Recently Collabr sponsored a cross-discipline collaboration contest in partnership with the University of Trinidad and Tobago. We talked with music producer Daniel Cedeno, who collaborated with Satesh Ramroop on a collaborative track which became a winning entry in this contest. Responses have been edited for clarity.

Team Collabr: How did you get started in your chosen artistic medium?

Daniel Cedeno: I have always loved music as a kid, and went on to study it to increase my knowledge and improve my musical skills. 

TC: Who are your biggest creative influences?

DC: I take inspiration from Kanye West, Tyler The Creator, Eminem and Lil Peep. I wasn’t just going to sit down and let my ideas and talent go to waste. I express myself through music and participating in this competition was definitely a way for me to utilize my talents in a competitive way which added to the thrill.

TC: How did you find your fellow collaborators for your winning entry, and how did you use the collabr app to work together?

DC: Using the app allowed me to collaborate with both my classmate and my friend on a song. This was a great experience because it allowed us to work on each other’s strengths and weaknesses while simultaneously doing what we love to do. We wanted to make a song with good vibes which led us to do an upbeat soca track.

TC: How are you going to use your prize money?

DC: I was really exhilarated to hear that we won the competition because I wanted to upgrade my little bedroom studio, but was lacking the funds to do so. Attaining the equipment I desire, will hopefully improve the quality of the music I create. 

TC: What was the most rewarding part of this whole experience for you?

DC: To summarize, the competition was fun and an overall learning experience. The race to first place was very exciting and admittedly, added to the thrill of it. I can confidently say that this has been a great experience.