Meet Evan Luna

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Evan Luna. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Evan below.

Evan, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
Risks aren’t easy and have haunted me at every turning point in my life. I am the type of person who typically hates the feeling of discomfort, but I recognize that these feelings are usually the start of something great.

I can honestly say that this skill comes from having an amazing support system. Throughout my life, I have always had big aspirations, and while being able to dream big doesn’t always mean I have the confidence to follow through, I have an amazing support system to fall back on. If it weren’t for my family always telling me that the worst that could happen is that I would come back home, I doubt I would have the willpower to follow through with the risks I’ve taken.

I remember when I was 18 and deciding where to go to college; I was terrified of leaving home. I knew I didn’t want to stay in my hometown of Lubbock, TX; however, the overarching fear of failure and the unknown petrified me. My parents and grandparents reassured me they would be there to catch me if I did fall. Along with family, I also have to thank my friends and the community at Texas State University for pushing my limits and giving me the space to mess things up.

I carry this way of thinking into searching for gigs, auditioning, networking, and life in general. It allows me to take risks I see as necessary to live a fulfilling life, regardless of the discomfort. Being afraid to take the first step to a big risk is something everyone has to do eventually, but knowing you have people in your corner, fighting your fear with you, makes it possible.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I moved here from the smallish town of Lubbock, TX, where I was born and raised. My interest in music was sparked at the very young age of 7 and has been my focus ever since. In 2019, I moved to San Marcos to pursue a degree in Music Performance with a concentration in jazz drumset at Texas State University. I graduated in 2023 and began my career as a full-time musician. I am actively involved in the San Antonio and Austin music scenes, having been invited to play at the Historical Pearl District and other events like South by Southwest. I play with numerous bands in the surrounding area, covering genres such as Salsa, Latin Pop, R&B, Cumbia, Top 40s, Country, and Jazz. Currently, I am applying to graduate school, so who knows what lies ahead, but I am confident that I will continue performing and doing what I love.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
In my honest opinion, humility is the most important trait to have when it comes to being involved in the music scene. From the outside people will judge you solely on your playing ability but what most early musicians fail to realize is how important it is to stay humble. Being a fun person to be around and just a positive person off the stage is way more important than any playing ability you can have. Even in the massive city of Austin or San Antonio, I’ve learned that everyone is one degree of separation from someone you already know. Word spreads like wildfire and it can be detrimental to your career if you rub someone the wrong way. Being able to positively take criticism and work well with anyone you meet is so important.

However, it is also important to stay true to who you are. Not everyone is going to like you and you may not always get the call back but these events do not define who you are. Most of the time it is your reaction to it that does. Staying humble and being able to admit when you are wrong are two things that can lead to a musician’s downfall. Because music is something that we connect with on a deep and spiritual level it can be hard to be okay with the feeling of rejection, but always stay true to yourself and and be humble.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The biggest challenge I’m facing right now is being okay with messing up and owning up to it. There have been many times when I made mistakes, sometimes upsetting people closest to me. It’s so easy to walk away, thinking you are indisputably in the right, when deep down, you know you messed up. I’m currently working on owning my mistakes and showing up to do the necessary work to prevent them from happening again, even though they probably will. Additionally, I’m learning to be okay if the issues do resurface.

The things I’m doing to work on myself include being okay with vulnerability and leaning on my friends when I need to. It sometimes feels isolating and lonely to focus on self-improvement, but the process of continuous learning and self-betterment is very much worth it.

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Image Credits
Eva Lizárraga, Cayden Rolfe, Miguel Aguilar

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