Passenger Profile: Gabriel Saientz

Gabriel Saientz

You began studying music at the age of 6. Was music a big part of your family?
Yes, my grandmother and my grandfather were a famous duo who performed all over the world doing Jewish theater. My grandma used to sing and my grandpa played the violin and wrote the music. My uncle also played some piano and he would play silly songs for me and my siblings when we were kids. When I was 6 I told my mom I wanted to study piano but she didn't think I was serious about it, so she bought me a recorder and signed me up for recorder lessons so that was my first instrument. After two years, when my parents saw I really had a talent for music and that I was really into it, they bought me an upright piano and I started taking piano lessons.

What was it like growing up in Buenos Aires? What was the music scene there?
I love Buenos Aires! There's a lot happening down there and people really appreciate listening to live music. There's also a big Rock scene in Argentina and that's how at the age of 15 I started playing on my first Rock/Pop band—I was the youngest member in the band and people would try to kick me out of the bars we played at since I was underage. But growing up there I was exposed to a lot of different styles of music: Tango, Jazz, Latin, Rock, etc.

When was the first time you actually were paid as a musician?
When I was 14. I started playing in a band that played at weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc. It was an all-kid band and we had to wear this crazy silver outfit with silver shoes.

What first attracted you to the Jazz genre?
My dad used to have a nice collection of Jazz records plus my grandparents' music had a lot of elements of Jazz. I grew up listening to it but I wasn't really aware of it being "Jazz." To me it was just music. When I started playing with my first band I met a great guitar player who was older than me, and who later went on tour with Pedro Aznar. He told me he "can tell how talented I was and that I should check out these Jazz records to expand my musical horizons." He gave me some Pat Metheny records and I was hooked. After that, I started studying Jazz with a private piano teacher and when I was 21 I moved to the States to pursue my Jazz degree at the University of Miami where I got a scholarship.

What was it like performing with Sheila E and Gloria Estefan? How did you get those gigs?
Both of them were great experiences. Sheila is awesome! She came into town to play at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club with her brother and Pete Escovedo (her dad). Since I had been doing gigs in town for a while and I had been touring with Nestor Torres in the past, I was recommended for the gig by a fellow musician. That night she packed the house and even Arturo Sandoval himself came and sat in with us.

You studied music in college, won scholarships, performed with major name talent, and were successful in placing music in TV shows. Why then did you join TAXI?
I actually placed my first song in a TV show through TAXI. I was successful as a sideman and as a piano / keyboard player but had no clue about writing and recording. I had a dream of making a living as a composer but I didn't know were to start. One day I read about TAXI in a magazine and after some research I decided to join. I thought maybe I could get some songs placed through TAXI and even if I didn't I was gonna learn something from it.

How has TAXI helped you?
At first, since I had no idea about mixing or writing or anything related to production, TAXI helped me by giving me their feedback. I kept looking at the listings, writing songs, submitting them and getting their feedback (usually with a NO forward). Then I would go back, listen again and correct what I saw based on their feedback. Eventually, I got better at it and got my first submission and first deal. Then a few more....

Tell us about the MUCH Project.
The MUCH Project stands for Musicians United Creating Humanity (www.muchproject.org) and it came about from a project a very good friend of mine started a few years ago. The idea behind it is that there are a lot of musicians out there that think that they have to be rich and famous to contribute to society. We say that if we all get together as musicians we can start contributing now and we can do it through this awesome gift that we have which is: music. We have done a few projects around our communities such us a recording project with juvenile delinquents, musicians playing for patients in hospitals, benefit concerts, and we have donated money for music programs in the U.S., Latin America, and more.

What was the proudest moment for you as a musician?
Right now what comes to mind is when I won the Regis and Kelly theme song search and when I got my first royalty check. Wining the contest against 3,000 people was huge! To me the whole thing seemed unreal; Like a movie. I moved from Argentina with $3,000 and no plan except getting better at music, and here I was wining $100,000 in a contest for the third most viewed talk show in the States!! I was living the American Dream! And it's not because of the money but because I felt that all of the effort I had made through the years on becoming a better musician, a better producer, a better composer and a better person had paid off.

What goals have you set for 2009?
Right now I am focusing my efforts on growing my company Promidi Music and to establish ourselves as one of the top music houses in the United States.