Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shaina Evoniuk. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shaina, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I made one of the best decisions of my life when I was four years old. That is when I told my parents that I wanted to play the violin. I can’t say I knew at four that it was my purpose, but as I got older and grew with my music, it became more and more clear that it is my purpose. What drew me to the violin at four years old, I will never know. But what a great decision it was!
I started Eclecta Quartet about 10 years ago. I found myself in an overwhelming male dominated music industry and I wanted to do something that really celebrated and created opportunities for woman and non-binary folks. A decade later we are having a GREAT time playing together and are quite busy performing all over the place. im really proud of this group because of its virtuosity (it sounds amazing because everyone is so good), and also the positive vibes: everybody are good friends, we love to be around each, love our jobs, and because of that I think the music sounds even better!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a professional violinist. Sounds cute and simple but its truly a patchwork career. I play a lot of private events – solo, with my string quartet, my piano/violin duo and my guitar/violin duo. I also co-lead a chamber jazz crossover band called Cosa Nostra Strings that plays public shows (our last show was at SFJAZZ). I get hired to play with touring artists as well — I’m currently writing this in between shows with Smokey Robinson. I also do a lot of string writing/recording for people. That is one of my favorite parts of my job. I get to create a “Shaina-symphony” on peoples tracks.
I’d say a good 50 or 60% of my work is performing solo for events. I absolutely love this work because I feel like I am there to imbue the space with positive energy and a collective language that brings people together. When I see feet tapping and heads bobbing, I know its happening.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1) your success will be dictated by your imagination. You have to be (or get to be!) creative in this industry.
2) go out and get it! Don’t sit around and wait for opportunities. Make your own!
3) Be a positive force. Don’t be an asshole. Be somebody people want to be around…. you’ll enjoy your own company in the meantime too!
I think its very important to think of what your day to day life looks like. If you’re grinding, doing things you don’t enjoy most of the time, you’re going to have a hard time enjoying the day to day. But if you can enjoy the process you’ll have a wonderful life. Surround yourself with people you like, and that inspire you. Don’t be afraid to say “no” to things that don’t light you up!
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
The Inner Game of Tennis was a really important read for me. People often talk about how important athletes head games are, but you rarely hear about that with musicians. Musicians absolutely need to have a strong head game, just like athletes. It takes a lot of work to still the mind so that we can focus on challenging music, or improvise a solo. Understanding how the mind works, and finding ways to focus it (like meditation) are imperative for musicians and I have benefitted greatly from studying mindfulness meditation and yoga
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ShainaE.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shainaviolinista/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shainaevoniuk
- Others: http://www.eclectaquartet.com/
Image Credits
Leah Marie Nikki Ritcher
