The melodic acoustic guitar paired with the faint sounds of sirens start off the song. Then the bass joins, euphonious and pronounced. Words rich with emotion carry the audience as the singer starts, tempting some to sway, others to stop and listen to the blend of instruments and lyrics. This is the experience of listening to Sergio Rivas’ song ‘Bolsa’.
Rivas, a senior, started his music journey from a young age. He recalls making lists when he was a child of his favorite songs and artists. As he went into his Texan middle school, he joined the band class. At that point his main instrument was the trombone — but not for long. Soon after learning trombone, Rivas was introduced to the bass guitar by a church bassist. This bassist left him with the instrument for long spans of time, and during these hours, young Rivas became familiar with the instrument and his passion for music grew.
“I never had lessons — period,” Rivas said. “That dude that got me into bass, he taught me one song … and pretty much after that, it was just me and the bass … School of Rock was just out of the question. It [is] incredibly expensive, and Guitar Center, too. They were just really expensive, so I was like, ‘Well, I’ll just learn it on my own,’ And the more I just sat there with the bass and just learned the craft, the more I realized I want to do this, and I’ll do it even if I don’t have a teacher to help me through it.”
From then on, bass became Rivas’s primary instrument. However, he is able to play guitar and knows the fundamentals of various other instruments, such as keyboard. Learning the technical side of his bass allowed for an easy shift between instruments, with bass being the solid foundation for his knowledge of music theory, helped by classes such as Jazz Band. Now, as he starts to write and produce his own music, bass has become a part of his identity as an artist.
“I think the love that I had for my bass and the love that I still have for my bass, allowed me to make my music a little more me,” Rivas said. “Because guitar, I usually write on, but most of my guitar lines are almost accents. They’re just helping, [they’re] guiding my bass. Because in most of my songs, the bass is mostly the main one that you’re hearing, and the one that’s carrying. When I started making music, I knew for sure I wanted to make the bass more melodic … I wanted people to know when I play bass, ‘That’s Sergio playing bass,’ not just a bass player.”
Through his passion for bass, Rivas got the opportunity to put his emotions into song. Using songwriting as a way to understand the world around him, the decision to start releasing his music out into the world was a natural step.
“There’s a lot of things that I don’t understand in the world,” Rivas said. “I’m just lost completely. But music’s always been the thing that really grasped me. It made more sense than anything else. Music was always there, and it helped me understand how I felt in a moment. [Music also] helped me understand how I was processing [my feelings] through times in my life. And [there] was something about making music and just being there in time, just feeling my guitar. Like, something about having my guitar or having an instrument in my hands, [helped me know] how I feel … [it] was a really special connection [to feel like that with just my guitar]. And it just made me want to share it.”
Typically, rates at studios are very expensive, yet through personal connections with other bands, Rivas is able to work with 4U Studios in downtown Memphis and the University of Memphis Studio at a reduced rate. At the studio, Rivas works long hours with engineer Daniel Martinez and musicians such as WSHS’s Japanese teacher Dylan Lira, recording and mixing music. Rivas’s most recent release was his song ‘Bolsa’, where Lira assisted with the percussion.
“When I did the guitar, [Lira] did the drums,” Rivas said. “So, then it came out, the mix that we have today with an actual drummer. And it just, honestly, brought a good feel to the song. I feel like the song wouldn’t have been as good if it wasn’t for the drums and the bass also being so locked in. Because I did the bass in one take, and I was, like, ‘That’s the bass line. That’s it.’”
Rivas has played several gigs with his music, the largest being at Rhodes College. There, with Lira and his band, they performed for an event put on by the Hispanic Heritage Organization. Rivas has also played some smaller gigs including birthday parties. At WSHS, he performed for the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
“I really want to get more into the rock scene [and play more shows like that], but then again, I’m just not set to one genre,” Rivas said. “I like all of it. I like experiencing different things.”
With all these events and a busy recording schedule, balancing school and music life has been a learning curve for Rivas. He may record at the studio all day and leave little time for work, but Rivas continues to use music as a guiding force in his studies.
“It made it a lot easier to feel more motivated to do my schoolwork because I had a support group … my friends, my teachers, my peers around me keep me motivated,” Rivas said. “I sat down with my mom and told her if I can’t keep my grades aligned while I’m doing music, I can’t do music. Graduating is [the] number one priority right now … if I can’t pass my classes, I can’t make music, and I have to make music … therefore, I have to pass all my classes.”
Rivas’s time in the studio has increased recently with new projects. In December, a single featuring his friend Alberto Gonzalez was released. Then, in February, Rivas plans to release an EP with all of his work. Both will be available on all major streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and Amazon. These releases mark the cumulation of months of hard work.
“There’s no right or wrongs in music,” Rivas said. “there’s never hate in music or never anything that’s too bad that you can’t handle. Aside from music, I really love to meet people and I really love to befriend people and understand them. So, if [music] doesn’t get me to those big venues, I’ll just be happy if I [get] to meet friends and meet people who share the same love for music as I do.”
Rivas’s journey from trombone to ‘Bolsa’, playing bass to working at a studio, from writing alone to releasing his upcoming EPs, is not over. His music, characterized by its striking bass and collaborative efforts with those more experienced, makes for a unique musical experience.
“Thank you to my drummer,” Rivas said. “Thank you to my friends who helped me and who supported me when I was down, when I was feeling up. And my mom who supported me as much as she could, and just thank you [to] everyone around me who loved me and supported me when I didn’t feel up.”