We interviewed Gaia Leone, an Italian, composer and musician who lives in Los Angeles. Gaia lives abroad and keeps intact in her heart the love for her roots, for her Italy. Here's what he told us about his private life and his work.
Hi Gaia, tell us a little about yourself
I was born in Reggio Calabria and, as a child, I showed an aptitude for art and music. I loved singing and inventing songs and "acronyms" that I incorporated into my games. When I was 11 I was given my first guitar and from there I started to get more and more passionate about the world of music.
While I was attending the Liceo Classico “T. Campanella ”in Reggio Calabria I decided that music would become my job. It was a bit difficult to "convince" friends and relatives that this was now my path but by working hard, without ever neglecting my studies, I was able to obtain both the highest marks at the high school and to tread the first Calabrian stages by participating in festivals and competitions. At the end of the fifth year of high school I came across the first album of bassist Jaco Pastorius almost by chance. It was a fundamental moment for me in defining my career as a musician and, thanks to his music, I decided to devote myself to the electric bass.
Gaia, what are the studies you did to prepare for a career as a musician?
I have a bachelor's degree in Linguistic Interpretation and Mediation. While I was studying, I continued to play, perform and study my instrument, theory and harmony and reading. A few years after graduating I decided to supplement my self-taught studies with professional courses offered by the prestigious Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA).
With a scholarship, I participated in the 5-Week Performance Program and later got a full scholarship to attend the full-time course. I therefore decided to move to the USA to study and, 5 years later, I completed my double degree in Commercial Arrangement and Performance of the Electric Bass.
How and when did the decision to leave for Los Angeles come?
During my studies at Berklee I attended a Production and Technique class for DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). One of the projects in the course was to create an underscore for an advertisement. I've never worked with video before and I'd say that was another defining moment in my career. It was love at first sight! Creating music for visual was, and still is, very stimulating and fulfilling for me. The synesthesia between images and sounds is the field in which I can best express my personality as a composer. From that day on, I knew I would be working with music and visuals in the future.
I also got hooked on Film Scoring and started after graduation to consider moving out of Boston to look for job opportunities. I chose Los Angeles because it is the hub of the Music Industry and because I believe it is the city that offers the most in terms of jobs and growth opportunities. The amount of talent that comes here every year is simply incredible and being part of such a diverse and vibrant community is what it takes to create new original projects and continue to learn and grow.
In Los Angeles I am also connected for another, more personal reason. I remember as a child I had a great passion for the USA. I stayed whole nights reading James Frey's "Good Morning, Los Angeles" and fantasizing about this huge, wildly beautiful city. Growing up I realized that there would be difficulties and challenges but I was ready to face them. And so, after 5 years in Boston, here I am in LA working in the music business.
Tell us about your career in Los Angeles
Before moving permanently to Los Angeles, I visited it for a summer during an internship at "Sparks and Shadows" the production house of the famous composer Bear McCreary (who wrote scores for "Walking Dead", "Outlander", “Battlestar Galactica”, “A Child's Play” and many other globally recognized titles). After this internship I returned to Boston to finish my studies and at the end of June 2020 I moved to Los Angeles permanently. I do music for TV and New Media so I work a lot with commercials, podcasts and jingles. Currently, I write for Discovery Channel and NHK Japan and have recently joined the team of MPATH Music, the Music Library created by award-winning composer Michale A. Levine. I am very grateful to the MPATH team for warmly welcoming me and especially for their vision of wanting to create greater representation of women in the field of music and composition for film and television. This is a vision that I particularly share and that convinced me to continue working on my project of creating an Italian association to represent and protect Italian composers.
I moved to Los Angeles for a very short time and yet the first satisfactions were not lacking. I truly hope I can continue to work hard and grow alongside Los Angeles' vibrant creative community!
Of course, I cannot deny that these are extremely difficult and delicate times. Not just for us musicians but for almost everyone. However, I think that in circumstances like these we need to reinvent ourselves. It is in these times that the minds that will change the world are formed. I am truly honored to be surrounded by talents who continue to create and challenge the present by working hard for a better future. This is why I have also decided to do my part. With my partner, Leonardo, we have created our own music production company, Bertinelli Sound which has already garnered international awards and accolades and whose customer roster continues to expand. Our mission is to help the artist or creative to give life to his vision, without contamination or shortcuts. We want to create a community of resources and services for our artists who in this way can feel part of a family and not just anonymous customers.
Tell us about your link with Italy
Although I have been in the USA for several years, I always carry Italy in my heart. I am proud of being Italian, of my culture and my history. I am infinitely grateful to the USA for giving me the opportunity to grow and mature as a composer and musician and I always try to create meeting points between the two countries.
I think that, despite the obvious differences, Italy and the USA can dialogue in music. Above all in the field of films and cinema, Italy has given a lot and the USA have not only received but have been able to enhance and encourage talents.
As a Calabrian, my mission is to help those who, like me, are driven by a passion for music and dream big from Calabria. My strength is that of my team! L'Italy in general and the Calabria in particular they are full of new talents who can really give a lot. I owe a lot to my land and I hope soon to be able to repay it as it deserves.
Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you and your readers!
