Partner Spotlight: Mauricio Paez, Music Go Round Albuquerque

Sep 2

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” - Prince

In this statement, Prince reminds us of a few essential elements of life. First of all, we are together as a group. We are gathered in a community. It is important to find our people, to feel that we belong. Second, there is a commonality in our community. What is it we are gathered here to do? There is a shared element that will make life not only liveable but also enjoyable. It is very possible that this shared element is different for various groups of people. For me, it very well may be dark chocolate. For Mauricio Paez, the General Manager of Music Go Round Albuquerque, that thing is music.

Mauricio first began playing music in middle school, starting with violin. This led him to the guitar, an instrument he still plays over 30 years later. Taking his love for music to heart, he started gigging in professional bands in 1988. He is currently part of the electric rock duo, The Talking Hours, set to release their third album, “Transmissions to Missy” in September.

To help support his life as a musician, Mauricio began working in music retail in 1998. He worked at a few different companies before finding his home at Music Go Round in 2011. While working at other companies often felt like a machine, Mauricio immediately felt the difference when he joined Music Go Round. He loves that it is locally owned and is intent on creating relationships with the Albuquerque community.

For those who have yet to discover this gem, Music Go Round is an Albuquerque company that buys, sells, and trades used musical instruments, gear, and accessories, while also offering a selection of new equipment. Music Go Round interacts with the Albuquerque music scene on a daily basis. They have partnered with Rock 101 Music Academy since the very first summer in 2011. For the first several years of Summer Sessions, Music Go Round provided all of the instruments, making them an essential contributor to Rock 101’s success. That partnership remains strong today; in fact, all Rock 101 instructors and students get 10% off all instruments!

As we move through this thing called life, our community is important. Mauricio loves the tight knit music scene in Albuquerque and enjoys contributing to it not only as a musician but also as a member of Music Go Round. For all those aspiring musicians out there, here’s his advice: “Do what you do. Do not conform to popularity and trends. And don't forget to practice, practice, practice!”

Check out The Talking Hours!
Instagram: @thetalkinghours
https://thetalkinghours.com/