We were lucky to catch up with Cole Burris and Sydney Burris N/A recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cole Burris and Sydney Burris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Sydney: It would seem that our entire relationship together thus far has been full of risk taking! We were friends in a band together for over a year before we started dating in 2019. We really enjoyed our creative partnership and knew we were taking a risk if our dating relationship didn’t land. Thankfully, it deepened what we already had and took us even further than either of us could have hoped.

Then the pandemic hit in 2020–would we stick together through that strange time? We took a risk on teaming up further and moved in together. We shared those quarantine months being vulnerable with each other and supporting each other through difficult work transitions. We built trust, learned new skills, and cheered each other on as we both built new businesses (I started voice coaching online, Cole started renovating Airstream trailers). All of this led us into deeper love and respect for each other until the inevitable question was, “Do we want to make a lifelong commitment to each other?”

Anyone who has made a public commitment of marriage knows it’s one of the biggest risks you can take. In the face of everything you can’t yet see about your life, you put your best hopes in what you have built with another person and step out in faith together, committing to love each other come what may. It’s thrilling, sobering, and one of the best decisions we have ever made. In October of 2022, we got married in the presence of our closest family. And then…we bought a school bus.

For over a year we’ve been building a “skoolie”–a tiny home on wheels so that we have the opportunity to travel and live light. We also found out in October 2023 that we are pregnant with our first child! Needless to say, taking risks has continually taught us to be both courageous and adaptable. Ultimately we think this has made us into more resilient, joyful, and creative people.

Cole Burris and Sydney Burris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Cole: I am a producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and private contractor in Airstream/trailer renovations. I’ve been playing and writing music since my early teens, and began producing in my early 20’s. I started exploring “flipping” Airstream trailers as a side hustle in 2019, and truly dove into it when the pandemic put a pause on my live music work opportunities. As a musician, I am most proud of what I have accomplished so far as a self taught producer. Learning to pick up on the nuance of production style for different genres has given me a lot of range–I’ve produced 80’s inspired pop-rock, atmospheric game soundtracks, blues grunge rock, alternative indie, and more. Whether I’m creating music or working with my hands on an Airstream, I’ve gotten really good at embracing obstacles as opportunities to learn new skills. There are few things you can’t learn to do yourself if you are willing to put in the time and the tenacity to stick with it until you get it right.

Sydney: I am a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and certified voice teacher/coach. Singing was my first passion at a very young age, which led to a growing love for music, writing, and performing in many different environments. I joined Cole’s band ‘Goons’ in 2018 as a vocalist, and grew to become a songwriter and co-producer with the group as well. I began voice teaching in my early 20’s and became a certified teacher/coach through New York Vocal Coaching in the winter of 2020. As both a singer and a teacher I enjoy adaptability. Rather than ask a student to fit within my teaching style, I try to have a wide knowledge of different methods and language that might be helpful to their learning process. In turn, I like to have stylistic flexibility as a session vocalist, performer, and songwriter because it means variety of work. It’s fun to work on different kinds of music and know that you can build a reputation for being professional and efficient in all of it.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Cole: As a music artist, I’ve felt firsthand the backwards reality of streaming services. It’s sad that so much of the world has access to the music I’ve made, but unless I have millions and millions of listeners, I’ll never make any real income from it. Streaming (in both the music and film industries) is ultimately feeding our consumer and convenience culture and murdering art. In my opinion, we end up appreciating music less because we get to listen to it constantly without paying for what it’s worth. Streaming probably won’t go away anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make changes. If you really like someone’s album, buy it from them. In fact, buy two copies and gift the other one to someone you care about. If you REALLY believe in what an artist is doing, consider supporting them through a patronage system like Patreon.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Sydney: In this day and age, you are your own gatekeeper. If there is something you want to do creatively, don’t wait for someone else to give you the permission or opportunity to do it. Just do it and find a way to share it with others in a way that feels good to you.

I grew up going to auditions and recognizing that in order to have certain opportunities a number of things had to align beyond just how hard I worked or prepared to be ready. Even into my 20’s, I would grow frustrated when I felt unseen and unchosen by people whose respect and attention I desperately wanted. What I eventually learned to embrace was the tools at my fingertips to create what was living inside me and share it through my own personal platforms. These days it is so easy to share with others that which lights you up, and you actually have a greater chance at bigger opportunities when you commit to your own personal practice of showing up for your creative desires. No one else’s “yes” should ever mean more than your own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.patreon.com/ColeandSydney
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Goonvibesonly

Image Credits
Dan Hodge