From when he was a child, Cruz found solace in music amid family trauma. He concluded that music was therapeutic. Instead of meeting with psychologists, he was raised in a household where prayer was the lone coping mechanism. Having eventually experienced traditional therapy on multiple occasions, he says it has proved vital in his life. Music, however, is his primary therapy, just like when he was a youth.
“I lost my dad tragically in an accident,” he shares. “But it was a very strung out time; he was in a coma for a year before he passed. So as you can imagine it was a very gut wrenching and traumatic time for me, and I found quickly that music spoke to me…those messages and lyrics in the songs that I would hear on the radio spoke to me like a friend.”
Music does not just appeal to Cruz because it uplifts him. He is both a pro and student of the industry, hence Free the Music Business. His passion shows in his knowledge and work. In addition to writing and producing (he even created a soundtrack for his book), he runs the indie record company, Mixtape Sessions, co-owns Honeycomb Records with dance music legend Josh Milan; has his own music conference; hosts the weekly radio program, Freedom Radio Hour; and travels the world as a DJ, while also maintaining a full-time job and parenting.
