We were lucky to catch up with Joe Metzka recently and have shared our conversation below.
Joe, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
Ideas are one thing and so many of them peter out, at least as far as I can tell. Songwriting ideas happen frequently but few are worth really investing in. Most scientific hypotheses never replicate, and so on.
I live an eclectic life. In my case, opportunities arise if I’m open to them. My band came together almost by accident. I backed into graduate school but had an opportunity to do my doctoral thesis with 2 elite ncaa football programs. Book deal opportunities popped up. And from one of the book deals, I got to meet a famous bodybuilder who is now working with me on the most recent idea.
There are no secrets when it comes to making an idea a finished product. People seldom demonstrate the requisite resolve to finish things, I think we all know that.
But in my case, things have worked out to be successfully executed when I pay attention to the right opportunities as I’ve been blessed with them.
Joe, 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?
Well, the main project is the band. I used to worry about what was trendy and how to “get gigs.”
As I’ve focused on playing and singing exactly what I like to sing & play and – as we said – been open to musicians who have come into my circle, I’ve been able to get more opportunities.
We have a niche as a blues act, but cover a lot of range at performances. Audiences seem to enjoy the conversation we have onstage. We sure do!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I’m not sure what people’s expectations may be, but art isn’t lucrative. Music is a zero sum game, especially now that streaming platforms have the market cornered. Bands can’t get an advance to make a record, nor sell cds on the road to fund touring like they could in the 1980s and 90s.
My day job as a psychology professor subsidizes my music: recordings, gear, etc.
But by doing this completely independently, I can write & play what I want, with the guys I enjoy being around. And I do control the monetary aspect of it this way.
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
I honestly think music is in a constant state of near death experience, for the aforementioned reasons.
I don’t see how any kids coming up can get funding to make a record, nor have an audience that is patient with them as they learn to play. People operate in a sound byte, instant gratification culture. Which is why I feel blessed to get to keep doing this. People seem to connect with the way we have a conversation onstage and we make the effort to really share who we are as people.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.joemetzka.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joemetzka/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joemetzkaband/
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@jcm127413/videos
Image Credits
Idex media, Ces White