The Double Life of a Nearshore Software Designer

Many software developers have a knack for music. But it’s rare to meet one who is also a classically trained pianist who has traveled around the world to play music.

Luis Gerardo Molina, senior software developer at Validata Mexico, started piano lessons at the young age of 6, under the instruction of his father. Throughout his school years, he continuously practiced the instrument, devoting more time and effort to it. As he reached his high school graduation, he had to make a choice: focus on a career in software engineering or be a professional pianist. As luck may have it, he was granted a scholarship to a prestigious college in Mexico and chose to go there to focus on his software career.

But Luis still practiced the piano on a daily basis. He still does, practicing and studying music 2 to 4 hours a day.

“Being devoted to both my job and my passion, I see playing the piano as more than a hobby; it’s a second career to me that I’ve come to embrace,” Luis says. “Practicing on a daily basis creates a routine: waking up at around 5:30 a.m. to practice for two hours or so and then work from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. I am also the advisor for a local musical choir group, which I conduct until 9 p.m. Heading home from this day, I tend to study or relax, depending on my needs.”

While interviewing Luis, his passion for the piano is noticeable, but so is his passion for the work he does at Validata. As a software engineer, he is constantly designing, coding, and tweaking programs, tapping into the creative part of his brain. He says there is a creative link between writing software playing piano and, at times, after a long day at work, he goes home and plays at the other keyboard for an hour or two. During this time, he says, his mind relaxes and ultimately he has worked through a solution for a development issue at work.

Not only is piano a second career to him, it is a source of motivation and inspiration. It has been the cause of his travels around the world, visiting Berlin and France to just name a few, playing for thousands of people. His award-winning performances include:

• 3rd place in the National Piano Contest “Xalapa” in Mexico

• Semifinalist in the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati

• 1st place International Piano Amateur Contest in Paris (2003)

• 2nd place International Piano Amateur Contest in Boston (2005)

• 3rd place International Piano Amateur Contest of AMSA in Washington, DC (2005)

Born and raised in Mexico, Luis is hoping to see the classical music scene develop in his hometown. In larger cities like Guadalajara and Mexico City, you can attend classical music hearings on a regular basis. More symphonies and concerts would mean more youth striving for the arts; creativity is developed and they are less prone to turn their lives in the wrong direction, he says.

“Mexican youth are in need of the arts; they crave to be creative, but without the correct projects, they won’t find those artistic outlets,” Luis says. “A chorus symphony such as the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra from Venezuela is the perfect example of a fabulous chorus directed by talented artists and formed by young people. I’d like to see that in Puebla someday.”

Luis’s guiding principle for his musical career could also be applied to the work he does: “Only with discipline and consistent practice will you achieve what you want in life. This is my passion and every day I am achieving it.”

You can learn more about Luis Gerardo’s music at Puebla Musical. You can also see him performing in Paris.

And you can read our profiles of other interesting outsourcing professionals here.