Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Garcia.
Emily, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started playing violin and fiddle at the age of five, but it wasn’t until early high school that I realized I had a real passion for music. While in high school, I performed fiddle music at coffeehouses and other school events, as well as with a group of my friends who were in a band together. I realized that not only did I enjoy performing and the thrill of being onstage, but, more than anything, I loved the impact that my performances had on others. I had so many people, friends and complete strangers alike, come up to me after shows and tell me that I’d made them want to get up and dance or moved them to tears. Responses like these resonated with me, and I realized that being a fiddle player was becoming more than just a hobby–it was becoming a central part of my identity. In college, I decided to major in music to continue the journey and see where this gift would take me. Alongside studying and practicing, I was constantly invited by friends already established in the New England music world to join them for gigs. I toyed with the idea of promoting myself as a professional musician and starting my own business, but fear held me back for a couple years, as it often does for people. The change finally came during June of 2017. I had just come back from studying abroad in Scotland. I was sitting in Laney and Lu, my favorite cafe in Exeter, NH, and I was staring into my coffee, trying to figure out what the next chapter in my life was supposed to look like, now that the formative experience of study abroad was over. I started to feel that tug from music again, calling me to start my performance business. This time, instead of shutting it down, I listened. I opened up my laptop and made the first small step: creating an artist Instagram and Facebook account. At that moment, Emily Garcia Music was born! That little moment has really been the biggest step of my life. The experience of being a professional musician has brought more to me than I ever could have expected, and it continues to lead me on the journey of a lifetime.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey to where I am today has definitely not been smooth–however, I firmly believe that the deepest growth happens through struggle, not in spite of it. The biggest challenge leading up to the starting of my business was discernment. I had grown up playing music, my older brother was in a band, and some of my best friends were successful performers and songwriters. I questioned if I really did love music, or if I was just following what the people around me were doing. I ended up taking a break from performing while I was abroad, which ended up being the best decision I’ve ever made. When I picked my fiddle back up for the first time in four months and felt the vibration of the strings under my fingers, my heart began to race. I knew that this was it. This was what I was meant to do, and it was truly what I loved.
Since starting my business, I have definitely faced some struggles and learning curves. In the beginning, I had to ask for a lot of help on things like how to build a website, how to write a contract, what quotes were appropriate for different gigs, etc.. It took shutting my ego down and admitting when I didn’t know something to get the business running. Speaking of ego, mine used to be on full-blast as I started gigging professionally. I would get in my head before performances about how I needed to sound perfect, and afterwards I would pick apart everything I had “done wrong” during the gig. I was not a fun person to be around after I finished a performance! It took some time to learn, but I ended up realizing that it’s truly not about me–it’s about my audience. I had to learn to get out of the way of my own music to let it reach listeners. Once I learned that, my performances started having a lot more of an impact, and I started having a lot more fun!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Emily Garcia Music story. Tell us more about the business.
Emily Garcia Music is a performance business run by me, Emily! I am both a fiddle player and a classical violinist, and I play for a whole host of settings. Currently I perform mostly for weddings, private events, and a number of public events such as art and music festivals. In addition, I collaborate with other artists and musicians in the seacoast New England area to work on gigs, writing, and recording projects. My goal for the next year is to start shifting the focus more onto collaboration and working with artists and their original music, while still keeping up with weddings and events.
I think what sets me apart, and what certainly makes me the most proud, is the diversity in my abilities. I’m just as comfortable playing Bach and Vivaldi at a wedding ceremony as I am jamming with an indie rock band or playing an acoustic set at a cafe in downtown Portsmouth. No matter the setting, I do my best to let my energy and excitement shine through in a performance. Additionally, my background in both classical and fiddle music gives my performances a unique sound, which is polished and technically strong while also being energetic and unrestrained.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck, and I’ll explain why. In my experience, what appears to be “luck” is actually the combination of two things: preparation and opportunity. When we see somebody we deem as “lucky,” more often than not, what happened was that they spent years behind the scenes bettering themselves and their work so that when opportunity showed itself, they were ready to receive it. That has certainly been my experience. Since starting my business, I’ve devoted countless hours to practicing, learning all I can about running a business and maximizing my social media presence, and cultivating genuine relationships with as many people as I can. Any opportunity I have received has been the result of one or all of those efforts. Even this interview is an example of that–I wasn’t offered this opportunity “by chance,” but rather because I both made a real connection with the person who recommended my story to The Boston Voyager, and because, when this opportunity arose, I had a story which I’d spent the past years writing for myself. I think the majority of people have more opportunities arise in their lives than they think. The difference is whether you are open to receiving opportunities, and whether you have put the dedication and preparation into whatever it is you love so that you are ready when opportunity arises.
Side note: preparation doesn’t necessarily have to mean years of training in a certain skill. Sometimes, the best preparation is simply to prepare to say yes to opportunity, whether you feel ready or not!
Pricing:
- Weddings: $150 base price for ceremonies + transportation fees. Cocktail hour an additional $100
- Corporate Events: $100/hour + transportation fees
- Nonprofit events, art and music festivals, etc.: Negotiable depending on the event. Let’s chat!
- Collaborating and songwriting: Free! (Unless you’d like to buy me a coffee, which in that case I’ll take a cappuccino)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emilygarciamusic.com
- Phone: (603) 969-1855
- Email: emily@emilygarciamusic.com
- Instagram: emilygarciamusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/emilygarciamusic
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
