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

Brandt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic career when I was 13, and first picked up the guitar. I’ve always been fascinated with music, and have been a collector since I was about 9. Growing up listening to Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and so many other greats, I wanted to do what they were doing with their guitars because I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I thought, “if listening to music fires me up this much, I wonder what playing music would be like!” I was gifted a guitar from my 7th grade band teacher in 2004, my parents got me some lessons, and the rest is history. I knew FOR SURE this was the path for me when I began writing music and lyrics. To this day, it’s still my favorite thing to do, and the most rewarding.

Brandt, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up just south of Seattle, where we have so much rich musical history. With my dad being a huge rock fan, I got introduced to music at a very early age, and have always absolutely loved it. I’m still an avid consumer of music, but when I started playing the guitar, I was able to express my passion physically, which solidified my desire/motivation/drive to want to pursue a musical career. Before I was able to play guitar in the school jazz band, I took up percussion to acquire a rhythmic foundation and an understanding of music in a general sense (reading, counting, multitasking, etc). Rhythm has always been my favorite component of music, based on how you just “feel it” and how it can manipulated in so many different ways. I’ve always loved how anyone can feel a good beat or rhythm, and I wanted to be able to have both that and a melodic sense to bring to the table. I’ve always wanted to make people happy and connected through playing.

I love the various outlets and opportunities music has given me over the years, as I’m very much a person who loves (“needs”) variety in life. As a guitarist, I’ve played in my own bands, been hired to play for other bands, hired to do studio work/recording, commissioned to write songs, record and release songs from my own studio, community events/involvement, content creative, etc. I’m grateful to do so many different things with music, as it’s all so fulfilling and rewarding.

I’m a very well-rounded musician with a lot of training and experience in various styles and settings, which I believe helps me stand out a bit. I studied jazz in college, have played in hard rock/blues/pop/jazz/folk/electronic outfits, also play piano, mandolin, bass, and drums, and record/collaborate with other artists through my solo project in my own studio. When I first started lessons, I told my instructor that I want to be able to play well and intelligently in any musical situation. And I’m proud to say I’ve stuck with that mindset for over 20 years.

I’m most proud of never giving up on my passion as a musician and creative. It’s the one certain thing in life I’ve always known, which is why it’ll always be my main focus. Without music, I’m not me. I feel very grateful the universe gave me this passion, and I’m also proud to say I’ve had the discipline, motivation, inspiration, and drive to keep going at full force. I couldn’t stay away from music or writing even if I tried.

As a musician, my playing and approach is entirely based on feel. I’ve combined that along with my music education to be a clever and very personal player. When you hear me play or listen to a song I wrote, regardless the genre or style, you’ll hear me. I truly believe I pour my heart and soul into the things you hear from me..

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the process it takes to build something out of nothing, and then seeing the finished product. I’ve been writing songs for almost 20 years, and have multiple notebooks stuffed with lyrics and music notes. Whether anyone hears a song of mine or not, I’m still so proud and elated when Ive finally got all the lyrics how I want them, and how they connect with the instrumentation. Looking back in these notebooks and songs I wrote years ago, is kind of like a time capsule. I can remember when I wrote it, why I wrote it, how it became inspired enough to work on and write down, and what was happening in my life at the time. It’s almost like I’m documenting pieces of my heart and soul, which is more rewarding than any amount of money. Knowing that I’m creating something based on my experiences, view points, emotions, values, and am able to bring it to life, make me feel more alive and genuine than anything else I’ve experienced.

It’s also extremely rewarding to hear people responding positively to my musical creations and projects. I don’t expect anything from anyone, ever, so when people mention they enjoy my band/guitar playing/songwriting, it really puts me on cloud nine and keeps me so inspired and motivated to keep at it.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Over the years I’ve noticed that some people don’t understand why we put so much time, energy, and hard work into something that’s not guaranteed to be financially stable or consistent. Like, we’re choosing to struggle by not spending more time at a standard full-time job, or whatever. My goal as a musician/creative is to be able to do it all the time while still being able to live comfortably. I want to make enough money as a creative so I can continue to be a creative as much as possible. And though money is important, it’s never been about that. Money has never brought me happiness like music has and does, and that won’t ever change. That’s why I still work a day job, because I’m not quite there yet to do music completely full time, and that’s ok. I have a good balance that allows me to move forward and make consistent progress.

So, I believe musicians and creatives have a slightly different perspective on life than those who aren’t involved with creative arts, especially regarding money. For a lot of people, money is their main focus, and their lives revolve around continuing to make (and hopefully more) money throughout their life. It seems like these people make life sacrifices in order to keep their focus on the money goal. For me as a creative, I only want to make money so I can spend as much time doing music as possible, while still living comfortably and taking care of my basic human needs. So really, I’m sacrificing time at a day job that could be spent creating, just to survive and be ok, which will hopefully lead to me being able to make enough money as a creative to support all of my human needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dirtybirdsmusic.com
• Instagram: @silentdmusic
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/brandtparke

Image Credits
Ivy Green Harry Lam