We’re looking forward to introducing you to Stevie Sparks. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Stevie, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
The biggest struggle in my life is that I’m constantly chasing external validation. I can’t truly feel good about the work I’m doing or the things I’m creating unless I receive praise/acknowledgement from others. This is something I’ve been working on changing for a long time, and I still have a long road ahead. I think I would find a lot more inner peace and a lot less stress if I stopped living by other people’s standards and was able to fully embrace the value I have as a person.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Stevie and I’m an agender musician from Austin, TX. I play several different instruments including flute, piano, and alto saxophone. When I’m not at my day job as a ballet accompanist, I’m either jamming with one of my local bands, playing video games, or performing under my solo musician name, SymphonicElectric. You can find me uploading cover videos to YouTube, livestreaming on Twitch, and posting original music on places like Bandcamp and Spotify. My ultimate dream is to write music for video games. Being both queer and neurodivergent, these aspects are inseparable from my identity as a musician/creator. I love sharing my passion with others and working to create a space where everyone feels welcome, supported, and free to be their fully authentic selves.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
One of the things I’ve been discussing with my therapist is how to deal with my inner critic. For a long time growing up, I was in the habit of putting myself down before anyone else could as a sort of defense mechanism–no one else could hurt me as badly if I did it first. That sort of self-sabotage is extremely difficult to let go of, but all it does now is hold me back from being fully creative, embracing myself, and doing the things that I want to do. The inner critic can still have a seat at the table, but it’s time to take back control and not let that voice guide me anymore. I’m strong enough to protect myself without having to kick myself down.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I would say it’s the fear of being seen for who I truly am, and being rejected for it. This has happened to me in the past in a variety of settings, so it’s not an unfounded fear–but I’m learning that I also can’t let that fear stop me anymore. When I really think about it, for every rejection I’ve faced, there are multiple more opportunities and open doors and people who genuinely support me/are inspired by me/want me to succeed. And as long as I’m in my own corner, no rejection can truly knock me down for good.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I greatly admire my best friend Cynthia. We’ve been friends for over 20 years and she knows me better than anyone else, some days even better than I know myself. She’s ambitious, self-assured, and deeply compassionate. We’re both chronic people pleasers, but it’s been amazing to watch her grow in confidence and be able to both set and maintain healthy boundaries in her other relationships. Her adventurous spirit has rubbed off on me and I find myself channeling her especially in social situations where I feel uncomfortable or nervous.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I think it’s a little of both right now. I still live with some very high internalized standards that I’m trying to break down so I can rebuild my own, but I know making music is a large part of my purpose in life. That creative spirit has been inside me since birth and I try every day to express it, whether through music or through other creative hobbies like crochet or drawing. I’m currently in a period of my life where I am trying to reassess my values. One phrase that came back to me recently is “move and inspire”, the catchphrase from Cedar Park High School’s marching band. A lot of my passion for music and for performing can be traced back to my marching band experience. Over a decade later, I may have a lot to learn from that high schooler who spent their days living for band practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://symphonicelectric.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symphonicelectric/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/symphonicelectric
- Other: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/symphonicelectric
Bandcamp: https://symphonicelectric.bandcamp.com/album/magical-girl-nosebleed-ost
