Today we’d like to introduce you to Evonee Mitchell.
Evonee, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My very first instrument was actually piano which I started when I was five years old. My mom always had some type of musical instrument in the house. When I was seven years old, I remember my mom playing some classical orchestral music in the car. I had no idea what it was at the time but I was immediately in love with it and wanted to pursue whatever sound that was.
When I finally started middle school, I was so excited to finally have the chance to play a stringed instrument. My first love was cello, but I figured it would be too expensive. Bass was an afterthought as well but I dreaded the idea of having to carry an instrument twice if not three times bigger than me all around the school and on the school bus. The instrument that caught my eye for its uniqueness and its mellow tone was the viola. From that day on, playing the viola has been the center of what keeps me going in life and it is how I speak to people, tell a story, and portray a message.
After studying music performance in college, I started hearing about people like Miri Ben Ari and Black Violin which inspired me to take the talents that I have been growing for years and apply that to playing electric viola. I never expected to come across the many opportunities that I did-playing for Cardi B, Jeezy, Big Krit, Jimmy Fallon and more, but it has definitely solidified that what I do with music really reaches out to people and will in time show me to a bigger platform and purpose!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road! I have been in situations where I have put my trust in people who vowed that they support my goals and dreams just to turn around and try to destroy them and me in the process. Although it sucks the way that things have happened with those people, it has definitely taught me a lesson in the power of proper discernment as well as getting as far as I can go in my music career alone or maybe with a handful of people that genuinely care about my goals as an artist and then only after reaching those specific goals really branching out and adding people on my team that can assist me with moving towards my vision.
Aside from that, the biggest struggle so far has been dealing with the loss of my mother. When I look back on my musical journey in life, I can really say that my mom has been the biggest fan I will ever have in my life. She was always so proud of my performances-both big and small-and loved to come see me perform and even made an Instagram account just to help me promote my videos. My mother was also the person who really introduced music into my life and never discouraged me from following my vision. After I finally purchased my electric viola, I remember telling my mom after every performance that I would be successful, well known, and wealthy through music to give her the world she deserves. Although she passed away in January, I am still grinding and working hard every day to keep my promise to her and give her everything that she deserves even if she is not physically here with me on Earth.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I like to present myself as a music instructor and an artist, but my business is primarily being an instrumental artist. I specialize in playing electric and acoustic viola, violin, piano, and a few other string instruments. I also perform with a few bands, the main ones being the Atlanta Jazz Players and Orchestra Noir. When it comes to performing specifically, I am most known for the experience that I give to the audience when I am performing as well as the way that I make them feel during my performances. I think I am most proud of making it this far based solely on talent. Many people only know the right people to talk to, but do not have the grit to hone in on growing their talents and making their performances unique. I believe that the care and emotion that I put into every performance, as well as my passion to not just be successful, but my passion for playing music and collaborating with different artists and producers are the things that set me apart from others. I know for myself, I will always stay humble and be adventurous enough to work with any artist or producer I believe can collaborate well with me regardless of what level they are at.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
So far, my proudest moment is a tie between performing for the season finale of ‘Star’ and with Orchestra Noir for BET’s season finale of Boomerang. The Boomerang episode we performed on was titled ‘Us Too’. However, if I had to choose one, I believe performing for BET’s show Boomerang gets a little more leverage. I was able to meet the composer and I have had several instances where I have seen people around the city watching that episode and being able to hear myself playing on some strangers laptop is definitely a sneak peek into what I am trying to accomplish in the future on a bigger scale.
Contact Info:
- Address: 250 Piedmont Avenue
- Website: evonee.weebly.com
- Phone: 4043996231
- Email: mevonee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_violagoddess_/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evonee.mitchell
- Other: https://www.gigsalad.com/evonee_mitchell_lawrenceville
Image Credit:
Picture This Photography, Mikey Powpow, Atlanta Jazz Players, Orchestra Noir
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