Art & Life with Cesar Alcantar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cesar Alcantar.

Cesar, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I grew up in a house that loved music. Everyone in the house either had music playing or played an instrument. In middle school, I asked my dad for a music production program that I could learn to use. I started writing instrumental songs when I was 14 years old. One year for Christmas, my dad also got me a digital camera. I would spend days or even weeks taking photos or videos of things I loved. I also dived into my love for theatre throughout high school as I performed in multiple shows and even a musical at one point. All of these things that I grew up with either revolves around music, performing or photos. I decided to study Audio Production Technology in College as well as Photography. I’ve spent the past few years of my life simply “trying” all these things I love, whether it’s writing music, practicing film photography, DJ’ing at old school events, or even streaming on Twitch. I feel that all of these are connected with a love to create something from nothing.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I write instrumental music on DAW programs that use synthesizers and samples to create beats and chords. I also practice photography on film and digital SLR cameras. I also enjoy being a DJ and a Twitch Streamer. For music and photography, the inspiration behind the art can always be connected to other artists. Seeing art that inspires you can always help someone drive their passion for doing it themselves. If there was anything to know from my artwork, I would want the viewer or listener to know or possibly feel the type of emotions I felt when creating it. Art has a core, and it is emotions. If you can make someone feel a certain way through art, then I feel that the art has done its job. You cannot control the emotion someone feels from it, but any emotion at all is great and allows the viewer to have a connection with the art. I am currently creating a new album after not releasing a song or album for a few years and truly hope someone can feel this way from it, as it has done for me during the process of creating it.

How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Success is such a multi-faced word to me. In my experiences, I connect success with how I described the emotions in the art part of the questions. If anyone can take what I create and let me know personally that it made them feel a certain way or gave them joy, that is more than successful to me. I have spent the past year of my life simply “trying” all the art forms I enjoyed as a child, whether it was music, photography, DJ’ing, twitch streaming, graphic designing, or illustration. I see success as the process of trying something you have interest in and seeing if it can bring you joy or someone else joy. It will sound very silly to some, but one of my favorite Disney films, Ratatouille, has a lesson in it that “You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from.” I tell this quote to myself anytime I feel fear towards trying a new art form. I have failed in some forms, but it has not hurt or stopped me from trying another art form solely out of love for it. Success has so many definitions, but to me, being able to try something, and finding joy in it yourself, or through someone else’s connection to it, is the proper definition. Money aside, power aside, skill aside, this is success.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can find the collection of photos I’ve taken and edited on my photography Instagram located as @Astronaut.Broadcast. My next album is currently in the final mixing process and can be found on Spotify in the late summer this year. All my past music work can be found on my SoundCloud. Simply searching my name is the best way to find it. I am also in the process of developing a website dedicated to my photography and a shop where I will be soon selling prints and mixed media one-of-kind pieces. Updates on that can be found on my social media. Any way of support to me in these art forms can simply be reaching out to me, or asking for a print or photoshoot, anything like that would make my day, no doubt.

Contact Info:

• Email: nightgalaxz@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/astronaut.broadcast
• Other: soundcloud.com/cesar-alcantar

Image Credit:
Cesar Alcantar

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.