We recently connected with Cait Devin and have shared our conversation below.

Cait , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I feel that the best careers come from a series of calculated risks. Additionally, I have always thought that if one is afraid to fail in the public eye, they aren’t truly ready to succeed either.

I’ve been working as a live musician since the age of 15. I big risk I have taken was starting a performing arts company alongside a full live music routine! Live music has been one of the only “constants” in my life, as I find myself jumping from one interest to the next pretty routinely. I knew that deciding to balance it with another full time business endeavor would be a challenge. It would take a lot of self discipline, sacrifice, and a ton of investments too. I also have never been to business school, but found the confidence within myself to learn the skills necessary.

I’m beyond happy that I took that risk and branched out. The performing arts company is called “Cait’s Character Corner.” I host a variety of theatrical events for children, and we had over 50 public events in the span of a year. This has given me immense experience in acting & managing, as I now have a team of actors by my side. I even paused live music for about half a year to focus solely on this new endeavor. This can be risky in the music world… if you take any time off, people sometimes assume that you’ve simply stopped and go on to booking other musicians. I am pleased to say that live music will resume for me in March of 2024 and I am booked out until October. I’d say I’m an even better performer now, and the word about ccc has made me more known in the area than I was previously.

Starting a new business is always a risk, especially when you found already something that really works (for me, live music) But if you have the passion for it, truly and deeply, do it. Don’t let society box you in to just one thing. Acting and theatre type of work has always been in the back of my mind, so I suppose it was meant to be.

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 musician, actor, and entrepreneur currently residing in Central New York! I am a self proclaimed “people person,” as I work alongside other creatives as often as I can.

A huge part of what I do is perform music at various venues across NYS. I’ve been doing this for a living since I was 15, which has been a true privilege and a wonderful journey. I got my start playing acoustic indie pop and contemporary at cafes and open mics… now my style is a bit harder to pin down, as I love it all. I’ve released super poppy stuff with 808 beats, stuff with 90s rock influence, and more. I would say an artist like Grimes is similar to yours truly regarding her musical preferences and variety. I operate independently and haven’t hired an agent, so I’m always in search of gig opportunities. I am a gig goblin, if you will. Networking is over half of the job! Alongside live music, I founded “Cait’s Character Corner,” a performing arts company in CNY. My team of actors and I host a variety of family events with theatrical performances.

Performing has my heart, but I’m also an avid writer. I have hundreds of unreleased originals, but recently acquired a home studio, so that “unreleased” part is soon to change. I have written numerous articles for Guitar World Magazine and now host an IG Live Talk Show, “Communicait,” which has now resumed for 2024!

What I would like fellow creatives to know is that being spontaneous is okay. Dabbling in many things can broaden your horizons, resume, and experience.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

What many may not know is that I had a very big health scare a few years back. Trigger warning.

I have always been ambitious and unable to sit still for more than a day, but Trigeminal Neuralgia wrecked me utterly and completely. When I was 18 I started getting horrible “electric shock” sensations on the sides of my face and ears. It scared me senseless.

To put it simply, Trigeminal Neuralgia (or TN) is a rare nerve condition in which the trigeminal nerve is compressed and or compromised. It is responsible for the sensations in one’s face. When this nerve signal is disrupted it causes extreme and sudden pain with the simplest of motor functions such as speaking or eating. It used to be known as “The Suicide Disease” when there weren’t many treatments and is one of the most painful medical conditions, unfortunately.

It took a year and a half to get diagnosed, as I saw countless doctors – all of whom were stumped. I went through many MRIs, imaging tests, physical therapy, even went to dentists for answers. From the pain and stress I was down to 70 pounds. I stopped sleeping (and playing gigs) all together. My rib cage was popping out from not eating.

It was around this time I started learning how to improv solo on electric guitar. It hurt horribly to sing, so I used electric guitar as my “second voice.” Unknowingly at the time, this journey is what began my Shredding for Hope YouTube series with Bradley Hall, which now has over 1 million views total, and got me in touch with Guitar World. It was a blessing in disguise. I practiced for 4-5 hours a day just running scales on the metronome ect. to distract myself from pain.

During this time I made sure to keep creating and told myself “even if this thing destroys me, I will go out with a bang.” Luckily I am still here and finally found treatment that works. I encourage everyone facing incredibly dark places to believe in the good times ahead. I always say “as above, so below.” What’s very bad will eventually lead to an incredibly wonderful experience as well.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to create music that others can relate to their own experiences and create their own interpretations of. I want my writing to tap into human connection.

I would love to keep spreading the word on Trigeminal Neuralgia. I put together a document that can potentially help other sufferers if they reach out to me for advice on how to manage it.

I also strive to give children another reason to smile in this world which is growing increasingly tough. This sounds corny, directly off the cob, but it couldn’t be more true. This next generation needs love and support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://caitdevin.com
• Instagram: @thecaitdevin
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/caitdevinmusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cait-devin-2923a519a
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzqaMfzOiiEVeECUD0YiYmQ