We were lucky to catch up with Sergio Amalfitano recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Sergio with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I think I inherited my work ethic from my community. My parents immigrated from Argentina in the 80s and didnt know the language. They learned the language and got jobs and built a good life for all of us. I was always surrounded by immigrants and and working class families that valued work. Not just what you do but how you do it and how much pride you have in it. I think I had a responsibility to them and the sacrifices they made for me to work hard as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
We approach Midnight Hour Records with a community over commodity value. We have to make rent and live but we want to prioritize community involvement, outreach, represetation, etc. We operate as a record store, venue, micro movie theater, art/photo gallery, local history museum, and community space. We open our doors to vendors during our events, local artists, local community organizations, and more. As we move forward towards our goals we are expanding our use, and improving on what we already offer.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think having a natural curiosity, and healthy DIY hands on approach has helped us on our journey. A fearlessness to try and achieve things and even if we fall short of perfect “good is good enough”. Doing things you think may not work but you enjoy, because if youre going to do something for endless hours a day you might as well love what youre doing. Just enjoy what you do and who youre doing it with. Reach out to friends and dont be afraid to build bridges connecting you to new people.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Were always looking to build bridges and connect with more pockets of creative, community driven folks. We generally look for unique vendors, community organizers, businesses that are lgbtq/ woc/ poc/ bipoc owned, “dead format” sellers (vhs, vinyl, cassette, etc), podcasters, event organizers, etc. They can connect with us via midnighthourbooking@gmail.com or reach out on instagram at @midnighthour_sfv
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @midnighthour_sfv
Image Credits
Photos by Sergio Amalfitano
