Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Cavanaugh. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you 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?

My story as a professional musician would start back in 2019. I was living with my fiancé (then girlfriend, Alyssa) in New York City and working as a marketing coordinator for a large law firm. At that time music was a side gig and had been for years. I would finish my 9-5, rush home to pack up the car and get to some bar downtown or in Queens or Long Island just to make a few bucks. This is phase one of paying your dues as a gigging musician. Doing well at a gig meant having just enough extra cash to take my girlfriend out for a fancy dinner or bring home a slightly nicer bottle of wine home.

Two years in the corporate world proved to be enough for me. Like any musician sitting in a cubicle, I grew discontent and felt unfulfilled in my work. As a business student, I knew you needed two things to start a new venture: money and time. I started with the money. I quietly crunched numbers, gathered overtime hours and even a couple of little side hustles designing logos – all with the goal of saving money. I started writing up projections of how many gigs I would need to play to cover my rent for the month. It turned out to be fewer than I thought – I had my concept. All I needed was the time to hone my craft. It was time to quit my job.

Day one as a full-time musician feels like a lifetime ago. Long story short, on October 4th 2019, I went to lunch, complained a bit about my job, wrote some lyrics complaining about my job, went back in and quit that afternoon. Now, no amount of planning will ever guarantee success. I had approached my career change like any other business venture but the fact is: some businesses fail. I was fortunate to have Alyssa by my side during this time in particular. She supported me every step of the way and when gigs dried up due to the COVID outbreak, she was there to pay rent when my savings were dwindling. I’m sure someone out there can do it all by themselves, I’m just glad I didn’t have to.

In the summer of 2020, we decided to move to Atlanta. This turned out to be great career move for the both of us. Alyssa was going to law school which meant I needed to figure out a way to pay our bills. Luckily, the opportunities for singer-songwriters in Atlanta are exceptional. The city is close enough to Nashville where people take music seriously but far enough away to avoid a saturated market. I hit the pavement, spending whatever last savings I had on rent (and an engagement ring) and over the next six months I went from playing one gig a week to four and five and six per week. In what felt like a whirlwind of new songs and sticky barroom floors, I had become the sole earner of our household – just from strumming a guitar.

My story is not a glamorous one filled with twists and turns and shining lights and record labels (yet). But I think of it as an important lesson for any wannabe musicians out there. There is a prudent way to approach becoming a full-time musician and this lifestyle is still a business and should be treated like one. It’s not always about drama and flair and hopping in a van for nine months. Sometimes its about proof of concept and budgeting and focused, diligent work. All of the planning has given my business a longevity that not a lot of musicians get to enjoy and I’m thankful for that. At the end of the day, I get to play guitar and sing for a living, that’s just about as exciting as I ever needed it to be.

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 know I’ve talked a lot about the business but really the music is what we’re all here for. I think it’s so important to write from a genuine place. If you believe in what you’re saying and the message you’re conveying, so will your listeners. My first record has rock, country, blues, some weird synth stuff – all sorts of genres put together into one album. The important thing wasn’t that they’re all the same instrumentally or lyrically, but that they all came from the same place. If you sing and write honestly, people will notice and your music will just… work. So many artists out there try to write for their listeners; sometimes casting a wide net, other times going for a very particular audience. I think there’s something to be said for that writing style but I prefer to introspect more. I’ll write anything and everything that comes to me, when it comes, and exactly how it feels in the most honest way I can. Even if that means I’m not strictly fitting my “genre”. It keeps my music and style evolving but it’s always unapologetically and authentically me.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’m a huge fan of “Artist Management for the Music Business” by Paul Allen. This book has everything you need to know about how the music industry works, things to expect, and avenues you can take for different revenue streams. Whether you’re working with the labels and agencies or fully independent, there’s a wealth of knowledge in this book. Make sure you get the most recent edition. Things in this business are constantly evolving!

On the more creative end, “Writing Better Lyrics” by Pat Pattison is a phenomenal resource for a songwriter. There are exercises and tips in this book that have helped me find inspiration when I thought I had run dry.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Moving to Atlanta definitely tested my mettle and resolve as a musician. For me, it’s always been easy going up on stage, playing songs and entertaining a crowd. I love talking to people and am pretty extroverted so even that hasn’t been an issue. The biggest challenge is convincing a bar owner or booker that you deserve that Friday night paid slot. A lot of it comes down to having good promo materials (videos are hugs) but I, like any other singer, hate the way my voice sounds on video. Getting over my pickiness and putting together the right materials to pitch myself was a struggle. Even when you do it right, there’s a constant stream of rejection emails or even attempts that go ghosted. The best thing any artist can do it plow straight through the rejection letters. You have to have confidence in your craft and wake up every day looking for the next booking and the next way to up your game. Life as a full-time musician is a constant stress test and your resilience will be tested every day, the fact that I’m still here doing what I love three years later is all I have to offer in regard to my success on that front.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alexcavanaugh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexcavanaughmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexcavmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqDG8wTB7YS5ruznT452VFw