The ultimate vision of my life was to move to California, live in an apartment with my Jack Russel, and concentrate on performing as much as possible as a heavy metal guitarist. Being married wasn't even a thought, nor having children, Instead, I am living in a house in Ohio with a wife, son, and basset hound where I pursue a life as a performer and educator. Does that mean my life goals have been diminished? OF COURSE NOT!
So what happened? How did I get to where I am now? Good question! This blog will be an insight into my journey as a musician, educator, husband, and father. There are some of you that can probably relate and understand that this lifestyle is a culmination of work related tasks and the demands of parenthood throughout the day mixed with the limited time you may have with your spouse due to alternate schedules. However, I can tell you that luck is not the guiding force and with a generous amount of persistence and work ethic it can definitely be a viable career path.
As a professional musician/educator since 2010 I have released a couple albums, performed most every weekend at least once, have appeared on TV about half a dozen times, taught lessons 6 out of 7 days (private, online, college), have made multiple online video lessons an courses, created YouTube content, provided music for church, and have a handful of other music related self employment opportunities. All of this comes from the daily persistence of moving ahead and if I stop pushing to find opportunities then my career will dwindle.
With that said, my goal is to share my perspective in hopes that you will find a shared understanding of the ups and downs of an everyday musician/educator. I'm not a household name and you will probably never see me on any award shows, but I am a working musician that has a huge focus on supporting my family. This no easy task and in fact, and as you can see, it takes a myriad of activities to build a steady career. At least for me.