We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stash Wyslouch. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stash below.
Hi Stash, thanks for joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The best investment I have made is investing in making my first 4 records. In 2015 the group I played with, The Deadly Gentlemen, disbanded and I had to figure out what to do next. I put 19 tunes together and recorded my first album then. It was a good introduction to organizing my own project, understanding the interpersonal and financial logistics and gave me motivation to record 3 albums after that. In 2020 the pandemic happened and my life for various reasons (family, illness etc) changed drastically. At the moment I’m not able to make that same kind of time ( and financial) investment. However, because I invested in my solo recording career when I was able to I feel I have a foundation that I can rely on while I currently get my feet back on the ground after many recent setbacks. It’s a good lesson in doing things when one is able to.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I play Bluegrass guitar. Sometimes people call me an ‘avant garde’ Bluegrass guitar player. I write, teach, record, perform and make video content. While my music is framed by Bluegrass, I’m very interested in all kinds of music — 20th century classical, jazz in all its forms, Bob Dylan, etc. I have recorded 4 albums under my name and my band’s name (Stash Wyslouch – Stash! (2015), The Stash Band – The Faucet of Love (2017), The Stash Band – Chapter 3 (2019), Stash Wyslouch Plays and Sings Bluegrass Vol. II (2021)
I’ve toured with groups Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters (trio playing old time), The Jacob Jolliff Band (progressive Bluegrass), my own group and under my own name (The Stash Band, Stash Wyslouch), and the Deadly Gentlemen and spent most of my professional life before the pandemic touring.
I spend a lot of time these days teaching lessons in person and online. Many of my heroes are teacher/performers and I get a lot of inspiration out of teaching. For 7 students, the same musical problem might have to be solved with 7 different approaches.
I try as best as I can when teaching to hear the student’s aim in what they say and what they don’t say and then create incremental goals to start at least walking towards those aims. I think playing music is good on many levels, and my ultimate goal with students is to give them tools through music to help them broaden their experience. We’re missing so much in the modern world, maybe music can help us access things we’ve lost.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to figure out the real reason we’re meant to play music as human beings — I’m suspicious of the reasons fed directly and indirectly to us by popular artists of today. I feel far from the answer, but it’s a hope.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Practice listening more, scrolling less, and slowing down.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stashwyslouch.com
- Instagram: stashwyslouch
- Facebook: stashwyslouchmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/stashwyslouch
- Other: www.patreon.com/stashwyslouch https://stashwyslouch.bandcamp.com/