Meet Eddie Curi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Curi.

Hi Eddie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Born and raised in Brazil, I came to LA in 2008 to study English. In 2013, Shepherd University gave me a full Scholarship to do a Master’s Degree in Music Performance, I graduated in 2016. Since 2010, I’ve been playing and working with many musicians around town.

I’ve worked with Caleb Quaye (Elton John’s founder guitar player), Otmaro Ruiz (Alex Acuna, Jimmy Hasslip), Mauricio Guerrero (Beyonce, Placido Domingo), Isaias Elpes (Gloria Stefan, Tiago Iorc), Abraham Laboriel (Michael Jackson, Madonna, Ray Charles) and many others. In 2016, I formed a band called One World Language where we put together Brazilian samba and rock, we recorded a live album available on YouTube and we played at a private Grammy event in February 2017.

Few bands I have worked with as Javellina, and The Colonized, few bands in Brazil as Bella Melo, Triade, and Witched. In the end, I joined a post-punk band called Indiana Bradley, which I still work with now, we are releasing our 4th album. Indiana Bradley has played in many places in Los Angeles, including New Year’s Eve 22-23 together with LA Guns, and also we have played even in Brazil, tours were in November 2021 and June 2022.

Besides that, I have been working as a producer and musical director. My most recent musical director will be released  with a band called Witched (Brazil). I also worked as a session bass player for many bands and have been teaching music online as Theory, Bass, and Improvisation since 2012.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Tough road. Unfortunately, these days, bands and musicians have been treated as 2 nd class citizens. We struggle to get paid by venues and when we do, they always find a way to pay less. It always has a venue that “offers” its space to promote a band without paying, some places around Los Angeles don’t even offer water while you working. Being a musician is a daily tough road, most musicians haven’t been able to survive as a musician and need to find another way to make money, which was my case.

In 2016, I was driving for sharing rides 50-60 hours a week, teaching at Shepherd University, and doing my work as a musician. Many nights I couldn’t sleep, many days I couldn’t have a decent meal. But, with faith, you have to do what is have to be done to reach your goal, and that’s what I did. Many nights, after shows, I barely could move my muscles as exhaustion together with bad food. Many times I got sick but I couldn’t stop, or my dreams will be harder to get. Other times I didn’t have enough voice to teach or enough muscle strength to play, but it has to be done so I did.

All the things that I did were to follow my dreams, as born and raised in Brazil, with a law degree, I could work with a nice salary over there, and I could have a comfortable life, but I switched everything to follow my dream. Today, I can say it was worth it, but many times I couldn’t believe that I could reach the goal one day

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My music knowledge came from Brazil, with heavy influence of samba, Brazilian pop rock, bossa nova, gave me a different way to approach music. This is made me to delivery unique bass lines and have been giving me working as session for little while.

I got my focus now in few things, first I have been getting a chance to be part of many projects in Los Angeles, Nashville, Belo Horizonte (Brazil). Which has been taking most of my free time and all of this projects are ready to sell for records label, so we are trying to present our music to them. My second focus has been teaching, im trying to give a personal classes to my private students, this being helping me to create my own learning system.

My third long shot focus yet, is open a music school with few brazilians musicians, a music school which will prepare Brazilian musicians to come to USA and get their degree. It seems different, but, as we know, most of the opportunities in music industry are in Los Angeles, with that in mind, our goal is to teach music in English, using the method called “DO” (developed by Berklee) because this method its not used by brazilians universities and schools.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My mentor was Abraham Laboriel, one of the most famous bass guitars in the world. More than teaching music to me, was special our conversations, understanding the market, positioning myself, and selling my work. If wasn’t for Abraham Laboriel I wasn’t able to get into the professional music business.

Networking is very important, but you just going to have an advantage if you know yourself, your limitations, and your high skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eddiecuri.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddiecuri/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eddicuri/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EddieCuri
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/edmond-v-m-curi 

Image Credits
San Diego Live 8