We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John Burke. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John below.

Alright, John thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes, but I have many eggs in many baskets. I play events, direct music, compose, accompany, mix and master audio…the list goes on.

After college, I started working as a Spanish translator for a health insurance brokerage. I kept music on the side, but soon I was booking gigs and releasing albums regularly. I struggled to separate work life and music life, which led to my boss firing me for letting music interfere with work and, honestly, being a terrible employee. Losing that job was the best thing for my career.

Just a few weeks after getting canned, I joined a church as a part-time accompanist to make ends meet. I got this job because I had volunteered as a pianist at a different church for years, and someone came in one day, liked what he heard, and offered me a job somewhere else. I made peanuts, but I kept putting myself out there to book gigs and find music opportunities. Within just a few months, I was paying rent and putting food on the table with music.

I never intended to have the life I have now, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. By way of following what I thought I wanted, making mistakes, and finally letting my passions take control, I wound up playing music to make a living.

Although I’m very proud to earn a full-time living from music, it doesn’t make me any more of a musician than someone who plays gigs on the weekends and works as an accountant during the week. I’m no more of a musician than a full-time nurse who records music on the side. I’m no more of a musician than an engineer who plays in a band a few times a month. “Musicianship” isn’t determined by your income source, but rather your passion and love for the art. If you love music and make it a part of your life, you’re just as “full-time” as any other musician.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a composer and pianist. I play events and weddings, compose music, direct ensembles and choirs, and produce in my home studio.

My music and playing are rooted in my most defining characteristic: my incredibly positive and flamboyant personality. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll agree that I’m a very energetic and bubbly person; this is clear in the music I play and compose. I grew up listening to video game music soundtracks and enjoying catchy melodies. I escaped into worlds unknown. Video game music tells a story and paints a picture for a player to interact with. The music immerses a player into a new place and inspires heroism, wonder, and imagination. I attempt to do this with every composition. My melodies stick in your head, and my ideas and changes are provocative without being too abstract or esoteric.

I’m proud of being nominated for Best New Age Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017. I self-released a solo piano album, Orogen, and it took my wife and me to the red carpet in Los Angeles. I shook hands with industry pros, talented artists, and composers who’d been working in music for decades. Not only was this experience a jolt of validation and confidence in my art, but it gave me the courage to write more complex music and expand my vocabulary. Since then, I’ve always made sure every project is better and more robust than the last.

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

Understand that the arts are a necessity for human life, health, and prosperity. Funding for the arts is just as important as funding for any other field of study.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I’ve always loved communication. I studied Spanish in college to become a foreign diplomat because I love people. I love hearing their stories, understanding their journeys, and connecting with them. While speech had always been my best method of communication, music is my true form. When I play or write, I feel liberated by being able to share my true voice. This kind of expression is what every artist has, and every artist has their own special way of doing it. The fact that I get to do this every day is the most rewarding part of being a creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.johnburkemusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/johnburkemusic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/johnburkemusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnburkemusic/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/johnburkemusic
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/johnburkemusic.com
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7fIzN1QNwDH8eyRCYbYjCB?si=Y5UVOtAcShKV3IJas0ywog&nd=1

Image Credits
Sara Burke