Meet Enrique Lara

We were lucky to catch up with Enrique Lara recently and have shared our conversation below.

Enrique, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I was basically born drumming! My parents were incredibly supportive of my dreams, and even at a young age, I knew drumming was my life’s passion. I started formal drum lessons and by 15 I was performing professionally with local jazz bands – playing weeknights until 3 a.m. while still attending high school.

Performing with jazz artists, I was inspired by the spontaneity and musical conversation within Jazz – I fell in love with music. It’s such a beautiful and exciting thing to experience creativity happening right before your ears, moving both the musicians and the audience.

The Jazz scene gave me invaluable real-world experience, quickly leading me to playing with renowned Bolivian folk artist Manuel Monroy Chazarreta. During one of these performances, Bolivian rock icon Rodrigo Villegas took notice of my drumming and later invited me to join Llegas, one of Bolivia’s biggest bands. My time with Llegas solidified drumming & music as my life’s purpose. After graduating high school, I moved to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, focusing on Performance and Music Business & Management, and later, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue music professionally.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m Enrique Lara, a session musician, music producer and educator with over 21 years of experience. I was born in Hamburg, Germany, raised in Bolivia, and have lived in Los Angeles for 16 years.

My musical journey started in Bolivia when I was six, jamming along to the album Help! by The Beatles on my dad’s electric drum kit. My passion for drumming grew into a profession by the time I was 15, performing with Jazz artists and playing at the international Jazz festival – FestiJazz Bolivia.

A major career highlight came when Bolivian rock legend Rodrigo Villegas invited me to join Llegas, one of the country’s biggest bands. We toured, recorded, and won several awards for our album Superjuguetes—an experience that set the stage for my future in music. Knowing I wanted to continue pursuing music professionally, I decided to move to the U.S. to study at Berklee College of Music and later relocated to Los Angeles.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with incredible artists like Alan Palomo (frontman of Neon Indian) on his 2023 World of Hassle tour, American Idol finalist Casey Abrams, RIVVRS, Latin Grammy award winner’s Lucky Diaz & Family Jam Band, Carlos Santana’s nephew Adam Lasher, and Latin Pop legend Amanda Miguel. As a session musician, it is a fulfilling experience to capture the ideas in your head and then have it come to life.

My years of performing live and working in the studio exposed me to countless creative challenges, allowing me to absorb the techniques and decision-making processes of music directors and producers. This experience made the transition to music production a natural evolution for me. As a producer, Enrique’s work on Evelyn Cools’ Misfit Paradise EP and Wilder Mind EP has gained international recognition, including chart-topping success in Belgium. His production credits also include Ghost Lion’s album Nuclear Island.

When I’m not behind the drum kit or in the studio, I’m teaching at SoundLife Music Academy, where I help aspiring musicians unlock their potential. Music has given me incredible opportunities, and I’m excited to keep pushing boundaries.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Positivity, trustworthiness, and diversifying my skills were critical in guiding me through my early years of music and are essential still.

Music is a tough business, so maintaining a positive outlook is crucial. Trusting that things will work out, one way or another, has helped me stay focused and to achieve my goals. Being trustworthy has been essential to develop my reputation, which is critical in the music industry. I strive to be a person of my word – sticking to commitments, showing up on time (it’s less common than you’d think!), and being prepared are cornerstones to good partnerships.

Another foundational part of my journey has been diversifying my musical skills. Combining formal education with hands-on experience has made me the musician I am today.

My advice for up-and-coming musicians or artists would be to develop your skills and lean into the good qualities you have that make you, you. Immerse yourself in your field, whether through formal education or learning from a mentor. The process doesn’t matter as much as your dedication. If you’re hungry and committed, you’ll achieve your goals. One experience often leads to another, so always give your best in every project—you never know what new opportunity might come from it.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

If you’re an artists or band looking for a drummer or producer to collaborate the best way to reach me is through my Instagram (@enriquelaramusic) or website https://www.enriquelaramusic.com/

The types of genres I typically work with include: Singers/Songwriters, Pop, Rock, Alt. Rock, Indie-Pop, Psychedelic rock. I’m open to collaborating with other interesting styles, just hit me up. You can check out recordings of me drumming or stuff I have produced on my website.

If you’re interested in seeing me play, I post all upcoming performances to my Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.enriquelaramusic.com
• Instagram: enriquelaramusic

Image Credits

Lexus Gallegos