Let’s start with Thanks! Alex Pinto!
The amazing musician who blessed the Bay Area music scene with his genius for a little over four years. He is in India now, researching Hindustani music as a Fulbright Scholar.
During his time in the Bay Area he taught hundreds of middle school students about what it takes to be a musician, the discipline, the immersed focus. He also co-created the SFOffside Festival alongside star music promoter Laura Maguire. In its 2012 and 2013 editions, the three day event featured mega-talented Bay Area musicians and received much acclaim by the press.
That’s not all, he released an album “Inner State” and married his college sweetheart, the wonderful Camille Schmah. All in four years, and some of it while gliding through a corporate job some can only dream to have. He cooks too!
So you get the idea, this guy makes amazing things look easy. A very INSPIRING man. He managed to get the best from me during every conversation, making me feel that I was capable of more and more. I can only imagine what he will achieve in the next few years.
My biggest hope is that one day I will get another text from Pinto that reads: “legs are in the oven”. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and head his way. (Chicken legs, that is).
Hernando Buitrago 