Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin Cobleigh-morrison

Hi Devin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

There are two separate paths I’ve had to walk that have led to living seemingly two separate lives. The arts is one in itself, and owning and operating a business in another industry is the opposite side of the same coin.

Sparing you a scattered tale of two stories, I will try to intertwine the two with the commonalities, lessons and growth that led me to where I am today.

Ultimately when you’re growing up its hard to tell what you’re capable of. This could be masked with a myriad of things, but ultimately I was a kid with a lot of talent that never knew how to use or hone it.

As I grew I encountered various obstacles that I’d not chosen to address, and these effects became paralyzing. Without becoming too personal, events that leave their mark can and had compiled led to failure in being able to communicate, diagnosed PTD, a freeze response, and dangerously low self worth.

Its often said that when you’re down you just ‘pick yourself back up’ and move forward. I found, especially at a young age that without tools to do so, and tools to heal, this becomes a means to an end. When I was confronted with the realization that I had zero tools to use, I found myself as a victim to my own circumstances. When I started to act in a way that led me to finding and obtaining these tools that I use today, the tables started to turn back in my favor- but not without an immense about of work.

My career echos a similar but veiled path. I was a natural talent and ‘quick study’ and when things shut down, I had no knowledge or self worth to pick up these proverbial pieces. I was extremely fortunate to have a mentor in Elizabeth Freimuth that helped me shift my horn playing and ultimately my work ethic to a more inward approach, and introduced an element of accountability and creative problem solving I hadn’t seen previously. It was then that I started to gather so many ‘tools’ or practices that I found motivation in problem solving. To this day I used these musical approaches in my daily life, and my life practices in my musical creative problem solving.

This being said, anything easy to overdo and I am no exception to that. Eventually, as any person does as they gain experience, I gathered so many tools that I became paralyzed and found myself scattered and unable to use them. After a few years of desperately trying to crawl out of a hole, I felt like a centipede that was thinking about which foot should go in front of the other, and in tern, could not walk.

One day I decided to invest into a full reset of my horn playing, which at that point was the means of how I survived as it was my career. In an essence, it felt like an identity reset, also. I took a full week off, barely left my room, and just allowed myself to freeze instead of being angry at myself for it. This was in my mid-late twenties.

One morning, I woke up with all the energy in the world and realized I didn’t need more tools, but rather, a new toolbox. I threw away my ‘home’ and immediately shifted to one that felt more organic to me. At age 18, this was my original state, but was taken quickly by a powerful person that had no remorse and for some reason, that became my identity. After adapting my new “home,” within just a few days dots started to connect. I took on a process-based approach, and I felt myself adapt a growth mindset that was backed with armor and authenticity.

It was within this change that I realized that not only was I taking accountability for my health in all aspects of my life. I realized that this kind of work, the one that came with not just gathering them but USING them, was authentic and yielded results that were what I was looking for. This is something I became engrossed in.

Within that process of rapid growth mixed with moments sifting through more data than what was healthy, I started to realize that most ‘noise’ or turbulence can be grouped into larger pictures. It was then that the phrase ‘reorganize and simplify’ became clearer to me, and effective. Some folks also seem to use the phrase, ‘see the forrest through the trees.’

Within that moment I started to realize all these little roadblocks where actually part of a larger picture. So, I changed my picture. I quickly adapted a new teaching style, got a new instrument, and started to see the world through a new lens that encompassed a calmer presence, more self love, and somehow a more empathetic approach to everything I did.

While this path seems exciting, it by no means came easy. With support from good friends, many colleagues, and my ‘mirror’ that was the horn, I fully committed to psychotherapy to sift through stuck points I had unknowingly had from an unspeakable accident I was in as a child, dangerous circumstances in my adult life, etc, that were severely affecting an unrealistic work ethic and how I navigated my relationships. The relationship with the horn was excelling. Using this as a model, with the help of professionals, I navigated and integrated that balance into relationships with people. After years of intense work, my social life and ability to relate to people/circumstances became something I feel is an asset to my personality. This is also what I take into my teaching and relationships overall in my current life. Now, I am a full time college professor and owner of a sport kiting business that was a dream of mine when I came to the industry at the age of 4. I am continually looking to gain prospective, communicate, and foster team and growth oriented environments.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

I think the last question sheds some light on this, but any road worth traveling is never smooth.
One of the most difficult parts in this journey was exploring self love and grace in one’s journey.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I am currently a full time, tenure track professor at the University of Louisville School of Music.

Sparing you musical details, I pride myself in being able to diagnose fundamental problems and relate to folks that are working through them. I can quickly relate and empathize, thus working with folks to tackle what they’re facing, and quickly formulate various exercises or methods that can resonate with the person in question.

This creative problem solving I find helps students create their own proverbial language to then go off and teach themselves, and in turn, others. Everyone learns and articulate their own methods differently. At first my teaching is hands on and active, but ultimately I aim to loosen the reins and let folks come into their own.
I have no intent to creative carbon copies of myself and am extremely proud of the folks at UofL who take the steps, every day, to shape their journey in the way that fits their goals.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?

Grit.

Pricing:

• Please send an email though the site below to inquire on services and availability.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.devincmhorn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devincmorrison_horn/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXzSFNKlg5m9cEjVdjoCYlg

Image Credits

Eric Belin
Christina Cutts