Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelica Campbell.
Hi Angelica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Creativity and empathy have always been the forerunners of my life. I am a classical guitarist, a dreamer, and a creator. I have dabbled in arts of all kinds but my deepest love was found in music. I had the privilege of becoming musically involved at a really young age.
I started playing guitar when I was seven years old. I had taken a few months of classical guitar lessons but that didn’t last long preceding that I taught myself songs my parents introduced me to like, People Are Strange by The Doors and others.
I joined the Mariachi program at Bedichek Middle School in my sixth grade year. I played the guitarron (bass) throughout grade school until my first year in college. I felt so deeply connected to the Mariachi experience because that’s the music I grew up listening to and music I saw my grandparents perform.
In my freshman year at Crockett High School, I joined the advanced classical guitar program under the direction of Ron Hare. I was placed in the advanced program because I knew how to kind of read music (not really) and was able to move some-what efficiently on the instrument. I progressed throughout the program and it became a safe medium for my self-expression.
Throughout my life, I have struggled with mental health issues. I now know I am diagnosed with bipolar, but when I was in grade school, I had no awareness of what was wrong or how to help myself. I felt low, isolated, and confused. Towards the end of my high school experience, I forced myself to be so busy that I wouldn’t have time to focus on those feelings. I was in Mariachi, Guitar, and the Dance Team at Crockett and at the last minute, I decided to graduate a year early as well. I was having twelve-hour school days with dance in the mornings, classes, music rehearsals during lunch, extra classes online after school, college forward meetings, and music rehearsals again afterwards. I was determined to be successful but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be successful in. But the only thing I fully loved being part of was music.
Ron Hare saw something in me and pushed me to audition for music school. He introduced me to Matt Hinsley and Travis Marcum from Austin Classical Guitar (ACG) who helped me get a new guitar and lessons to prepare for the auditions.
When I started studying at the University of Texas at Austin, Butler School of Music, I was humbled really fast. I questioned my position there often. I felt so unprepared. I realized how much I could not actually read music and it was so difficult for me to grasp music theory with how steep the learning curve was for me because most music students studied those things since childhood so naturally the course moved quickly. On top of that, I was re-taught how to hold the guitar, how to play each finger, the positions of my body, etc.. from scratch! I couldn’t even play my own instrument correctly.
Luckily, the folks from ACG checked in on me regularly and provided support when they were able to. I found friends and colleagues that cared for me and helped me improve more.
In my second year, I felt much more inspired. I walked up to Professor Adam Holzman and asked if I could audition for his performance studio. He laughed at me. I had no real classical training like all his other students, and for the past year I was studying with his TA and was still only playing scales and arpeggios. That didn’t stop me though. I worked hard, and eventually, I had the honor of becoming part of Adam Holzman’s guitar studio.
Throughout my time at UT, I was connected with ACG as a contracted outreach performer, both as a soloist and as part of a trio. I was also a part-time teaching artist at Crockett High School and Decker Elementary! When COVID struck those opportunities quickly dissipated. In my last semester at UT, I applied for an internship with ACG and was lucky to find a spot in their communications team. Upon graduating in December of 2020, I joined the ACG team full time and am now their Director of Communications.
I love coming full circle and being part of this incredible organization. They helped me reach my dreams and pushed me to continue striving for more. Being part of the communications team feels so right because our messages at ACG are created through a lens of empathy and inspiration. Throughout my life, I have been told that my empathy can be my achilles heel, but here it’s my biggest strength.
I still have goals of continuing my classical training and performing. I have lessons with Professor Holzman regularly still and am considering auditioning for graduate programs in a year or so! Outside of work, I am connecting with the local art and creative scene in Austin as well! I model and have been dabbling in HMUA for local photographers, community-ran magazines, and local brands.
I’m so grateful to have been saturated in creativity, beauty, love, and support throughout my journey as an artist and musician.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Mental health, learning curves, lack of resources/at home support.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a classical guitarist, a model, and an hmua! I am most proud of my versatility. I’m proud that I don’t look like the ordinary “classical musician.” I’m proud of my self-expression and am known for my self-expression. I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to be myself and work for such an amazing organization as Austin Classical Guitar.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
A Radical Awakening by Dr. Shefali (book) Practicing, A Musicians Return to Music by Glenn Kurtz (book)
Classical Guitar Insider (podcast)
HINDZ (YouTuber)
those are just a few 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: austinclassicalguitar.org
- Instagram: @angelica.blaze
Image Credits
Phil Kline Alejandro Hernandez Amanda Aguirre Arlen Nydam
