Alumni
Our Alumni
Salomon Beda, ’12
Where do you live?
Bogotá , Colombia
Bogotá , Colombia
What is your current profession and where do you work? How did you come to work in this field?
I’m a full time musician. I recorded my first full-length music album in Bogotá in 2016 and released it July 7 2017. After I graduated from New York University (NYU), my cousin, who is in the entertainment business, suggested I move to Colombia. He told me he would manage me and help me record my first album. With the support of friends and family, I made my first move to start my professional career.
What educational path did you follow?
I graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Studies. My concentration was called “Music and Power”. Gallatin is a beautiful school within NYU that allows you to be creative when choosing your major. You are able to choose courses within all of the schools at NYU and create your own path as you learn who you are and what you want to study. It is a very non-traditional way of going about university, yet for me it was a path that opened my mind and the way I look at things. It’s not only about what the degree says, it’s about the content and experiences you learn that help you grow in college. It’s about learning for the sake of learning.
What is most rewarding about the work you do? What are the challenges?
The most rewarding is hearing nice feedback that allows you to have the strength to keep on going, especially in my field. Although you don’t need anyone to tell you how good or great you are doing, it is very powerful when you come close to the effect your music has on people. When someone tells me that my music brightened their day, that’s all the reward I need. You realize in life that it is not money, status, possessions, views, likes, or shares that are going to make you feel rewarded. It is the simple and honest things that fill you. When you are able to see a small but positive change in someone or something because of what you do. Some challenges are doubting my ability to keep on making music. Artists deal with the struggle of not losing creativity. It’s something I fear but something I know I have to keep on looking for.
What is one essential academic or life skill you honed at Scheck Hillel?
One special thing I learned at Scheck Hillel is the importance and power of connection. Such a tight-knit community has taught me the importance of family and to always do something that has meaning or something behind it. People have the power to change things and Scheck Hillel makes you feel that. For example: THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE IS STRONGER THAN THE PEOPLE IN POWER!
What is your advice for future Hillel students who might consider a career in your field?
My advice is to be patient and to always know that what fills and enriches your soul! Because even though The Beatles had it all, the same thing that fills my soul and enriches me, enriched them. That “thing” was and is going to the studio and creating music. The rest are just add-ons that can both hinder or better your life depending on how you take them. This should not be mistaken by not striving for greatness. Know what you want and how far you want to get. There’s nothing wrong in wanting to be the best. Just don’t forget what enriches you.
What is the last book you read/podcast you heard that taught you something you didn’t know before?
The last book I read that for some reason I had never read as I child is “El Principito” or “The Little Prince.” It teaches you about creativity and connection. The difference between how adults and children see things. We should never lose the child within because that is what makes us creative!
Buenas vibras! Good vibes!
