We recently connected with Autumn Melody Thomas and have shared our conversation below.
Autumn, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I consider myself incredibly lucky as I have always been able to earn a full time living solely from my art. This was not without struggle, sacrifice, and sheer grit; but the exchange is well worth the payoff. Success is different to everyone. My personal definition of success has varied drastically over time from ‘performing with reputable companies’ or ‘booking high paying gigs’…to simply ‘feeling grateful to go to work everyday’ or ‘feeling that my art has contributed some level of positivity in this world’.
If I had to pass advice to others on their journey towards working full time as a creative, it would be to not take anyone’s advice! Of course, I don’t mean you shouldn’t listen and learn from others, seek guidance, or take inspiration from those you admire. But it means to not base your life choices on the opinions of others or their experiences. Its extraneous noise and its transient. Someone’s opinion of the career you’ve chosen is inconsequential, social media photos of places other people work are deceptive, chasing the validation of others is an endless journey.
I feel that almost none of my major life choices have been ‘conventional’, but there are still moments in my own history I wish I would have been able to turn off the noise and walk confidently in the direction of my own brand of success without trepidation. I’m not trying to say that I regret touring with reputable companies, I certainly consider it a privilege that helped to shape me as an artist. And I’m not denying that prioritizing high paying gigs isn’t rewarding or even necessary at certain times. I simply have concluded that, after experiencing fifteen years as a professional performing artist, I came to the understanding that what makes me the most fulfilled, and what helps me create the most poignant kind of art to send out into the universe, is from the risky or unconventional things that I did against the advice of others or the desire to impress them. Sometimes the game of ‘making it’ as a performing artist feels like a game. A game you can’t win. So I don’t try to win, I don’t even play. I just perform my art. And I feel pretty peaceful doing that.
The jobs I’ve found value in are not the same things that others may find value in, and that is completely ok. For example, the perspective and adventure I get from world travel is of the upmost important to me and my work. I’ve been to 54 countries through my skills as an artist and I’ve always prioritized the jobs that have helped me do so, even the ones that didn’t pay as well. Similarly, the freedom and creativity I get from working as an independent contractor rather than with a large company allows me a space to explore ways of performing and thinking that I never would have otherwise had. Making my own schedule allows me to make time for my beloved volunteer work and a masters degree in a subject I felt passionately about, completely different from my art. If I was singing on Broadway or playing the piano in a renowned symphony orchestra, I would of course have reason to be proud and would likely receive mountains of validation from others. But that’s not what I wanted or pursued, and I thank myself every day for not doing so.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am an aerial piano vocalist. If that sounds ridiculous, its because it is, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been in a committed relationship with my piano from such an early age, I can’t remember a time where it wasn’t an integral part of my life. I’ve spent a lifetime obsessing over the piano and accidentally became a virtuoso. That being said, I never envisioned pursuing it as a career, its simply an extension of myself; it’s who I am. I didn’t want to be a starving failed musician, so it was always just the love of my life rather than a job prospect. Then it came time to buy a car, move out, and support myself while I figured out what I could actually do as a career. I also happened to sing well, so this, paired with my piano, simply became a way to pay bills while putting myself through college.
That continued until I accidentally started booking shows and gigs and concerts left and right with this musical hobby. I accidentally made a fair amount of money and toured all over the world while I continued to stress about what I was gonna do for a career ‘when I ‘grew up’. At one such show early on, I was a young singer performing in a circus/stunt show while aerialists flew over my head every night. I’d never seen anything like this at the time and decided to accidentally try that out too. My weak and tiny little 5 foot self went home and installed a pull up bar in my room the first day I saw the show. I failed and failed and failed until one day I didn’t. I was told that if I kept working and passed the same strength test as the professional acrobats, the company would train me in as one of their aerialist. A year later, I was doing my first show; spinning around by my neck 20 feet in the air. One happy accident after another.
It only took ten or twenty countries more to convince me that my accidental skills that I had accidentally spent decades of hard work on, had become my career. A career remarkably better than one I could have envisioned as a young child sitting at the piano doing drills. I thought the only way pianists could make a living is if they were the one soloist that gets to perform in the Philharmonic. Vocally, I never wanted to be a pop star or be on Broadway so I assumed I couldn’t “make it” as a singer. And becoming an aerialist wasn’t even something that my brain could comprehend until I saw it live as a young adult. But a decade later, after experiencing just about everything show business had to offer, I realized that resourcefulness, openness to experience, and a hell of a lot of tenacity can lead to types of rewarding and exhilarating performance opportunities that I didn’t even know existed.
My love and joy from my art has afforded me opportunities to sing backups for some of the most iconic musicians in the world. I’ve gotten to hold residencies in some of the most famous piano bars and jazz clubs in multiple countries. I wrote my own headliner show and toured the globe with it. And I’ve managed to create a circus act so unique that I’ve never seen another performer on planet earth do it yet! Even after I feel that I have lived a thousand lives as a performer and explored every pathway of performance, I’ve never stopped growing and seeking. I continue to combine my skills in new and innovative ways. I use my art in some of my most meaningful volunteer endeavors. I used my performance skills and experience to mentor others and help them create. I foresee no slowing down in my immediate future, only further branching out. And I can’t wait to do more.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Capitalism explains that competition drives innovation and improvement, I don’t disagree. But I believe this has no place in art. Stop making it a competition. Art is, by definition, subjective. Do away with trying to measure it, categorize it, and market it to fit an ever changing cultural zeitgeist. Just let us produce art. Some will like it, some won’t. If you have passion and purpose to your art and you do it well, its going to resonate with someone. Don’t force it or try to desperately appeal to the current cultural climate. ‘Who is a better singer, her or her?’ They are both excellent singers, please just let that be enough and enjoy the music. ‘You need to rebrand to maximize your exposure!” Nah, I choose authentic and genuine rather than pandering to the masses with an attention span of 15 seconds. “You could be so famous if you just went on America’s Got Talent or one of those shows!” Not all artists create art with the intent of becoming famous. Let artists create art in their own way, not yours, and you will be enlightened with what you discover.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The short answer is: No. Again, I know that doesn’t fit the conventional artist profile, but I never mind swerving from norms. I’ve always been goal oriented and that has been a powerful driver in my success, but my goals change as I experience new things and see the world from different angles. I do think its ok for an artist’s goal to occasionally just be to make money and have fun. My goals started there and have taken other shapes and forms as I traveled the world, met different minds, and sought new ways of thinking. They will likely continue to morph over time and I think that is a positive thing for creatives as opposed to rigidity.
There is one goal however I come back to often that I think is a crucial part of producing art: distancing from the self. That doesn’t mean separating oneself from ones art, and I’m not claiming that it is possible to be entirely selfless with the work you put into the world. But I have always hoped that my art could contribute to the greater good in some form, even if its small or fleeting. I want to give back, I want to teach and inspire, I want to lift up, I want to make people think, I want to pass along perspective, I want to bridge gaps with the universal language or art and music, I want to make someone’s bad day a tiny bit better, I want to bring hope, I want to provide peace, I want to prove norms wrong. Even if its just creating a happy memory for someone to look back on in hard times, I want to live for others rather than just myself in some way, every day. Art and creativity has been a spectacular blessing in doing so.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.autumnmelodythomas.com/aerialvocalist
- Instagram: None
- Facebook: Non
- Twitter: None
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/autumnsmelodies
- Other: https://www.autumnmelodythomas.com/
(music website)
