Meet Ori Masias | Musician, Songwriter and Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ori Masias and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ori, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

For me, risk is all about sacrifice, delaying gratification and having a healthy concept of what it is to plant your seeds so you can reap the rewards later on. I’ve always been weary of safety nets, given that in order to pursue a career full of uncertainty and instability you must absolutely give it your all; I guess I’ve always been opposed to the concept of a “Plan B.” For me, there’s only plan A and my intention is to always shoot for Plan A even when Plan A seems far and the path is treacherous. It’s important to have a good understanding of what you have to do to stay afloat while making your way towards it though- you must be able to wear various hats in the industry, be humble, take any work you can get if need be and understand the value of money. Music can be a time sensitive career and though I could have chosen to set myself up to earn a stable salary, I have chosen to take the risk, navigate the adversities that come with it and spend the majority of my time watering a career in music.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I am a guitarist/songwriter first and foremost- I first picked up a guitar when I was about 8 years old. My uncle Luis played guitar and taught me my first few chords. My mom actually bought me a toy guitar from Walmart and enrolled me in afterschool lessons after realizing I took it seriously. Shoutout to my mom for doing that and Brian Bustillo for being my very first guitar teacher. I learned mostly from online from that point on and I deepened my interest as a guitarist after discovering John Mayer’s acoustic version of “Clarity” on youtube when I was 12. It completely entranced me. From that moment on, I explored songwriting and guitar intensely. I pretty much wikipedia’d where he had gone to school at the time and told myself I had to go there too… and I did! I ended up studying at Berklee College of Music seven years later, and that was a huge part of my life. Ofcourse, along the way there were many more artists, teachers and peers who influenced me and made me a better musician.

In high school, I honed in on accompanying and writing songs with my vocalist friends on guitar. That really gave me a knack for filling up as much sonic space on guitar as I could, given I was the only harmonic instrument in that duo setting. I also developed an ear for following the dynamics/intent of singers and keeping an ear out for the dynamics of music as a whole. Often times, vocalists might forget lyrics or jump to the bridge instead of a verse and it’s important to be on your toes about that kind of stuff and follow along. I learned how to fall gracefully by messing up on stage enough times… it happens. But the point is to be good enough of a stuntman to fall without anyone noticing, and if you get real good at it, you can even make something cool and musical out of a mistake. Those years as an accompanying acoustic guitarist were extremely formative for me. I was also part of the school’s choir, big band jazz ensemble, keyboard ensemble, guitar ensemble and AP music theory class. That’s where the majority of my musical foundation comes from. In addition to that, I was part of a program called Music Lab; it was an extracurricular club full of talented songwriters and musicians I learned a lot from and ended up working with professionally later on. Most of my initial live music experience came from that place, so shoutout to the Belisario family for giving us that. 

Once I got to college, I started catering a bit more to the electric guitar. I joined the R&B ensemble under the direction of Dr. Tim Brent and took my first private guitar instructions for two years in Miami Dade College, before transferring over to Berklee. Dr. Brent’s stern yet passionate style of teaching really changed the way I approached guitar and played with a band. He made me understand the context of every instrument in a live band more deeply. He was also real big on professionalism, punctuality and preparation. He wasn’t easy, but that really stuck with me. 

When I arrived at Berklee, I realized I hadn’t fostered my playing as much as I could have in order to keep up with the level of musical knowledge that was present in the school… that was sort of a punch for me. The experience really humbled me and exposed my strengths and weaknesses. I learned a lot just by playing outside of my comfort zone and being in the same room as some of the most incredible musicians I’ve ever met. I’m grateful I get to call many of those people my good friends. Being in that environment really showed me how it’s done. 

After graduating, I pretty much had to start from scratch and figure out how the real world really works and what it takes to succeed. As they say, talent is never enough. Luckily for me, a friend recommended me for Mike Doughty’s 25th Anniversary Ruby Vroom tour a few months after graduating in 2019. It was my first real big gig, and I learned everything I needed to know about touring then. When live music returned after the pandemic, I got another call to play for my dear friend Maye, who I actually met in guitar class when I was a freshman in high school. She got an opening slot in The Marias’ Cinema Tour- that was an incredible experience. Athletes always talk about how much of a privilege it is to play the game at the highest level, and I think for musicians it’s no different. Being a part of these tours really taught me the most important lessons on what it is to be a professional musician on and off stage. It may seem like it’s all rockstar stuff- and it is, once the show starts- but it’s really everything you do in preparation before, during and after showtime that really makes or breaks you as a professional. 

I’m still on a journey of self discovery now, but I’ve written a good handful of tunes I’m proud of, gained invaluable live experience with artists I really admire and I have a good idea about what I want to do next. I definitely want to bring my own music to life and continue bringing my peers’ music to life as well. I’ve arrived at a point where honesty is priority… I want to surround myself with honest people and honest art that comes from the soul. I don’t come from the most orthodox family and I’ve had to power through some rough moments in life (as we all have), but honest art is a saving grace and through words and sounds I believe everyone on both sides of a stage can heal. I definitely want to be a part of that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some of my favorite places in Miami in no particular order:

– The Corner
– Mary’s Coin Laundry
– Lagniappe
– South Pointe Beach
– Don Pan
– MIA Brewery
– Bodega
– Jada Cole’s

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a special shoutout to all my mentors who have changed my life with their teachings and support- both musically and personally. Al Bermudez, Alicia Romero, Tim Brent, Colin Sapp, Enrique Gonzales-Muller to name a few… you all changed my life and I am eternally grateful for the foundation you’ve given me. Your words of wisdom are the gift that keeps on giving.

My dearest friends… Yinnett Rejon, Ana Yanquez, Victoria Morales, Yaneth Imperatrice, Viviana Baptista, Victoria Rizk, Valeria Falcon, Ninotchka Barrios-Hecht, Paola Odoardi, Diego Delafuente, Javier Lozada, Sarah Malka, Jessica Almeida, Madden Klass, Sunny Lai, Carolyn Alexander, The Swayzees, The Brady Bunch- to name a few… you guys have kept me sane through the hardest of times and filled me with joy always; I don’t take a single bit of it for granted. I’ve been extremely blessed to receive this Godsent chosen family. I adore you all with my entire heart.

And Last but definitely not least, my family… my mom, my stepdad, my aunts and uncles, Jorge, Luis and Claudia Aravena, Estefania Mathison, The Rangel’s, and all of the Aravena-Valles-Martinez-Toyos family. You are at the core of my existence and I would not be who I am without any of you.

I’d also like to give a special shout to anyone I have not mentioned whom I’ve ever crossed paths with, exchanged conversations or shared any experience with. There’s something I’ve kept from absolutely everyone I have met in my life.

Instagram: @orimasias

Twitter: @orimasias

Image Credits
Nicole Buitrago, Tina Perez, Victoria Morales, Elfego Becerra, Andrea Risquez