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

Jonah , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

I’ve been working as a “full-time” musician with no outside sources of income for nearly 15 years, but it was a gradual process getting here. When I graduated college I was interested in figuring out how to make music a career, but I recall going to a corporate job interview, being offered that job, and sitting there only to realize that it wasn’t the right path for me, so I declined the offer. Following that moment, I had some friends in Denver who urged me to move here if I wanted to pursue music, and I’ve been here ever since.

It took about 2 years of doing random service industry jobs (one of which was the only job I have ever been fired from), that led me to a big turning point when I was offered an opportunity at Dog House Music Studios, teaching guitar and working at summer music camps. Every step from there was just about saying “yes” and learning as I went. I figured that if I learned how to sing, I could play solo acoustic shows. If I learned how to book my own shows, then I wouldn’t have to rely on others to get me gigs, and from there I just kept adding more to my plate: offering to play guitar in other bands; improving my playing so I could learn all their songs and be a lead guitarist; offering to run sound; learning how to write, record, and produce, and eventually, how to be a band leader and musical director. Earning a full time living became about wearing as many hats as I could, and it’s still that way today.

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 have been enamored with music as long as I can remember. Even at a young age, I would listen to cassette tapes EVERYWHERE I would go, all the time, often listening to albums over and over. As I got older, I started seeing tons of concerts, and I was always traveling to see my favorite bands.

It was the live concert experience that made me think to myself “That looks fun. I should learn how to play an instrument”, and I started learning how to play my senior year of high school. I realized pretty quickly how difficult learning an instrument is, and I felt like I did not have the natural talent for it, so the only way to improve was constant practicing. I spent much of college holed up in my room, trying to play 6 hours a day. I still practice a lot today, and I try to be as prepared and professional as possible in every setting. I have found this to be one of the defining elements of my success. I still try to learn new things constantly, and grow my skill set so I can be as well-balanced and versatile as possible.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Don’t strive for perfection, strive for excellence. Don’t worry about being “the best”, focus on improving.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My journey as a musician has had as many failed attempts as successes. I’ve lost the gig to others, had bands end, and ultimately seen it go differently than I hoped; but each failure or misstep is a chance to learn and then try again. COVID was particularly difficult. I went from playing 150 shows a year, to nearly zero shows, and I had to learn to pivot. So I spent that time learning new skills like playing slide guitar, and recording from home. I invested further into owning studio equipment so I could record myself and play on other people’s records. I learned how to teach guitar lessons over zoom, which took a while to figure out effectively. It was arguably the biggest road block I had faced, but it wasn’t a dead end, so I tried to find my way around it. It’s been a constant uphill journey being a full-time musician, but I always let myself get back up, and try again.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jonahwisneski.com
• Instagram: @jonah_wisneski
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonahwisneskimusic
• Twitter: @jonah_wisneski
• Other: Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/24qeMQk4FpwEqxzMY8PEhy?si=6675b7e759f54d74

Image Credits
1. Sam Silkworth 2. Sam Silkworth 3. Sam Silkworth 4. Bret Roberts 5. George Trent Grogan 6. Unknown