We were lucky to catch up with Glen Ackerman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Glen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am extremely happy in my profession. Though this did not come without some adjustment of my expectations. I learned early on that being a professional musician is a labor of love, and I would have to work a wide variety of gigs to be financially successful. Additionally, i would have to work very hard… often 7 days a week for months on end. I derive a great degree of personal satisfaction from my career, and frankly, it doesn’t feel like work. I am very familiar with what it is like to hold down a regular job. Before I was a professional musician, I worked many different day jobs to make ends meet. I was a one time or another: a truck driver, a warehouseman, I refurbished sports cars, I was a fry cook, i was an oilfield serviceman. Many of these jobs were grueling and physically demanding, and from them i learned the value of hard work and a strong work ethic.

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

Music has been a part of my entire life. Listening to music a part of my upbringing as it was a family activity. At some point when I was still very young, I would try to figure out by ear the tunes to my favorite Saturday morning cartoons on the family piano. I moved on to doing the same to my mom’s records, once I learned how to operate a record player. At this point my mom enrolled me in piano lessons. Around eleven I switched to guitar and bass where I acquired an enduring love for jazz. I have been playing ever since. I am principally, a jazz bassist and composer. My fusion jazz group has released music across all digital platforms. I have toured mostly in the U.S. and have also performed internationally. As a composer, my arrangements have been performed locally and nationally, and my album releases have had modest success. I have always felt that to be successful as a musician one has to have a wide palette of things you are able to musically do. For me, this includes being a sideman and session bassist in many genres (besides jazz).
I also do a great deal of private lesson and ensemble teaching. Many of my students go in to be professional musicians in their own right. I also teach at the college level.

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

(Trigger warning-graphic description of an accident) In the late 90’s I had a day job at an oilfield service company. I was making good money, but it wasn’t the same as playing music. To satiate my creative urges, I would play gigs at night, sometimes I would be out very late. I had recently been contemplating quitting and only playing music but had yet to take the career-changing plunge. At this particular oilfield company there were often pictures posted that depicted the various accidents from the company’s service centers (this was an international company and had service centers all over the world). Usually, the content of the pictures would contain things such as a broken crane, or a forklift that had fallen over, or similar depictions. I have always been kind of an inquisitive, curious, and day-dreamy sort of a person, so this board was of particular interest.
However, this one day, I happened to glance over the posting. And to my horror there was, in all of its gory detail a picture of a welder who lost his fingers in some sort of equipment failure. I vividly remember the contrast of the crimson in the picture against the blue background of the board it was posted on. I remember looking at my hands (that had just played my bass the night before) and shuddering as the thought of “…this could be me one day.” I walked right to my computer, typed my 2 weeks’ notice, and never looked back.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I am often asked “What is your day job?”. In the moment of the asking, there is a bit of a sting as this question can feel like an insult. However, I have learned that it is most often an innocent question. I just tell them that I make a living playing, composing, recording, and teaching music. I tell them it is a lot of work, I love it more than anything, and I feel it is something I was ‘meant’ to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.glenackerman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gleniousinnerplanet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glenious/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@glenackerman6308