Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Patinella. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
John, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
The “known” feels safer, more familiar and usually has a level of consistency that provides comfort. Going all-in, head-first into the “unknown” for something you love is utterly terrifying. That fear of taking a major risk also comes with an excitement of future possibilities, but it’s hard to think everything will work out when you pack up everything you own into a U-Haul and drive across the country to move from Baltimore, Maryland to Hollywood, California to pursue music, not knowing anyone.
After getting laid off from 3 jobs in 3 years during the lead up to and aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, I said “Fuck it” and decided to follow my biggest passion and attend the Los Angeles Recording School. Since I could remember, there was never anything that I cared about as much as music. Even after graduating from college, whenever someone asked me what I wanted to do, I always just said, “Get a job” and assumed I would figure it out later. Once I started working a full time job, I saw immediately how important it was to do something you actually WANT to do. Something you care about or is personally meaningful to you. Achieving that is really hard and “success” can look completely different for each person. But taking the first step to go after what you love is a huge risk that guarantees nothing, but tantalizes the potential for everything.
I rolled into Hollywood on August 18, 2010 and started classes about a week later, running only on pure excitement and listening to Phish concerts from 1997. I didn’t know what else to do other than throw myself completely into learning during the day and implementing the new lessons into my workflow at night. After 13 months in the “accelerated” program I graduated as the Salutatorian of the class and began working for a people development software company in customer support. Undeterred, I continued pursuing a job in audio and 10 months later I landed a gig editing audio books for Audible. This dried up a few months later but led to a role at a music production and publishing company where I got to ingratiate myself with a bunch of awesome composers and not only learn from them, but get great experience helping produce audio rebrands for STARZ, Encore and Time Warner Cable (think theme/intro music). Also during this time, I met a bass player named Raf who played in bands for a living, who then introduced me to awesome collaborators I went on to make songs with. I used each previous project as a building block/stepping stone to get to the next one.
As I honed my engineering and mixing skills for other artists, I stumbled into an extraordinary opportunity when I responded to a Craigslist posting by a renowned music producer. Tasked with creating instrumentals, I seized the opportunity and poured my heart into crafting both instrumentals and full songs from them. I managed to catch the attention of a record label, marking a pivotal moment in my journey. At this Canadian label, I was introduced to a Nigerian singer/songwriter named Waymi and we have so far created 20+ songs together. I also met UK TikTok star twins and created a couple of songs with them that went on to be played over 100 million times on social media. Meeting these international creators has been a game-changer not only for honing my technical skills, but also broadening my perspective on how much music contributes to our uniquely human experience.
Success for me is probably completely different from someone else doing the same thing. It’s never been about reach or numbers or popularity. It’s about connecting with other people you normally would never have met but through a mutual passion for creating your own music. It’s about the emotional impact a creation can have on someone. After the first song with the UK twins was released, I looked at the videos people had made using the song and a woman who had beaten cancer used it for a couple of videos, including ringing the bell and leaving treatment and I was completely blown away. To me, music is completely about emotion and that someone was using something I was a part of to signify such an important moment in their life was profoundly humbling in such an impactful way. Seeing that was beyond any metric or number I could have ever imagined.
Through each milestone and collaboration, I have come to redefine my understanding of success. Initially, I yearned to simply be thought of as a “music person.” But after working with such remarkable musicians and singers, I have come to realize that true success lies in being able to be a part of the creation and collaboration itself. The icing on the cake becomes the journey, the growth and the shared moments of magic that ultimately shape the music and how it impacts the listener.
The only reason I’ve been able to work on awesome projects and consider myself “successful” is because I took a huge risk. Moving out to the unknown of California and a scary music industry from the comfort of what I had always known was a giant risk. So was leaving a steady job to edit audio books. So was sending the big producer over 100 compositions with no compensation that he could have then stolen. For me, there was never any doubt in my own mind that I would do anything to learn the art of making music. I knew I was in this for life. There is only one thing I asked myself then and one thing anyone should ask themselves to try and gauge if pursuing their heart is the right decision: How badly do you want it? If being involved in your passion without making any money would still thrill and fill you enough to sate your aspirations, jump in and see how far you can go.
John, 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?
I went from Ivy-League golfer to music producer after getting laid off 3 times and finally deciding to pursue what I love. I created Hollywood Music Company as a way for my talented friends and collaborators to get paid using their skills. I’ve pivoted to focus on providing everything needed to release music through official distribution channels. Sounds and Cover Art. Instead of paying hundreds for subpar cover art, I’m creating visually striking images to use as art/cover art for $20.
I’m most proud of the diversity of music I’ve been a part of. Everything from Bossa Nova to Hip-Hop to Latin Pop and Space Funk. All the challenges that came up during each of the collaborations only served to make me better and hone my skills.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has provided the most productive axiom I’ve internalized with Habit 5: Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood. Instead of spewing out all of my thoughts and opinions immediately, I’ve tried to always make sure I completely understand what the other person is saying before introducing my thoughts or contributing to the conversation. Not only does this signify respect by demonstrating you actually WANT to understand the other person’s point of view, but it helps eliminate basic miscommunication.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
While I believe there are benefits to blockchain technology, NFTs are bullshit. While purporting to democratize art markets, it actually does the opposite because those with resources create an inaccurate picture of the real market. A lot of the high priced items that have sold like Beeple’s and Bored Ape Yacht Club might not actually be changing owners and is really the same owners with resources buying their own NFTs to artificially inflate the price of the art. While blockchain technology provides a level of transparency, it does not guarantee the legitimacy of the underlying assets. The technology and processes underlying NFTs consume vast amounts of electricity, contributing to carbon emissions and exacerbating climate change. In short, it’s bullshit. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hollywoodmusic.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realjohnpatinella/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-patinella-183b05b/
Image Credits
John Patinella