Los Angeles International Airport was filled with lively Latin, Salsa, and other types of music at around noon on Sept. 4 and 5.
Three-time Grammy Award winner Oscar Hernandez led a musical quintet in four separate performances at the airport to entertain busy and stressed travelers.
Oscar Hernandez played keyboard, Katisse Buchingham played flute and saxophone, Rene Camacho played bass, Jimmy Branly played drums, and Christian Moraga played congas and guiro.
The Epoch Times asked Hernandez how to win a Grammy, and he laughed.
“Dedicate yourself to your craft, become good at it. Follow your heart and trust your feeling about what you love and what you want to do and follow your dreams,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez is considered one of the most prominent and gifted pianists and arrangers in contemporary Latin music. For young people who also might want to become a musician, he provided some practical suggestions.
“Follow your heart, and if you really want to be in music, you have to persevere through networking yourself with other people who want to do music. And listen to as much (as possible) and copy. Especially when you are young, you have to copy other people until you develop your own voice,” he said.
Hernandez has also created music for Broadway musicals such as “The Capeman” and “Mambo Kings,” televisions shows like “Sex and the City,” and commercials for companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, General Motors, and Cover Girl.
In order to become a successful musician, he said it’s also important to build professional connections.
“Just find out what other people are doing what you are doing. And you become friends with people who are doing music and you find out about groups who are interested in getting new members. Get involved with as many people that do music. Sooner or later you will find your path.”
This is the 13th LAX art performance of this year out of a total of 18, according to Sarah Cifarelli, art director of LAX.
