Alejandro Arenas was born in Medellin, Colombia where he started his musical career playing flamenco and classical guitar. He picked up the bass while he attended the Colegio Andino/Deutsche Schule in Bogota where he performed in the Salsa and Andean Music ensembles as well as the school's orchestra. During his high school years he performed with different independent bands with styles ranging from salsa, blues, rock and heavy metal. Upon graduating high school he moved to Gainesville, FL. There he worked as a freelance musician while being exposed to different genres such as reggae, jazz and funk. He earned an A.A in Music Studies from Santa Fe Community College where he worked unpacking books in the morning, studying during the day and playing gigs by night. In the midst of this chaotic time in his life he developed a deep love for jazz which drove him to learn to play the upright bass. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Performance and a Master of Music from the University of South Florida. During his studies at USF he toured Italy, France and Germany with the Jazz Ensemble 1 and the Jazztet performing at different jazz festivals such as Umbria, Juan Les Pines and Düsseldorf Jazz Rally. In addition to being an adjunct professor for the MIRA Program at Saint petersburg College, Mr. Arenas is very active as a versatile performer woring with artists as diverse as Dick Hyman, Marty Morell, O Som Do Jazz, Jeff Rupert, Whitney James, Antonio Adolfo, David Amran, among many others. He also co-leads the award winning group La Lucha.