Saxophonist, entrepreneur, and one woman show dynamo Erica von Kleist joins The Happy Musicians to discuss her “flip out decision” to leave New York and move to Montana. Our conversation explores the thoughts she shared in her viral mental health FB post and other negative elements of the music world. Tune in if you like the idea of making joyful music on your own terms while living in a beautiful place.
“You CAN still play jazz but not have to be a martyr for it.”
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Actionable Advice
- Everything was hard. Everything I was doing was hard, and when that happens things are just not fun anymore. I was just so dark and in such a bad . It wasn’t about the music for me anymore it was when is this rehearsal over so I can beat the traffic and get home and not have these horns on my back anymore. I thought to myself: this is no way to live.
- If I’m going to be a poor musician (cuz I was not making much money in New York at all) I might as well live somewhere beautiful.
- As much creativity as we put behind our music we need to put behind ourselves and our career. I feel like that’s a major hole in music education.
- A lot of musicians you look up to are all struggling to make it financially. I don’t want to give these young musicians a false sense of “my life is amazing, everything is awesome, and I’ve totally got this all down”.
- This artform is not going to survive if we push ourselves to the limit and ignore our own personal happiness.
- Bringing great music to people and believing in it and believing in yourself unconditionally behind it is a wining combination.
- If you feel stressed or bad or you’re spinning your wheels doing what you’re doing it’s okay to put it down. It doesn’t make you a failure.