Part 2: by S. Lindsay

 

Luis A. Quinones is a musician and also a survivor

By Safi Lindsay

December 30, 2024

Subject: Interviewing a musician

     Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the musician Luis A. Quinones, a trumpet player. He was born in 1952 in a place called West New York which is very near to Manhattan. He’s 71 years old and still making it happen. As we spoke early during the morning Naomi, his companion was shopping for clothes at the thrift store located here. We are currently in South Florida and it's the year 2024.

     Luis is very articulate and it is very difficult to grasp all the information because there is so much. He was discovered one day long ago for his trumpet skills by Johnny Pacheco in New York. Luis did not go into details about the business side. The same noises that his trumpet makes are the similar noises that Luis can make by singing. His vocals are impressive with a wide range of notes that he hums and at the same time explaining himself.

     Early that morning Luis was sitting in front of the thrift store cleaning his trumpet which is antique. I asked  and he identified me to the three buttons located on top which shows that the instrument is a trumpet. He mentioned in his career that he had the chance to perform with another musician named Celia Cruz. Furthermore, Luis hums a tune of music and explains it. There was another trumpet player earlier in his career which he remembered  but the person died young. He remembered every one of the musical  notes  and their interaction with each other. He says “ some of the other guys were having bad drug habits and after a while it became a part of them”. Luis has published three books about instructions on how to play the trumpet. Luis says “technique is good to have” and for a time he spoke about music and its relation to math. 

     As Luis kept speaking about technique in playing the trumpet he mentions “you have to let your subliminal mind play for you during the performance and that will also help your conscious mind”. Luis has great experience under his belt and mentions more people that he is privileged to work with and one of his peers is musician Mr. Ed Calle the Grammy award winner. Luis attributes himself and his credibility to the style of music named American Jazz.

Lastly, he spoke about race and explained how many blacks introduced him to music. His spiritual beliefs are strong. When explaining the trumpet Luis talks about where does the wind come from? There needs to be wind or there will be no noise. He has to spend time on his theory and then also in playing which is the reason that Luis has written a textbook for other aspiring trumpet players. He was in the beginning a business man he says but that he eventually chose to be a musician instead. As our conversation ended Luis and his partner Naomi were done shopping and they left having some other things to take care of.

Unsung Grooves of Today 

By Safi Lindsay

December 30, 2024

Subject: How to’s of making music enjoyable

     Current trends in music are difficult to keep up with and where is it that you can find some alright tunes when you need some? Here are some helpful tips for the basic music fan and even the more educated enthusiasts  to enjoy. The first thing is escaping the playlist as those can be exhausting. A playlist is where someone prepares a list of songs. Some of the playlists are amateur which are more commonly found on the internet and social media. A different way to have music is listening to one album at a time. Song by song of the same artist is great listening and makes a more personalized experience. This happens when you purchase the Album. You can skip over the songs you don’t like after a while it will be simple to find your favorites while looking through the pages of the cover.

     The next suggestion is to use a radio. This is the best way to avoid unknown acts. More professional and mainstream songs are found on the radio whether new or old. Some special programs on the radio will play new musicians' work to get their listeners interested. You do not have to use unprofessional music and the radio is there completely free of cost. Some radio stations are open to requests and if it was not for your input then nobody would know about the song or your story behind it. 

     Lastly, there also is the option of recording the songs and then playing on a tape recorder. Nobody uses cassettes anymore more than likely it would be mp3 to compact disks/cds. However you record is up to you and from there you can have your own personal collection you can identify with. Also, you don’t have to read the lyrics of the song. Some people like to memorize the actual words which is impressive but it's also good not to get the complete message. Something about music is the good vibes and the words are not important. Some of the words that you don’t catch are not necessary and can overlook it. This is called “leaving some to imagination”. 

     It's enjoyable to  review the credits. This is located on the back of the cover of the cd. It is where you might find some familiar names of other musicians and learn who made the project a success. Thanks for considering this advice and hopefully it helps in your music experience.

In part 2: I have Travel and Love Stories. fiction and 2. some additions to expand on the Nutrition Column awaiting for 2025 and more...