We were lucky to catch up with Jeffrey Carabelos recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jeffrey, appreciate you joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

I grew up listening to the themes from Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, Jaws, Jurassic Park and more. My father would play games with me and my brother, whistling and humming motifs from an action sequence in one of our favorite movies, and we would have to guess the movie and who wrote it. Of course the answer was always a film scored by the maestro himself, John Williams.

My father loved Williams’ music with every ounce of his being, and he attended Metro University’s music program with the high hopes of writing music for film just like his own hero. Life had other plans for my dad, saddling him with two kids and a career in computer science.

I look back and am awestruck at the sacrifices he and my mom made for us. He’s never loved his work, but he gives himself fully to it, putting his own dreams aside. Between him and my mom, no mouth in their community goes unfed, and their doors are always open. That kind of selflessness is uncommon these days, and I’m grateful to have been the beneficiary and pupil of it.

John Williams is my hero because he taught me all the magical might the orchestra possesses, and how a man of inordinate success can find humility in his own work. My father is my hero because he taught me to love the orchestra in a way words cannot express, but more importantly, he taught me how to do what was right, no matter the cost.

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

In 2017, I began hiring directors to create advertising for another business I had started. These people were passionate about film, and it rekindled an aching desire to do what I had wanted to do since I was 9 years old: write music for film. One of these directors, now a dear and close friend, had encouraged me to give it a go.

I was plagued by self-doubt. Before I began my college education in 2007, a prolific music teacher and world-class pianist had advised I give up on music as a vocation. I was self-taught in piano, and my sight reading wasn’t great. He admonished my dreams of going to music school and told me I would fail.

Now it’s 2023, and I’ve booked myself for the year and part of next. My clients have all been thrilled with the work I’ve done in service of their movies, I’ve won an award for best original score for the second short film I scored, and I’m nominated for the third. I absolutely love what I do, and I’m glad I overcame that pianist’s voice in my head.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Without a doubt, social media. My presence on various platforms has provided numerous clients in recent months. I try to post regularly and keep the posts on topic, but if you rifle through you’ll see I don’t always succeed!

Before I sell myself to potential clients, I try to discern what I can about the project they’re putting together. I want to know the intricacies of its emotional message so I can show the director my intimacy and familiarity with those states of consciousness. Oftentimes, this will come out in the form of a personal story which relates to the overall emotional concept of the film.

Beyond that, I always ensure the director knows I am here to serve. Creating a great film is the goal, and sometimes that means music with less presence. Sometimes that means atmosphere with very little musical character. Sometimes it means grand, sweeping orchestral statements. I’m not using their film as a way to flex my musical muscles. I’m working on the film in service of its message. Ego simply can’t get in the way.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are simply too many to count. But if I had to narrow it down to a few essentials, they would be:

1. As A Man Thinketh by James Allen – this one’s a bit dated, and its language is a little out of sync with some modern concepts, but the core message is critical: your mind is a garden, and what you tend to will grow. Water weeds, they’ll overtake the rest. It’s an injunction to recognize the full power of your own mind and consciously change the flow of thoughts so that you can build a better life. It’s truly powerful, and I can’t recommend it more.

2. The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu – a beautiful book of poetry and the undergirding of the Taoist philosophy. While I am not a practitioner of the taoist way, I find meaning, truth, and beauty flowing through the pages of this book. It has shaped the way I think about the world.

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – this book taught me how to let go of loss and hardship, how to navigate life’s travails with dignity while pursuing my personal treasure.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jeffreycarabelos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreycarabelos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.carabelos/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-carabelos-51180a237/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alchemicharmony
• Other: linktr.ee/jeffreycarabelos

Image Credits
(For all black and white photos) Photo Credit: Micah Groenevelt