How I Think About Risk In My Drumming Career

Recently I was asked to do a small interview for an online magazine called Shoutout SoCal. It features stories and thoughts from entrepreneurs across a wide spectrum of businesses.

Along with some brief explanation of my career path, some shoutouts to those who were influential along the way, and some fluff about what I’d recommend on a visit to Nashville, I was asked about how I think about risk. What does it mean to take risks for your career, your art, your life?

The New Wild West For Musicians

I think it’s fair to say that anyone in music these days is some sort of entrepreneur. With the popularization of social media as a new way to encounter music, musicians, and their services, and the traditional gatekeepers of labels, unions, and geographical location taking a back seat for better or worse, I feel we’re in a new wild west. Like it or not, we’re no longer just artists or creatives or musicians. We’re also each an individual brand.

That can be a great thing! There’s so much accessible from so many people and places, it breeds a hunger, inspiration, and excitement. Your audience is out there and you can connect to them directly. There’s the dream that now it’s more possible than ever to be heard. You can pursue your dreams and perhaps find success right where you are.

The other side of coin is that it’s all seemingly up to you. There’s an intense cultural pressure to produce — put out killer content, snag new fans/listeners/clients, prove you’re important. It can be an uphill battle to get noticed when you’re no longer just trying to make a name for yourself locally, but internationally in communities all over the net. Add to that the dissonance some people feel between what they love to do and having to think about it like they are a product — something to be marketed.

How Do You Make Your Way?

In my own life, the constant ping-pong between these pros and cons led me to wrestle with and reassess my idea of entrepreneurial risk — the chances we take to pursue something we love, especially as a profession. Spoiler, I haven’t figured it out. But, while it’s ever-evolving, I do have a hard-won, battle-tested shift in how I think about risk that helps me discern the path I wish to walk in music, in business, and in life. I’m glad I was asked to share a little about it.

You can read the Shoutout SoCal interview here.