RJ Ronquillo | Life lessons from a professional musician

RJ shares some inspiring tips to become a professional musician

Make Music Better is a series of intimate conversations with professional musicians who know what it takes to master their craft.

Growing up as an 80s kid, RJ Ronquillo was exposed to a lot of MTV, movies, and radio. Pop culture at an early age channeled his passion to be on stage and perform.

After finishing university with a degree in studio music and jazz, RJ slowly began performing at small gigs. It was a roller coaster ride from getting random day jobs to finally becoming a professional musician. Eventually, he performed at international arenas with famous artists like Judith Hill and Ricky Martin.

RJ has recently decided to put his touring career on hold. This has given him time to create YouTube videos promoting different music brands and educating students with technical skills in music. We interviewed RJ about what his day-to-day looks like.

How long have you been a professional musician, and what do you love about it?

"Music is one of the few things that I've never gotten bored of. Throughout my time as a musician, I always learn new things about the guitar, and it never bores me. It's always been fascinating to me. When I'm playing with other musicians, and it's grooving, and it's right, there's a spark - when everything clicks; it just feels fantastic."

“RJ: As far as the music that I love playing, everything from blues rock n' roll, country, funk fusion, RnB, flamenco, classical, you name it, I love it all.”

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?

The movies I saw, like Back to the Future and La Bamba, were probably the most important influences that made me want to play the guitar. I'll admit, when I was a kid, I wanted to be famous and perform on stage. The pop culture of the 80s pushed me in that direction.

Knowing the challenges of being a professional musician, why did you gravitate towards music as your career?

I think it was just something I knew I could do. I felt I had a chance, was passionate enough, and had some talent. I just wanted to go for it. How would I ever find out unless I tried? So, I jumped into the pool and hoped for the best.

“RJ: It’s something that can get us out of the real world. How was I ever to find out unless I tried, so I just jumped into the pool and hoped for the best.”

Can you describe what you do?

A typical day for me has changed a bit. I used to be a professional touring musician for 18 years. Recently, with the advent of social media and the internet, I've chosen to take a break from touring and found a way to be creative by making YouTube videos, teaching through YouTube and Instagram, and promoting gear and products.

How do you stay motivated?

If you are always on social media as much as I am on YouTube, there are constantly great musicians out there putting out their videos and content, and everyone inspires me. Seeing the younger generation play fantastic music and being super innovative and creative pushes me to keep practicing and being creative myself.

What was one of your proudest moments?

One of my proudest moments was my first major production tour with Ricky Martin, a famous Latin singer, back in 2007. We did a world tour, mostly in arena stadiums. I was super excited and happy to do that. My parents saw me playing in an arena in Orlando, and I remember them in the crowd, smiling and cheering me on. Seeing them made me feel proud, as they knew I could be a successful musician.

“RJ: My parents saw me playing in an arena in Orlando, and they were cheering... To see them see me made me feel proud.”

In your opinion, what is the most important quality a person needs to have to be a successful musician?

Personality. In the professional music industry, we say that your talent might get you the gig, but it's your personality that will keep it. If you're on tour, you need to be someone who is a pleasure to be around. It's essential to have a positive attitude. In short, talent is important, but human interaction is necessary. Music is all about playing with other musicians; it's very much a communal thing.

“RJ: ...your talent might get you the gig, but it's your personality that is going to keep the gig.”

What advice would you give to other musicians who are just starting?

Just go for it and don't pay attention to what others are doing. Don't compare yourself to other musicians or say you're not good enough. Just do what you do and put all your heart and soul into it. Be passionate about it. If you are not passionate about it, then it's not for you. That goes for any profession; you have to genuinely love what you are doing.

RJ Ronquillo wears the Soundbrenner Core 2 in his interview video. The Soundbrenner Core 2 is a multipurpose watch for musicians; check out more features here.