We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brendan Lane. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brendan below.

Brendan, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

Deciding to study business while at University was a major turning point in my career. It opened my mind up to other lines of work within the music industry. Beyond being a performer or songwriter there were so many outlets for me to be around what I love most, music. This led me to an internship at EastCoast Entertainment, working under the tutelage of Jenny Langer. Jenny is a booking agent in the Washington, D.C. region in addition to being an award winning singer/songwriter. Jenny had graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in music business which is exactly the road I was travelling down. She is a living, breathing version of what I was aiming to be at that point in my career. She worked to deliver the perfect band with the proper event or event planner, making peoples celebrations all the more memorable and STILL kicking ass on stage every night with some of the best musicians on the planet. One particular moment I remember was when she was running a concert series at the U.S. Botanic Gardens. She brought me with her to the event and I got to witness the professional at work, taking care of the artists needs, working with the sound engineer, and coordinating a smooth operation. It was also an opportunity for me to ask her questions, none of which she shied from. Everything she knew and had learned was fair game and she was more than happy to pass the knowledge onto me. Jenny was a thoughtful, caring, and determined boss and she showed what it means to be a professional artist.

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 am a professional entertainer who’s in the transportation business. When I’m on stage performing, my goal is to bring the audience of 1, 100, or 10,000 to a place where they can forget about the outside world for a minute or two, forget about the troubles and woes, and be present with total strangers who become family. After ten years of playing live professionally, and five of those performing on cruise ships. I love being on stage and letting my songs bounce around the room connecting with whoever needs it in that moment.

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?

I feel like a lot of non-creatives look at my day (from their perspective) and see only four hours of work while I’m on stage while they for twice as long in day, sometimes more. A lot of guilt and imposter syndrome can come with that and it can be overwhelming to carry on. I really try not to let this get to me, they weren’t there when I was practicing for hours in my bedroom at the age of 11, or the countless songs I’ve written on the back of worksheets and homework assignments in college, or all the booking emails I have sent that were met with a polite “no” if they were met with a response at all. I know the hard work I’ve put into my career and to support my own art, because I believe in it and I think it is worthy of the years hard work I have and continue to put behind it . The doubt and scorn from non- creatives about how much I work in a day often fuels me to use my house when I’m not on stage as productively as possible. Whether that’s practicing my scales, connecting with new and familiar venues for performances, or taking care of my body so I can deliver the best performance possible when the time comes. Stay true to you, kid, and you’ll be alright.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Singing lessons. I pushed back against taking formal vocal lessons for many years. I wasted lots of opportunities because I thought I was cool for letting my untrained voice remain so. I wasn’t and once I took a few weeks of lessons I immediately realized how stupid I was for putting it off for so long. The teacher I had too recognized the sound I wanted to produce and guided me to finding it in a safe and healthy way. It’s difficult because your singing voice is a part of you, it can be a vulnerable experience when you’re breaking it all down and especially if you’re like me and suck. I was humbled many times in the process and even still to this day I call on friends who are professional singers when I need help or want some insight into how to achieve a certain sound. Don’t be afraid of voice lessons!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brendanlanemusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/brendan_lane
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/brendanlanemusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-lane-13381281/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/brendanlane2
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/brendanlanemusic

Image Credits
Cassie Latyak, Alice Hseih, Lydia Shirley,