will be touring on the West Coast, Seattle and Los Angles, from May 23-May 29 2009.  Check out her website for more things Alfa.  Also check out her MySpace to listen to exclusive tracks from “Second Skin.”  You can find tour dates and locations on her MySpace too.

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