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

Alright, Jared thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

When I graduated from The George Washington University back in May 2022, I had a decision to make. I could move back to NY and find a healthcare job in the comfort of my hometown, or I can move to Boston, MA to pursue my dream with my band, Couch. I decided to take a risk and move to Boston without a place to live and without an income. For 4 months after college, I floated from couch to couch (no pun intended) while trying not to overstay my welcome. My band would tour some weekends throughout those 4 months, but when we would return back to Boston, everyone would go back to their homes while I would go back to a couch. It was a tough time for me socially, emotionally, and financially. Since my band had extensive touring plans for the fall/winter months, it was a struggle for me to find a job that was willing to accommodate such plans. Interview after interview, all followed by radio-silence became frustrating but a new normal, until September. After months of uncertainty, my life began to take shape as I accepted an administrative position in a Boston hospital. Not only was I set to go on tour with my up-and-coming band, but I was also given the opportunity to begin a career in healthcare like I had hoped. To this day, I am living my absolute dream. Couch is successful and growing in popularity by the day (I even just came back from our first ever international tour in the UK) and I am excelling in my healthcare job as well. I am very grateful to have been able to upgrade from a couch to my very own apartment :)

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

As I entered college back in 2018 there was a lot of uncertainty as to whether or not I would pursue a career in the music industry. Growing up, I was as involved in music performance as one could be. It seemed almost inevitable that I would grow up to be a professional musician. I wasn’t always so sure about that as my music teachers seemed to be since I had a larger vision of becoming a doctor. The thought of becoming a musician was scary to me; a life of financial insecurity, endless travel, and potentially constant uncertainty. When I started my college career at The George Washington University, I made myself a promise. My promise was “if a music project with potential fell into my lap, I would consider pursuing it. If not, I am going to medical school.” A part of me hoped in wouldn’t come up, but to my surprise it did. In my freshman year at The George Washington University, I met a guitarist by the name of Zach Blankstein who quickly became a dear friend. It was in 2019 that he came to me and mentioned his Boston-based soul/pop group was looking for a drummer. 4 years later we have garnered of 100k followers, 8+M likes, at countless sold out shows in the US and abroad.

Couch infuses pop with funk, rock, and R&B/soul. Our vibrant sound is further defined by the members’ backgrounds in jazz, a cappella, and musical theatre.

Until Spring 2021, we were scattered across the country at various universities; we tackled the challenges of being a “long-distance” band, writing and even recording virtually for three years. Despite these challenges, we celebrated the release of our debut EP, “COUCH,” in February 2021 as well as three new singles and a 20-city headline tour in 2022.

We inject each track with our signature flavor: expressive horns, warm vocals, and bubbling synths—crafting an oasis of joy for musicians and non-musicians alike.

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

See live music and buy their merchandise! The music industry is not what it used to be and the percentage of revenue from music streaming is as small as can be. To put it in perspective, Spotify pays artists $0.003 – $0.005 per stream. This means that an artist needs between 300,000 and 350,000 streams to generate about $1,000 (which doesn’t cover rent in most major US cities). The best way people can support their artists is seeing them live in concert (preferably when the tickets are not sold through TicketMaster and/or the venue is not owned by Live Nation) and buy their merchandise! In the music industry today, this is the highest source of revenue for most independent artists/bands.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the impact my band has had on the lives of so many people around the world (it’s kind of crazy to imagine people across the world listening to our music). We receive countless messages from fans across the world telling us how much our songs mean to them. From breakups to huge life changes and even falling in love, people have been able to connect with our music in so many unique ways. It is touching to hear the seemingly infinite interpretations of our music’s lyrics, melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. It’s beautiful to think that the music we create in our homes in Boston have such a large impact on people across the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://couchtheband.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couch.theband/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/couchtheband
• Other: My personal music Instagram profile: https://instagram.com/jaredgozinsky.drums/

Image Credits
Ken Spielman William Rowan Patrick Gunning Max Schoenfeld Sam Wachs