About Ven

Owen “Ven” Cardenas is a Chicano musician and writer, born and raised in Austin, Texas. His musical journey began at just nine years old when he received his first guitar and enrolled in guitar lessons at the Austin School of Music. Unfortunately, Ven’s guitar instructor passed away, and his love for guitar faded, as he transitioned into junior high and joined the Bailey Middle School Band on euphonium. Leading into high school, Ven picked up the trombone and studied it on his own. By his senior year in high school, Ven had performed in the jazz band, marching band, wind symphony, and orchestra. His experience and skill qualified him for numerous awards and opportunities such as Region Band placements, a Best Section award at State UIL, and the amazing experience of performing in the Texas Youth Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Bradley Kent.

Ven’s passion for music and low brass lead him to pursue a Music Education degree at Texas State University. During his time at Texas State, Ven explored his identity as a musician, student, human being, and most of all, a teacher.  His time at Texas State was valuable, however, he realized that a private lesson setting with one on one instruction allows him to teach creatively without the restrictions of public school or the anxiety from being a band director.

Ven believes he is a lifelong teacher who has the ability to take a different approach to music education. His mission is to develop the technical and musical skill of his students, cultivate creativity and expression through musical performance and composition, and to provide a safe, emotionally mature and flexible learning environment. In order to achieve this mission, his lessons include valuable performance and musical instruction, effective practice strategies, music theory and aural skills concepts intertwined into instrumental learning and embracing the joy and love of music. Ven also likes a laid back approach to education by having a flexible mindset and promoting student choice. The content of the lessons will be mostly dictated by Ven, but there is an emphasis on what the student wants to learn, play, and what their personal or professional goals are.

Despite spending most of his musical career playing brass instruments, Ven feels the most at home on the guitar. In recent years, he has performed in two different rock bands on the electric guitar. Juniper Bloom, Ven’s passion project, is a psychedelic, alternative rock band featuring some of his best friends from high school. They have performed in the local Austin area, specifically at Valhalla and The Far Out Lounge. Ven was also fortunate enough to work with a singer-songwriter in Austin, Bee Blackwell. His time with Bee Blackwell brought him multiple performance opportunities at venues in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, most notably at Mohawk Austin! Before his time with Bee Blackwell ended, he got to record at Sonic Ranch, as the lead guitarist on her Nine Lives EP.

Currently, Ven hopes to grow his studio at Music & Arts while he explores creative endeavors both on his own as a composer and songwriter, and with Juniper Bloom. In the future, Ven aims to finish his time at Texas State to obtain his double degree in General Music and English to continue his passion for creativity.