Goodbye Beantown...

After 7 long and amazing years in the city of Boston, I decided to finally move to Los Angeles, California.

Obviouly Caracas is and will always be my HOME, but Boston has been a second home for me. I love the people, the city itself and the fact that a big chunk of my life was lived there just fills me with good memories of this town. Also this city has been important in the Arriaga family for some time. My dad, his sisters and my grandparents lived here many years ago and he attended MIT... We both saw snow for the very first time... virtually lived in the same street decades apart, took the same walks years apart, etc... it's just very specially and i feel a deep connection to the town, and of course it's not easy to say goodbye.

I am extremely thankful since I lived incredible times there, as a highschooler from Brookline High, an 8th grader from Driscoll School or a college kid at Berklee. As much as I leave the city behind I will never forget the relevance and impact that place had on me... yes it's not perfect but I have only but good things to say about the town... well, most of the things are good anyway... don't get me started on the T and the new Charlie "the worst idea ever" ticket.

Berklee... I loved it and will always loved it, but it was just time to move on. The fact that I can walk down the street and literally bump into players like Eguie Castrillo, Mike Mangini, Joe Lovano, Victor Mendoza, etc etc etc is simply a PRIVILEGE that i will always be thankful to my parents more so than the city. I was lucky enough to witness an incredible generation of musicians who have had a bigger impact in my life that the jazz greats... such as Hiromi, John Shannon, Mitch Cohn, Oliver Rockberger, Kai Petite, Tony Grey, Nikki Glaspie, Panagiotis Andreu, Mateo Laboriel, Martin Valihora...to name a few few.

More recently this city gifted me the oportunity to work with Leo Mellace and Steve Catizone and all the staff at Sanctum Sound, one of my favorite places on the planet. Through them I met my great friends from my band West 8 Five as well. I cannot mention this city without stating how amazing the experience of playing with Gary Cherone was.

I want to thank everybody that i studied, played, hung out and played soccer with through all these years. I leave a lot of friends behind but all of you, not at once of course! are more than welcome in my new home!

Peace