We were lucky to catch up with Zachary Manno recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Zachary thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I feel very fortunate to have been able to make my living solely from working as a full time music producer / musician. I graduated from Belmont University in 2018 and have since then been able to skip having any sort of “day job” because I already had my roots planted firmly in Nashville by the time I earned my degree. While I now look back and see that path led me to a successful business, at first I was quite nervous to have just left school and already be working only for myself. I ended up “panicking” just a bit and applying to several jobs to be employed both in and out of my field of audio engineering, but luckily none of those jobs ever panned out and as some time went by I realized that I was pulling in enough money on my own to pay my bills and then some.
Zachary, 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’m a one-stop-shop music production studio that works with artists to produce, record, mix and master their songs from start to finish. I pride myself on taking time to ensure that I’m on the same page with the artist for each song I work on. I take time to discuss the direction and sound that the artist wants to capture with the project and then apply my deep foundation in music theory, quick musical instincts, and keen ear to achieve that sound. I have the ability to build full-band tracks completely on my own without needing to hire out other musicians and studio spaces so I’m able to work for very fair prices on generally quicker timelines. My work has earned spots on many of the Spotify country editorial playlists and has also appeared on iTunes and Billboard Charts. Specific songs, playlists and chart placements can be found here: www.zacharymanno.com/projects.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I’m the type of person whose work ethic drives me to want to work myself to exhaustion. I love working on projects because I love what I do, and I want to work with as many artists and songwriters as physically possible. I needed to learn that it’s ok to say no to some projects and to guard your time a bit. This is something I constantly need to remind myself.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Hands down, the best part of my work is getting a really positive reaction from an artist whose project I just delivered. I love to hear that someone is as excited as I am about what we’re creating.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zacharymanno.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zacharymanno/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zachmannomusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachmannomusic
Image Credits
Images by Dallas Jack, Gina Di Maio, Aaron Koby, and Danne Braden