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

Alright, Eric thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

Todays biggest challenge to profitability in the music industry is streaming. It’s very thought to keep peoples attention song to song when there is an unlimited buffet of music available at their fingertips. It takes one million streams for the songwriter to make $3,000, so we have to constantly tour instead of relying on sales.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started playing music when I was 13 years old and always had the dream of doing it for a living. Once I was bitten by the music bug, I was determined to make my dream become reality. I moved after high school to New Braunfels, TX, because I knew that was the hotspot for the kind of music I wanted to play. Thankfully it worked and I was able to find a band that felt the same way about the business as I did. All or nothing. So we went for it. Here I am 14 years after starting the band, baffled at the fact that I still get to call this my job. It’s been as fulfilling as I ever hoped to use my creativity to bring about a change in the way people feel about everyday things. It’s my goal to search for the answers and put them in song so maybe, just maybe, I can positively affect the people that hear me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I first got “noticed” in the music business, I thought the rest would be a breeze. I had it in my mind that once I had a manager, I was done dealing with the business side of things. I had an incorrect view of the reality of what a lead singer is. I very quickly found out that being present as the face of the brand and being personal with venue owners and promoters was imperative. However, I was in the “they’ll do it for me” mindset. It took some soul searching and discipline to take initiative and become what I was supposed to be for the business.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

For the first 10 years of our band, it was the same four members. Our guitar player and drummer both (respectfully) left us in the same year to pursue family life. For a short period of time, that turned my world upside down. I thought that everything I had worked for was going up in smoke. As if it were a gift from the heavens, we found a new drummer and replaced the guitar player with a keyboard guy. Turns out, those two new members re-lit parts of my flame I didn’t know had burned out, and gave me back the same drive I’d always had to succeed. I’m forever grateful for that experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: Midnightriverchoir.com
• Instagram: @12amriverchoir