Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Zuniga.
Hi Ben, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
From a very young age, I wanted to be a professional musician. When I was 8 years old, I asked for a guitar for my birthday, and around age 11, my big sister told me the church band needed a guitar player and I should do it. That was really when my. My passion for music took root and went wild. I began going deeper into my music study and spent countless hours with my guitar in hand. I was probably 14 when some much older friends (college-age) asked me to join their band. That’s when I began playing venues of all kinds, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ll be 33 in a couple of months. From my teens through my mid-20s, I worked many day jobs to pay the bills and made money playing music any chance. I want to note that I always knew I was working towards being a professional musician, and with that being said, I never thought much about having the highest-paying day job. Every job I ever had was for some mom-and-pop business, including a feed store, coffee shop, tree farm, music store, and construction work being the last. I now realize the importance of that. I never stopped studying and playing music, no matter what else I did to make a living. The turning point in my career happened after I was married, and I had been working 40-50 hours of construction every week, gigging on Friday and Saturday, and working as a musical director at a church on Sundays. Life felt disconnected, and I knew it was time for music to be my livelihood; I wasn’t making a lot doing construction, but I was on the verge of a sizable promotion, and I kept thinking that if I ever started making good money at something it would be hard to quit. I had taught private music lessons a little and thought it might work as a replacement for my construction income. So, I decided to give my boss a couple of months’ notice and immediately began promoting my availability for private music lessons beginning that January. To make a long story short, I surpassed my construction income by the end of my first month of teaching income. Since then, I’ve offered music lessons at 3 different private schools and lessons in my home studio, and have taught well over a hundred students. Today, I only teach privately at my home studio. I work as a guitarist for multiple groups and in my solo career. I usually perform 3 or 4 nights a week and still lead worship at the same Celebration Community Church in Bastrop. I am confident that I am a professional musician with an ever-evolving career.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Of course, there are struggles. The music business is hard and quite saturated in this area. Standing out and getting enough work can be hard. A gigging musician must often be a booker, promoter, roadie, performer, bookkeeper, etc. The difference in doing what I’m most skilled at means I’m built for those challenges.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve always been known as a guitarist. Most people compliment my tastefulness, and I work for many singer-songwriters. Many people don’t know I’ve been a songwriter as long as I’ve played guitar. Since launching my solo career and releasing my first full-length solo album, ‘People Who Dance, ‘ I have gotten to begin showcasing my original music.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people who know me would be surprised to know how ridiculously goofy I am at home. My wife often complains about my constant singing of silly made-up songs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.benzunigamusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/benzunigamusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/benzunigamusic
