Featured American Mule Mr. November 2016
WE HAVE FOUND "THE MULE SPIRIT WITHIN" FROM A MUSICIAN WORKING IN THE COPPER STATE, USA.
This month's featured mule is all about pure mule stubbornness with a determination to never give up.
Born in Phoenix, musician and lead singer Cori Rios puts in the hard-work for the kind of life he desires. Watching a performance by Rios, one may think it's all fun and games to be the lead singer of an original music group. Afterall, Rios and his group- The Hour Glass Cats can 'bring the house down' with an upbeat party for hours. Rios wants to set the record straight by telling us that he has been working relentlessly for over five years to get to the point he is now.
As a working musician who receives regular compensation for his work with the band as well as his solo work, Rios wants to inspire new musicians to never give up. Claiming to be a musician is one thing... getting paid on a regular basis for being a musician is another. Rios tells us: "I'm a working musician. I play a lot of Corporate events, weddings, restaurants and hotels to fund my musical addiction. I occasionally work as a server when I need the extra cash flow. I'm an avid adventurer. I travel as much as possible and like to get my nature on. Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Hiking, Gardening, Camping are some of my favorite activities outside of music." Rios firmly believes that stubbornness has helped him. "If you want to be a musician, or even an entrepreneur , you kind of have to be stubborn. Lots of people would normally give up after years and years of things not working out or not getting the appreciation you think you deserve. Stubborn people will not give up. It's in their blood."
When taking a break from weekly gigs, Rios is inspired daily by nature and the outdoors. "Going on a hike and finding a giant tree or a saguaro growing on the edge of a mountain cliff with no stability has always reminded me that things can be hard but you can't let that affect you." He also leans on his friends and family and says they are the most supportive people in the world.
Rios has a different view of the "American Dream" driven by the idea that a person's happiness in life is more important than the level of their income. He believes happiness and the "American Dream" go hand-in-hand and that the dream should not be defined or measured by a person's bank account.
Rios was asked to give us some words of advice to pass along to people that may be starting out with a passion for music. "Don't give up. Don't work that desk job that you hate. If you want to work a desk job, cool then love what you do. It's never going to be easy, in fact like 90% of it is really hard and not that fun. It's that 10% though that makes it all worth it. Also, Don't choose a career based off of what others want you to do. You will never be happy. Do what YOU want to do. Even if you end up old and broke you will be a happier person than the one who never did what it is they wanted to do."
This year Rios plans to release his first full-length album with The Hour Glass Cats as well as a full-length album as a solo artist. He tells us that he plans to get on the road to promote his music nationally during the hot summer months. At American Mule, we wish Cori Rios and his band great success. Be sure to follow Rios and his music to catch him performing in a town near you this summer.
