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

Alyse, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Music is something I could truly devote my entire life to learning and hardly scratch the surface, which is one of the things I love about it so much. Although I did not attend school for music, I feel that I’ve been a student since I began playing over twelve years ago. I began by picking up a beginner’s guitar and giving myself one song to learn all the way through. This meant learning 4 chords and a simple strum pattern. With the tools I learned from that one song, I was able to learn more and more! The key for me was really just to start and to be curious. There are so many amazing free resources for anyone wanting to learn an instrument! Most of what I know, I’ve learned from YouTube.

It can definitely be discouraging/intimidating to compare your own level of playing to others. There will always be someone who knows more than you do! But one of the most valuable learning experiences I’ve found is playing with others. Music creates such community. If you can approach any musical interaction with the mentality of a student, you’ll absolutely learn something!

It can be daunting to start a new hobby or venture, but it’s also so rewarding!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I really fell into playing music professionally, but I’m so glad that I did! In the beginning, I was taking any gig that I could, and I’m really thankful for those opportunities. Really, the only way to learn to be a self-employed musician is to throw yourself in head-first and learn along the way!
I now offer live music for a wide variety of events/venues, including restaurants, bars, weddings, corporate events, private parties, and more!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Supporting local small businesses and entrepreneurs is so important! When it comes to local music, there are a ton of ways to show your support. The first, maybe most obvious option, is to come to gigs and bring friends! We always love to see a familiar face. Music is so accessible now with streaming that sometimes people don’t remember how fun live music is! Especially in Jacksonville, there is live music somewhere practically every night. But beyond that, there’s also online support! Whether you’re sharing our content, interacting with our pages, or even just giving us a follow, it truly is a huge help!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I think that the biggest thing that I’ve personally had to unlearn (and am still actively learning) is perfectionism. It can be so easy to fall into comparison, and we’re all our own worst critics. But a friend gave me a piece of advice that has really stuck with me, specifically about my line of work. People value authenticity over perfection. Sure, it can be impressive to listen to a technically perfect piece of music, but the music that moves you is rarely so perfect. Sometimes I feel nervous to try a new song or post a video because I’m worried that someone might pick out the little flaws that I see. But the world needs your art! If you always delay putting out creative content, you’ll never grow! Creative vulnerability is essential to connection.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @alysemusic
• Facebook: Alyse Music

Image Credits
Kayla Matykunas Photography