Immediate and unrelenting – that’s how I’d describe my obsession with the guitar. I picked up my first six-string when I was 12-years old, practicing chords and strum patterns from the floor of my bedroom in Medellin, Colombia. Hours of novice practice quickly turned into years of formal music education and invigorating local performances. I was hooked.

So hooked, in fact, that at the age of 22 I decided to move 2,000 miles away from home in Colombia to study at the Collective School of Music in New York City. The move was terrifying – I didn’t know a single female guitarist or have one family member outside of South America – but the opportunity to play with some of the world’s best musicians was enough for me to buy a one-way ticket.

It turned out to be the ultimate musical gateway. Last year, my work caught the attention of Karol G, one of Latin America’s most influential female artists in Urban/Reggaetón music. By sheer luck, coincidence, or just plain fate, she was putting together an all-female music group. I accepted an offer to join her tour on the spot.

In 2019, I played 172 shows in 21 countries and 60 different cities. My lifelong dream to perform onstage in front of thousands of people became reality. The days are long, intense, and still require a ton of practice – but it’s exactly how I want to spend my life.

What’s next? I’m driven to play alongside other incredible artists on even bigger stages. I know that the gratification I get from this incredible instrument will never end, no matter where, how or with whom I play. The dream I had on my bedroom floor at age 12 is the same dream I’m getting to live out loud. I’ve seen how a single dream can be more powerful than a thousand realities: it breaks barriers, challenges the status quo and lets you see the impossible as entirely within reach.