We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Charlie Stevens a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I have been teaching private music lessons for almost 8 years. I really enjoy watching the successes of my students as they discover their love for music!

Everyday is an opportunity for me to do work that I feel is meaningful, but I’m especially excited to present a student showcase at Avogadro’s Number in Fort Collins at 3p.m. on Sunday June 5th!

Students of all ages and skill levels will get to together, listen to each other and perform! Some have experience performing in public and some will be brand new to the stage!

After each student gets a chance to perform, The Charlie Stevens Band will play a free concert! (Donations encouraged!)

I have a bachelor’s degree in music performance from UNC, but I have also learned from watching YouTube videos.

I’m excited to announce that I will be adding free music lesson content to my YouTube channel! This is my way of giving back to the community while also hoping to gain some new fans. In addition to lesson videos, live performances and my 1st studio album is available on the channel.

Please like and subscribe to help me reach a wider audience and share these free lessons with more people!
https://youtube.com/channel/UCOdUfW7Uf5z0I5g2ihR6lsw

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My father, Alan, used to play the guitar around the house when I was a kid. He would encourage me to learn the lyrics of his songs and try to keep up with him while he strummed the chords.

When I was 12, I had an incredibly influential music teacher named Andy Buzzi. Andy inspired me to spend my life as a guitar player. He gave me the skills and confidence to form my own identity. For better or worse, the guitar was at the core of that identity.

I have a younger sister and many younger cousins. I have always felt a responsibility to look out for the younger generation.

In addition to playing the guitar, I also felt a calling to help people. Andy served as an inspiration and I realized that I could help people develop confidence in themselves, the way Andy had for me, by teaching them guitar.

At the ripe old age of 13, my decision to become a guitar teacher was solidified!

After many years of hard work and practice, I became just that!

Now that I’ve had years of experience teaching my own students, I can look back and see that it has come full circle. I have served a similar role in the lives of several students that I know will be lifelong guitar players!

I’m extremely grateful to realize my childhood dream, but I am always pushing forward and setting new goals for myself.

I plan to continue educating and inspiring students while also advancing my career as a performing musician and recording artist.

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

The COVID-19 pandemic upended life for many of us. Especially in the music world. Live performances were cancelled and the music store, where I taught lessons, had to close their doors.

Luckily, I was able to switch all of my students to virtual lessons! I quickly upgraded my webcam and microphone.

I had never done webcam lessons before. I was a bit apprehensive, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked!

During the lockdown, nobody was allowed to leave their houses to socialize. I feel that meeting regularly with my students had a positive effect, on them as well as on me. In addition to learning music, we kept each other sane!

I’m proud of myself for rising to the occasion and utilizing technology to keep working with my students during that difficult time.

Webcam lessons are now part of my regular routine and it has allowed me to work with students from all over the country!

Don’t you just love it when things work out?!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect is seeing the joy flash in someone’s eyes as they experience the profundity of music!

This could occur during a lesson. Maybe the student had been working on two different concepts that seem to be unrelated. I may be able to draw a line between these concepts and illustrate the connective fibers. This can be very powerful and the student may have an epiphany or an “ah-ha” moment.

I can always tell when a student is experiencing an epiphany because I can see a certain spark of joy in their eyes. I live for that.

In live performance, I have seen that spark of joy on the faces of the audience members.

Music is a very powerful thing and I weild it with great reverence.

I try to write songs that are very meaningful to me. it brings me great joy when someone tells me they listened to my songs and found them to be meaningful also.

Thanks to all my students, listeners and supporters!

Contact Info:

• Website: Charliestevensmusic.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charliestevensmusic/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCOdUfW7Uf5z0I5g2ihR6lsw

Image Credits
Sydney Stevens