We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nate Lee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nate thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

I caught the music bug when I was 10. Shortly after, I attended a music camp in Levelland, TX, called “Camp Bluegrass.” There, I met camp instructors who were highly skilled professional musicians, and several took me under their wing. They started hiring me for gigs, and from there, my network grew, and I met many other professionals.

Things were going well musically, but there was a problem—I wasn’t making money, and the money I made slipped through my fingers. One summer, when on break from college, I went to Las Cruces, NM, to study with Steve Smith, a successful mandolin player. Steve introduced me to Charley Trego, a successful real estate appraiser in Las Cruces.

Charley hired me to drive around Las Cruces and take pictures of houses for comps. He would often invite me to hang out at his house and talk about running a business. One day he said “Nate, you know a lot of great players, and most of them are struggling financially. They know a lot about music but don’t know how to run a business. I’m going to teach you how to run a business.”

Charley did exactly as he promised. What I learned from him completely reshaped how I thought about my career. It took a while for everything to take hold, but I went on to run a business that allows me to play music and live comfortably. I had other mentors along the way, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without Charley’s advice.

Nate, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I came up in music with the help of several mentors. Joe Carr, Alan Munde, Steve Smith, and Gerald Jones, all highly skilled and respected musicians, contributed the most to my education. I earned a degree in bluegrass music at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, and then jumped into the music business.

Over time, I realized there was a lot of opportunity in music instruction, but I needed to figure out how to find students. In 2014, Megan Lynch-Chowning, a popular music teacher and prize-winning fiddle player, hired me to teach one of her music camps. I did well, and she offered to teach me how to get more students.

Armed with that knowledge, I pivoted to teaching online and built up a full-time teaching schedule. Over time, I came up with tricks of my own and found a specialty. I cater to middle-aged professionals and retired folks who have an interest in fiddle and mandolin and can afford a concierge experience. I also teach online workshops accessible to folks with lower incomes and created a course called “Lesson Business Blueprint,” where I teach musicians how to make money teaching music.

When I’m not teaching, I spend time with my wife and 3-year-old son, play gigs with fantastic musicians, and play chess tournaments once a week.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I recommend a trifecta of fantastic books to musicians of all levels. “The Practice of Practice” by Jonathan Harnum teaches you how to learn faster. “The Music Lesson” by Victor Wooten helps you understand music at a high level. “Effortless Mastery” by Kenny Werner gets your head in the right place. Any musician who applies the advice and methods in those books will become a great player.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Musicians commonly approach performances in a very self-centered way. They are on stage having a personal musical experience, and the audience is “lucky enough” to be sitting nearby. Those musicians are not usually successful. People go to concerts to see a show – not to watch someone worship themself on stage. I had to unlearn this selfish habit and start putting on a show. That changed everything about my performances. The audience has a great time and so do I. This change in attitude came about when I was working in the Becky Buller Band, where shows were all about entertaining the audience while playing great music.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thenatelee.com
• Instagram: @nateleellc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/likenateleellc
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@playnately
• Other: Mandolin and fiddle instruction: www.playnately.com Music teacher course: www.lessonbusiness.com

Image Credits
Scott Simontacchi Alane Anno