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

Cassie, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

There was never a time in my life when I did not want to completely envelope myself in the musical arts. Photo albums are littered with candid snapshots of me as a toddler holding a drum, a keyboard, a toy trumpet, a guitar, you name it. The real question has always been, How can I structure my life so that I can make music the centerpiece of my professional life? Time and again, an educational path has proven itself to be the answer.

Cassie, 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 am a performing, recording and teaching musician in the greater Austin, TX area. I’m a lifelong musician with a career focus on instilling confidence in burgeoning musicians and neurodivergent youth, both through example and through education.

I gig and record on drums in the greater Texas area, perform a children’s show called Mystic Drumz, and teach music out of my private home studio. My main focus is teaching percussion, but I also teach ukulele, guitar, and more abstract concepts like songwriting, digital audio recording and music theory. As someone who has struggled their entire life with chronic depression, ADHD and ASD, I have been told time and time again by external forces in a neurotypical world that I don’t fit the mold of an entrepreneur, I don’t have the drive to be a career musician, and that I don’t have the intelligence to reach my aspirations. It was very easy for me to internalize those ideas for many years.

However, through my years spent in the Austin, TX creative community, I have met the most inspiring, creative people making dreams come true for themselves and for those around them, I have seen small businesses, non profits, and artistic endeavors thrive that I never would have dreamt could exist in my previous, small town Texas upbringing. I’ve experienced and endured the hardships of being a career musician and come out the other side.

With a “Yes, And” approach like that of an improv actor (a past time I have always had a penchant for), I work with the flow, like water, with my students. I believe true artistry, musical skill, and creativity is born of discovery, passion, and a love for your craft. I live for the “a-ha” moment in my students’ eyes, both children and adults, and strive to lead them to that moment.

Music is an intimately human activity, and you are human. You belong here. You can do this.

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

Call your local representatives, support your libraries, and show up to local elections. 10.45% of Travis county registered voters showed up for the 2023 local elections. Statistically, this is where you can make your voice most heard. When you do not vote, lobbyists vote for you.

Donate to your local creative non profits and small businesses: Creative Action, Girls Rock Austin, Femme Rock, and Spilled Milk Social Club, just to name a few. I have worked closely with many of the amazing staff from these organizations and see the hard work they put in every single day to inspiring our local youth to creatively express themselves. Moreover, I have seen the life changing results of these efforts in my friends and family’s children who attend these programs.

Show up to fundraisers, open mics, parades, protests, get involved with the arts! If you want it to happen, it’s up to you to put in the work and connect with your community. I hope to see you out there!

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

I am not one for regrets, but if I had to choose, I would say SIMS foundation, hands down. This non-profit organization supports the mental wellbeing of Austin musicians. I know so many close friends whose lives have been turned around thanks to SIMS. If I had been aware and able to access their services when I first arrived in Austin in 2010, I have no doubt that I would have had the resources I needed to heal and begin my journey to becoming the person I’m closer to being today.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cassiebakermusic.com
• Instagram: @cassiebakermusic
• Facebook: cbdrumsatx
• Youtube: cassiesticks