We recently connected with Bryan Segraves and have shared our conversation below.
Bryan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I am very blessed to be able to do the work I want to do without any distractions, but as most people working in a creative field will tell you, it takes lots of years of multiple streams of income to set up. The most important steps for me were choosing to educate myself by getting a degree in music production, and then choosing a direct career path and sticking with it to get experience without losing focus. In my late teens, I made the decision that I was going to be a worship leader first and make ends meet outside of that context, rather than having a steady income and then filling my spare time with the music I wanted to be making. In that time, I was primarily a worship leader and music director and did 90% of my work within churches on missionary support while working odd jobs on the side to supplement income. I also did weekend warrior gigs and wrote/produced with several bands. When I was closing in on 30, I had enough momentum to be making music full-time, but I had to make another checkpoint decision; did I want to primarily play other artist’s music or make my own music? I pulled from some very safe positions once again to go full-time into my own studio. These checkpoints were not easy, but I am very happy with the decisions I made. I am not sure if anything could have sped up the process, but the hurdles getting here were never overwhelming because I have been doing what I am passionate about.
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 write and produce for my artist moniker “Seeg” and write for my band “Crusade” out of my home studio. I also use my studio to develop artists and worship leaders both locally and remotely. I love this model for several reasons: I love that I get to help musicians learn to skillfully and freely express themselves, which in turn positively affects their fellow bandmates, congregations, or audiences. I have always loved learning about music, and teaching others puts a fire under me to want to learn more. And just as important, this model frees up my writing and exploration to not be under the pressure of income while having full control of my schedule. Being an artist grows me as a teacher and being a teacher grows me as an artist.
I believe what sets me apart as an artist is my love for the composing and arranging process. I am constantly on the hunt for catharsis and rarely know what it will sound like until the song is about 80% done. I am also a singer and piano player that loves to play in styles that are typically dominated by other instruments, and particularly any form of world or progressive music.
What sets me apart as a teacher is that I strive to be holistic in my teaching method. I want musicians that can express themselves excellently with all of their heart, soul, and skill whether it’s on stage, in the studio, or in their own homes. My sessions typically include technique development paired with coaching-based questions to help musicians become more passionate, self-aware, and skilled.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I know that music is a lot of things to a lot of people; to some, it makes them feel good in their body and want to dance. For others, it gives them language to heal. I have often felt alone or misunderstood over the course of my life, but for me, music has always been a safe place for spiritual connection. It is a sort of prayer closet. When I play, I feel very much connected and “online.” I also believe the fruit of that connection should naturally be more joy, peace, and love in my interactions. So while it sounds cliche, my goal is to grow in love and to empower others to do the same, and music has been a fantastic way to go about it.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn patience and get more of a backbone. Patience is obviously a positive trait a majority of the time, and it is one that I am still learning. The issue was that I had become so patient that it became tempting to be passive for decisions that really mattered. I would also enable passivity in others, and then feel shut down by the passivity and not know how to respond; it was immensely frustrating! This came to a head when a group I was working with offered me a job for a very specialized position, but with almost triple my current workload at well under minimum wage. Up to this point, I would accept most jobs handed to me in the name of helping the group in the long-term, but I thank God for the offer now because it helped me to realize my value and my ability to draw hard lines. I turned it down, and ever since, I check in with myself to see if I’m truly being patient or passive with long-term decisions. I have also been much happier because I know anything I am doing now, I am doing because I want to be doing it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seeg.music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seegmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SeegYT
- Other: linktr.ee/seeg.music
Image Credits
Jessica Sullivan, “Synnfox Photography” Timothy Kurek