We recently connected with Brett Phillips and have shared our conversation below.

Brett, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

I think the first revenue that I earned as a musician was through teaching guitar at the age of 15. I started teaching out of my parents house in the 10th grade, charging $40 a month, or $10 a lesson. In retrospect, even though it was cheap, the fact that people were willing to take lessons from a literal kid was pretty amazing in itself. I was really serious about music though, and I think the handful of students that took from me back then enjoyed their lessons. I think I was able to get about 15 students. Not much later after that I got my first paid gig at a coffee shop. I would play solo and often times over backing tracks. I had just gotten in to jazz, so I’d break out the standards and attempt my best at improv. It felt good getting paid to play music. I had no idea about finances, so pretty much everything I made went back into my music.

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.

My name is Brett Phillips. I am a musician from North Carolina. I’m a guitarist/singer. Writing and performing songs has always been a passion for me, and I have released a ton of music online, as well as some full length albums. All of my work can be found on your favorite streaming service, or on Youtube. I’ve been playing music for over 20 years professionally and am about to release a new solo album very soon.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Supporting an artist is as simple as sharing a song on social media, or going to a show. You don’t have to finanically support a musician in order to make an impact. There is so much music being put out daily that it can be difficult for new music to “stand out.” Having a community of people that genuniely like my music and support makes the difference for me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The thing that has always driven me to making music is just the enjoyment of it. I like to play guitar. I love messing with sounds and writing songs. I like experimenting with guitar tones and mic placements. I like writing songs and lyrics. It can be deep, but it can also be as simple as writing about my cats. My message is spreading positivity and the love of music. I want people to feel the happiness that I feel from music.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brettphillipsmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brettphillipsmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrettPhillipsMusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCecIHnEfzt-QuC5mAV6_Fgw
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2va0omPughAKFp6nRAg5gI