As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Special Edition 2022 – I Belong
Alia is a guitarist and songwriter that has always been involved in music. She grew up singing in the church choir and then began playing violin in high school. Music is a passion that seems to have chosen Alia, and they are on the continuous path to self-discovery through their sound. Alia hopes to inspire and move people with their sound and music.
Tell us a little about your musical background; how old were you when you started playing guitar, and what inspired your passion for music?
I feel like I’ve been listening to music my whole life. I grew up singing in the choir in church. I started the band in 6th grade doing percussion through middle school. My dad gave me my first electric guitar on my 12th birthday. In high school, I played violin/guitar in the orchestra and did vocal ensemble. As for what inspired my passion for music, I’d say the ability to move people and make them feel something, especially when the idea is pulled from my brain.
What inspires you to wake up every day and continue pursuing your dreams?
I am still figuring out my answer to this question. The fun and meaningful opportunities I attract yield space for me to make my life something I actually want to be a part of. It’s inspiring to see people like me doing similar things I want to do and connecting on those similar interests.
Take us through your songwriting process. What types of environments do you feel you need in order to be your most creative?
Honestly, that is still a work in progress. The voice memos on my phone consist of me strumming chords and humming along with whatever notes come to my head first. Or, me speaking a phrase in a syncopated way. Sometimes, the process is me just listening through memos for ideas that stand out. As for finding words, I’m still working on that by writing down even the most random phrases, not judging them, and accepting mediocrity when it happens. The words, rhythms, and melodic lines don’t all come at the same time, so I feel like it’s a process of me pulling the ideas from the universe that move me, curating those ideas. I feel the most creative in a colorful open space like my room or somewhere with daylight and clouds visible. 
What guitars are you playing right now?
My Tagima at the moment, because it isn’t heavy. I also play a Fender Redondo and an Ibanez short-scale bass.
Finish this sentence: I believe music…
is an answer, if not one of the answers for humanity.
