We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordi Lara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordi, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Balance was something I used to really struggle with. It was difficult for me to keep up with school, work, and have time to progress in my music both in and outside of academics. Luckily I am at a point now where everything revolves around music – I’m finishing up my undergrad in Cello Performance with Jazz minor at UGA, I teach private music lessons and do studio work as often as I can, and I spend most of my time outside of work and school rehearsing with my bands  or practicing on my own. Having everything come together this way has made it easier to find that balance because it all feeds off of each other – I’m constantly learning more about my instruments and the people I play with which in turn lets me create and enjoy it all more. It’s a really busy life but it’s all music so I can’t complain much!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My main gig (especially since performing gigs has been out of the picture for a bit) is teaching – I offer cello and bass lessons. While it wasn’t something I imagined myself doing I have found I really love teaching and plan on doing for as long as I can! Outside of teaching I play gigs whenever I get the opportunity. I’m hoping that as live music starts coming back I can start playing more gigs at actual music venues with my bands Canary Affair and The Afternoon Raccoons. I also really love doing studio work and am grateful to have been able to record with a lot of cool musicians these past few years; it’s cool helping somebody else’s project come to life and I’ve been able to meet a lot of talented people through sessions.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
While I still currently reside in Athens, I grew up in the Metro Atlanta area and will be moving to Kirkwood after I graduate in December! Growing up right outside of the city gave me many opportunities to venture in for music so I would definitely try to take a friend to a show at the Tabernacle where I went to some of my first concerts. New Realm brewing is a really cool spot to grab drink and walk the beltline so we could hit that and check out some art along the way too. If they’re in the tourist spirit I’ll swing them by the aquarium or Coke museum, but I’m excited to check out what there is to do around Kirkwood and explore more of Little 5 so I can give some local recommendations!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My first supporters were my parents and siblings, and they deserve the biggest shout. My parents somehow had my back since I was 11 or so saying I wanted to be a musician, and the same goes for my siblings. My closest friends and bandmates of course deserve a shout too – they constantly challenge me to be better and fuel my creativity. And there’s too many to name but all of my musical influences since a young age have been leading me to live a life full of music so I am forever grateful for them too.

Instagram: @jordilara98 / @canaryaffair / @afternoonraccoons

Other: jordilara98@gmail.com

Image Credits
Charlotte Strazis Alexandria Ellison Jessica Gratigny

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