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

Hi Antonio, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I worked a variety of jobs before I became a musician. After being laid off at my last 9-5 job, I was at a crossroads: I could play it safe and find another job where I felt unfulfilled, overlooked, and lifeless, or go all in pursuing music as a full-time profession. I had chosen the 1st option many times before with virtually the same results. This time, something quietly inside me whispered and gently nudged me in a different direction, to take the risk, to commit fully and do everything in my power to pursue the life of my dreams.

I have now been doing music as a full-time professional for the last 5 years, and I look back at that decision as a defining moment in my life, one where I can connect the dots to see the greater picture. I don’t know what the future may hold, and it has been quite a challenging journey so far, but also the best time of my life.

I have learned that showing up & committing consistently has been the key to growth and expansion into other areas of my life. Because of my commitment, I have discovered things about myself I did not know I had in me, and I feel proud that I had the courage to do it.

Pursuing your life passion as a profession is not for everyone; however, I do believe one must eventually stop running from oneself and discover the magic of purpose, meaning, and devotion towards an ideal or a craft.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a professional Spanish Guitar performer & instructor based in Salt Lake City, UT. I have been playing for many years and suffered from injuries due to bad posture in music performance, from forcing my body. This situation led me to work with a physical therapist who provided me with the tools to optimize my body through the disciplines of yoga & the gym. All of these new activities helped me build a stronger mind, body, and spiritual capacity, becoming more aligned with my craft.

By continually showing up and adding more disciplines to my life, I have found that meaning and self-respect are powerful ways to develop resilience and depth as an artist. I love teaching because I can mentor students and teach more than just music development; I help them to enrich their lives through a more holistic approach to learning Spanish Guitar.

These days, I perform mostly for private events such as corporate retreats, luxury weddings, and concerts as a solo artist and thoroughly enjoy my work. Being self-employed, I have understood that as a musician, it is vital to study all of the aspects that make a business so that one may better serve others. I find that the music industry is brutal because musicians & artists have not yet understood the concept of business, which entails marketing, networking, and branding, among other things. These days, I do fewer events but focus on quality over quantity, where I charge the rate that I feel I am worth and not fall into the trap of selling my services for cheap.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is discovering that underneath all of the labels and things you think you are, there is something greater than yourself driving the whole creative experience. If you manage to have a sense of direction and learn to open yourself up to possibility, magic happens!

Have you ever had to pivot?

After going through severe injuries from guitar playing, I thought my career was over, but because I kept showing up, I asked the right people for help and never gave up. I am now reaping the rewards of relentless consistency.

I had most of my life trained to play guitar sitting down, the injuries allowed me to explore additional ways to perform, which ended up being better for my work as an entertainer. I get to interact more with the guests at the events I work at and have learned to be more versatile/flexible as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.antoniospanishguitar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antoniospanishguitar/