Rich Arriaga is a self-motivated individual who has a solid mission to accomplish; become a professional performer. Since a young age he has always been drawn to the sound of music and how it made him feel. From elementary school to high school he has sang in choirs and has been self-taught musician.
His parents have played a large role in his exposure to music. Rich’s father was big on classical music while his mother would blast Michael Jackson records. He would then borrow his mother’s portable stereo system and try his best to interpret Michael or any other singer. Rich was bent on learning the lyrics and even the mannerisms of all the Pop artists at any cost.
Rich would soon be able to display his talents to the world. As a native Long Islander he found a venue to start his mission. The location, Sip This, happened to be in his town of Valley Stream, Long Island. The local coffee shop / lounge always featured “Open Mic Nights” and Rich became a regular act. His first performance there he opened with an original song entitled “Opening Act”. The response was overwhelming and unexpected. It was the stepping stone to a bigger stage.
“I performed that for the first time everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to me. That was the first time something like that happened to me. Usually people come in, buy a drink and chat with their friends and the live music is just in the background. That night I felt like I was in the spotlight. It felt good.”
Rich, even though being a solo artist has also lent his talents to other bands. One such band is Medicine Fish who are also on their own musical mission. He normally performs solo but sometimes he enjoys jamming with other talented artists. Recently he joined Medicine Fish on stage at the Valley Stream Community Annual Festival where they received a thunderous applause.
As for his style, Rich identifies himself as a Pop/Rock performer. His voice has a rich and edgy sound that oozes with emotion and true feelings. Rich admits that every word he belts out comes from deep inside and with honest conviction. Perfect examples of artists he derives his inspiration from are John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw.
Rich has been working on his own material over a period of time and decided to put a track out on YouTube. But his first submission was a cover song called “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance was a raw performance that depicted his talent. He then put up his original track “What If” which can bring a tear to the eye. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8nsqMsXSao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qst5AcKoj_w
Judging from his motivation and inner talent Rich is due for bigger things. Currently he has been busy in the studio working on new videos and fresh material besides that he also is on the trail to form his own band. As for performances he is scheduled for another “Open Mic” due to overwhelming requests at the “Sip This Lounge” on Halloween. Save that name, Rich Arriaga, it is due to be heard loud and clear on a wider scale.