Get to Know Me
Before I start, I want to take a more human approach with you. If you want to know about the kind of work I’ve done or what I’ve accomplished, you can always read my bio or my resume. Today I don’t want to answer the “tell me about yourself” question to an employer in a job interview, but instead to a friend in a coffee shop. I want this to feel face-to-face.
My name is Kevin Garza. I’m pleased to meet you! I juggle a lot of things in my life, but my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world is create music. I love thinking of new ideas and new tunes based on what inspires me, and I love working with others in rehearsals and performance. More often than not the latter looks like conducting, and the more people the better! I love seeing music in the process of working with other people—the harmony of working together.
What else?
Well, I don’t know if I have hobbies as much as I have a few interests that I dig into. My bio says I love to cook but really, I love everything food-related: cooking, eating out, trying new foods, returning to old favorites, researching new recipes, and hosting/attending get-togethers around a meal. I also love everything about coffee shops: the coffee, the vibe, and the pastries. It’s cool for me to see life passing by outside while in a warm, inviting place (with Wi-Fi!).
(Okay, some non-food-related ones now) I also enjoy solving a good problem and a variety of puzzles; think conventional ones like crosswords, sudokus, and riddles. Unconventionally, I love treating my piano playing as a puzzle: maintaining fluency in fundamentals, finger strength, and learning a piece while figuring out which fingerings to use in a Bach fugue.
I’m a Texan, born and raised, and I had a pretty normal childhood. Music was in my home; my mother played the piano and sang for our church, and other family members were proficient in an instrument at different times in their lives. We have some talent in the family, but nothing on the level of a Mozart. So, it never occurred to me to pursue music seriously.
That is, until this happened one day:
When I was thirteen, my father took me shopping for a trombone method book. While we were in the music shop, I found by chance a notebook of blank manuscript paper. I still remember what it looked like, green and coil-bound. Dad paid for the items and took me home. That afternoon, the method book sat on my music stand untouched; while the green, coil-bound manuscript book lay alive and open on my desk.
Somewhere between writing my second “piece” and the third, that’s when the seed was planted. Composition—and music with it—was now a new, creative outlet. I even remember the moment where the thought first crossed my mind that this was what I wanted to do, and I had never felt anything like it. To finally find what I wanted to do beyond surface-level wants as a pre-teen hit different. It was the simultaneous feeling of your heart wanting to burst forward in front of you, mixed with this deep, warm hunger in the bottom of your gut. Forward and down, with your mind spinning with excitement and drive in all directions. I suddenly wanted to be everything and everywhere all at once, and for the first time I thought about what I would leave behind after my time was over, when it was time for me to go. I think a lot of people would call this feeling purpose.
I followed that feeling wherever it led. To Indiana and my wife. To the kids in New Albany and the marching band. To returning to Dallas and SMU. To Whidbey Island. To teaching orchestra in the district where I grew up. To the youth orchestra. And finally, to Sunseeker, self-publishing, and ultimately forming:
Heron Crest Music
Heron Crest isn’t just my publishing company—it’s everything I do relating to music. I spent a good amount of time finding a name for it, asking family members (and unfortunately AI) what they thought, but it was ultimately my wife who thought of the name. The name comes from the heron bird, which translates to “garza” in Spanish, and a crest is the tuft of feathers on top of a heron’s head. Instinctively, I thought it was a nice nod to my second marching show Crest & Crown, which was written the year we were married and is still, in my opinion, my best and favorite out of the three marching shows I composed in Indiana.
I mention this because Crest & Crown also had themes tied to independence, following your heart, and having resolve—perfect for this new venture that includes the following in a more organized and intentional manner:
Guest Conducting. Working with orchestras of all kinds: professionals, schools, community, youth, professional orchestras, even bands. Basically, I want to be anywhere with an ensemble where music comes together through the talents of many.
Teaching. Sharing what I know with people who are eager to learn about music: composition/conducting lessons, clinics, masterclasses, summer camps.
Commissions and Publishing. Composing and publishing new pieces so that others can enjoy it beyond our scope here in DFW.
So there’s a little about Heron Crest Music, and a little about me! My newsletter is up so please consider subscribing if you want to be notified of new blog posts and what I’m up to. You can find the subscription button on the Contact page. I will post once a month promoting my pieces, my thoughts on conducting and my composition process, and new projects. You can also use the contact form on this site to send me a direct message—either to collaborate or just say hello.
For now, I did treat this post like I was speaking to you in a coffee shop! What about you? Can I get you something? Latte?
Cheers!