Today we’d like to introduce you to Esteban Flores Valenzuela.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Esteban. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Hello, my name is Esteban, and I am an undocumented musician from East Los Angeles. I came to the US at the age of three to seek a better life with my mom who raised me and my three younger siblings. I am a college graduate from Cal State Los Angeles, and this is my story about my work. I typically grew up with a background in classic rock, R&B, and some rap and hip-hop. It wasn’t until I was a young adolescent where I was introduced to punk rock.
That introduced me to the underground music scene and community where I eventually made the transition to ska music. When I was 14, I started dabbling around with a keyboard passed on by my childhood best friend whom didn’t use it at all. Before I played keyboard, I was in my high school choir, and I dabbled on bass guitar; although I admit I was not good at either singing or playing bass. I joined my first ska band at the age of 15 with a couple of friends, and that ended as soon as it started, but it sparked my interest in wanting to be around a music environment.
The next year, I joined a band with friends from high school called, “Maskarados.” We started playing shows two-three times a week and developed a small following. I was always looking for a better gig. One that would help me become a better keyboard player and increase my peripherals on the music scene and practice my music business skills.
Eventually, I felt like I outgrew the band I was in and started looking for other groups to play in. Between the ages of 16 to 18, I started playing multiple projects; locally popular ska groups such as, “Cafe Con Tequila,” “South Central Skankers,” “Matamoska,” and a couple more I can’t recall from the top of my head. As I kept playing with all these bands, I started to grow my social circles and began throwing events to tend to the music scene I love so much.
From age 19 to 20, I started a small production called, “Topshot Production” with my friends Juan Garcia and Angel Moreno. Our mission statement was to help extend the music scene further by helping local bands get exposure from new fans. Eventually, I ended up on a “Backyard Ska Scene” segment on Fox 11 news which turned out being a highlight of my youth as a musician, music lover, and promoter.
At age 20, I was starting to apply for my DACA process, I felt encouraged to pursue college because of the opportunities given to me such as the DREAM Act and other programs that made college possible for people like me. I decided to slow down on throwing events and become a part-time musician with a job and a full college schedule.
Eventually, my DACA expired, and the process took more than a year to come through leaving me without a job at the age of 22. At that time, I decided to look for new ways to make money; I started playing with more bands such as, “Dub 8”, “Quinto Sol,” “Pachamama,” and many other bands on top of my current roster of bands.
In addition, I started a small independent button company called, “Brixton Buttons” and immediately started making button merchandise for groups and that sustained me for a year or so. At the time when my DACA finally arrived, I was too caught up on playing five gigs a week and studying at the same time. Eventually, I got a job as a laser tech for a bowing company and started my first year at CSULA.
My band workload did not lighten up as my school work started stacking on me and I soon found myself bearing the burden of sleeping four hours a day. At age 25 I found myself playing in two bands full time, with two part-time jobs and with a huge load of classes on my senior year of college. I started stressing out that I would not pass college and all aspects of my life would suffer. I slept very little because my work days would be from 3 am to 12 am if I finished my homework on time; sleep ranged from 30 minutes to three hours a day.
Ultimately, I ended up passing college with satisfactory results, and I did it with a great support system and some effort. Now at the age of 26, I felt like I was done with living in LA. I had finished college, and I didn’t see much else to do here. I was set to change my view a bit and move up north with my wife in hopes to find a tranquil environment and rejuvenate myself. We planned on it earlier during my senior year of college, but around the fall time, I was contacted by several friends to try out for Los Angeles punk rock outfits.
The Interrupters, who just started getting picking up speed on local radio. I was skeptical at first because I didn’t know if I was up to par to what they wanted as a musician and as a person who would be working with them but I ended up landing the part and have had great opportunities playing events just as “The KROQ Almost Acoustic Xmas,” “Wreck The Halls,” and “Scallywag Festival.” Unexpectedly, I ended up filling in for my friend playing with legendary ska-punk band Rancid, and I got to share the stage with my idols which were completely surreal.
Currently, I’m keeping myself busy with some touring gigs. I am currently playing with an enormous roster of groups that span into different genres and sub-genres (Matamoska, The Bandulus, Wilroy Black and The Boss, Tropa Magica, The Steady 45s, Be Like Max, The Interrupters, etc.- other notable acts I played with were The Suffers, Katzu Oso, and Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra) In addition, I’ve recorded keyboards for over 20+ local, regional and international acts in the US, Mexico, Canada, and Europe.
So far I have no signs of stopping, as I am keeping playing and supporting the music I love.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been smooth at all, I’ve been jobless with no money in my pockets. I’ve slept so little and worked very hard to get to where I was. I’ve faced obstacles such as being stranded in another state while being on tour.
Driving ten hours from Denver to El Paso to catch up with my bandmates who jumped in the other band’s van while waiting for my van to get fixed because I did not want to stale the tour we were in.
I’ve had emotional damage such as losing my grandpa to old age and my best friend to stomach cancer while trying to finish college. I’ve slept in my car to get through my work/ school day as well.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I did many things. I’m a touring musician, a session keyboardist for like and studio performances. I had a pin company making merchandise for bands. I have thrown all-ages events in public spaces for all age crowds
What were you like growing up?
I grew up being raised by a single mother. I was the oldest of four, so I had the responsibility of taking care of my brother and sisters. I grew up playing video games and watching cartoons. I did not show interest in music until I ended middle school and wanted to take on a new hobby which took me out of my room during the week.
I started going to choir in high school and eventually tried the bass. I didn’t like it at first, so I went to play the keyboard, and It grew on me. Since my mom was only making a sufficient amount to take care of us, she could not provide money to get me lessons once I showed that I was serious about growing musically. I learned by means of playing with other friends who were at the same level of musicianship as I was.
During my time learning piano, my mom started moving from place to place more frequently because we could not sustain a stable living condition we stayed in big houses, small houses and even slept on my mom’s flower shop attic which the rats and roaches. It wasn’t like we had a choice. We were five people, and there was so little space. I saw the attic as a getaway from all the problems going.
Eventually, my mom found a stable place, and we lived pretty stable throughout my junior and senior year of high school. Eventually, we moved out to Montebello, CA due to an increase of hostility by our landlord and neighbors and we stayed at the same place until I moved out with my wife. The living situation encouraged me to seek a better living from myself.
I wanted a better life for me and my family and graduating college proved that I can go beyond my environment. That I was not a statistic of undocumented youth gone wrong. It reinforced my resiliency towards hardship and obstacles and kept me focused on wanted to do what I like, which was play music and seek upward mobility.
Pricing:
- For buttons, I usually charge per size of pins but usually, it is $25-$35 per hundred, depending on pin size
Contact Info:
- Phone: (323) 809-7778
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @brixton_buttons
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brixtonbuttonsinc/
Image Credit:
Francisco Ruiz, Fox 11 News, Ana Ferrer, Fabien Castro, Chris Burbon
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