We caught up with Moa Munoz, who graduated from Musicians Institute with an Associate of Arts degree in Vocal Performance (with emphasis on Independent Artist.) Along with an already successful career as a songwriter/vocalist, Moa is also a talent bass player who is currently on tour with recent Best New Artist Grammy winner, Olivia Rodrigo! We connected with Moa to discuss her journey to MI, what she learned, and advice she has for other current MI students looking to have a flourishing, and diverse, career in the music industry.
Why did you choose to attend Musicians Institute over every other music school?
I remember finding MI browsing the internet and immediately knew this is where I needed to go. As a teenager I knew the pamphlet and the info CD (remember those?) inside out. For a small town girl from Sweden, this seemed impossible at times, but deep down I just knew. I didn’t even look at any other options.
What is a lesson you learned in an MI class that you feel you use the most in your career? Favorite instructor?
I honestly feel I learned the biggest lesson over time – patience! I remember thinking that if I wasn’t a rockstar by the time I graduated, I was gonna go back home and get a “normal” job. So even if it wasn’t the advice I wanted at the time, I’m glad I stuck with it.
I’ve gotten way more “no’s” than “yes’s” and the only reason I am where I am today is because I never quit.
Everyone’s journey is different, so don’t let it discourage you just because you didn’t get the dream gig after your first audition or compare yourself to others. Before I got into the sync game, I would write every morning (I had to get up an hour earlier so I could do that before I went into my day job. If you want it, you make time) and at times it would feel like I wasn’t getting anywhere. But now, years later, I am beyond grateful to myself for putting in that time. So it was something I was taught during my time at MI, even though I didn’t understand it until later. My favorite instructors BY FAR were Coreen Sheehan and Brett McLaughlin.
Explain your journey after graduating from MI to what you’ve accomplished so far? What do you still hope to accomplish?
After graduating MI, my first gig was a cruise gig with a cover band. I remember thinking it was too good to be true: I get to go to the Bahamas AND play music AND get paid for it?!
I did Warped Tour and toured with Bay Ledges back around 2018-2019, and then I got really into the sync world and loved it. I actually signed my first admin deal through the MI Music Library Marathon with BMGPM! Sync was something that just spoke to me and after lots of manifesting, I started working with more and more different companies. I had a song in a Victoria’s Secret Pink campaign last year, which was a big one for me! It currently has over 15B+ views on TikTok.
As the world was opening up again, somewhat post-pandemic, I got the itch for touring again when the music director for Bay Ledges reached out to me about Olivia Rodrigo, whom I’m currently on tour with (I am writing this from NYC on my day off and am about to play 2 sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall). In the future, I am hoping to grow my sync catalog more and more and expand and grow as a writer. I would love to have a K-pop cut and a song in a Super Bowl Commercial! For touring, I want to do an arena tour! So basically, I just want to keep doing what I am already doing, but on an even bigger scale.
What are some of your top tips for scoring a cool touring gig?
Be kind to and make friends with everyone and again, be patient! The biggest misconception about networking to me is that you have to go out and give everyone your business card or get something out of someone now – grow genuine connections over time, and you never know which ones of your classmates might be your colleagues or even bosses years from now.
How did you get into songwriting for sync licensing? Do you think it’s important for musicians to be open to all the opportunities in the industry?
As previously mentioned, I actually got my first admin deal for sync through the MI Music Library Marathon! And yes absolutely – I had no idea what sync was when I started MI. My path looks nothing like I thought it would have when I started.
What does a typical day look like for you on tour with Olivia Rodrigo?
First things first – coffee! I’ve gotten really good at making the french press even on a rocky bus. Then I like to work out or go for a run, depending on what’s available around. I’m a sucker for anything water so I always try to find like a river walk or something to run along. That way you get to see the city too! Sometimes I have to do the less glamorous stuff such as laundry. Then I usually head to catering before soundcheck. Sometimes it’s fairly quick, and other times longer if we have to learn a new song. After soundcheck, I usually head back to catering for dinner and after that, it’s usually time to get show ready.
If we’re driving after the show (most times) I love to go back to the bus and watch trash TV after I washed away my make-up and put on my sweat pants.
What advice can you give current MI students looking forward to a career in music?
Be kind! Seriously, that should just go for life in general. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice, you got this! If you don’t know something, just say “yes” and figure it out. I had to play synth bass for a gig and I didn’t even have a synth at the time but I went home, cried, cursed, and figured it out.
Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. And lastly, I can’t stress this enough – be patient. Good things take time.
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