“There’s gonna be something vital about whatever you think sounds cool,” Arca said. “Without understanding or needing to understand why you think something sounds good, or pleasant, or magical, you can just follow that magic.”
For a couple of years now, Arca has been one of the people that I look up to most. I discovered her music while researching Björk and finding out that she’d co-produced one of my favorite albums, “Vulnicura.”
Arca’s known for her experimental reggaeton beats on her five-album series “Kick” but also for her instrumental experimentation. Alongside her solo career, she’s produced music for artists like Kanye West, Madonna, FKA Twigs and even Frank Ocean.
In early Feb. of 2026, she announced that she’d be teaching a music production workshop starting in March, which I ended up signing up for. Towards the end of the first lecture, I asked her how to stop having trouble with loving your work and music without having to change it too much. While she gave me a surprisingly long answer, it was the best answer I could have gotten. “I don’t always feel like I love my music,” Arca said. “And yet it’s what you do when you reach those moments that really makes a difference.”
It took her a bit to figure out the correct wording to respond, but she was very thorough. During this time, she talked about having to turn down the volume on her “mix” to let emotions rise to the surface while also letting herself regulate them. With meditation and personal guidance, she takes the microphone away from her voice of self-doubt, allowing her to think clearly and love what she does.
Arca is one of the wisest people I’ve ever met, especially when it comes to music. Getting to hear and watch her teach was something that I never expected I’d be a part of and it feels even more special knowing that there was no guarantee of getting to talk to her directly. Talking to her was a dream come true, and getting to learn from her is an honor and a once in a lifetime experience. Currently, the workshop is ongoing, and I will have many more opportunities to ask questions and get advice from my greatest inspiration.
“We all internally, personally have that internal monologue,” she said. “A few different voices and, you know, one of them in particular I feel, is so hard on me; it’s so judgemental, and then I remember, why is that voice there?”
