We were lucky to catch up with Kaitlyn Tilghman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kaitlyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

Eight years into my career as a self-employed private music instructor, I have paid my way through a master’s degree in music education, opened a music academy, hired a handful of passionate music educators, spread our school internationally, and brought my husband on full time to work with me.

When I first got out of high school, I was looking for a job. I had several interviews every day for a couple months and to my surprise nobody seemed to be hiring. It was a time when entry-level jobs were hard to come by for a fresh out of high school student with no work experience.

I had a moment where I reflected, prayed, and asked myself what I wanted to do with my life. I always thought I would do something with music, so I posted an ad online offering music lessons. Soon I was driving house to house all over the county of San Diego giving music lessons. I was coming so highly recommended, working hard, and following my passion that I had to keep raising my prices. When that didn’t work I decided to open up my own academy in a building. The business grew and my husband along with more than a dozen other teachers began to work with me to offer a variety of music lessons both in person and then moving internationally online.

The important thing to know about following your heart to live out your creative dreams for a full time career is for every reward there is a sacrifice as well. The reason most businesses fail is because they do not have the two main components to have a successful business: passion and a strong self-motivated work ethic.
For example, when I was putting myself through school, I would sometimes sleep on friends’ couches, my car, or my studio space, so that I could invest my time and money into building my business. I also spent my free time taking marketing classes, going to business-leader meetings, and volunteering my time in the schools for experience. My job never clocks out. I have to be available for my students, teachers, and potential new clients all the time.

I could have been a music teacher in the traditional sense where I go to a school, clock-in and clock-out each day. I would get all of my benefits and a steady pay check, but I wanted to create something different. I own a virtual music school that collaborates teachers and students around the world. We are making virtual bands and music groups who would never have connected in person and we are training teachers to be positive role models and allow our students to discover music in a way that connects them to the experience. The individual personality and needs of each student get to shine more in this independent learning approach. In traditional school music, students have little choice in the type of music they learn or the instruments they play or even the method they learn by. At Tilghman’s Academy of Music, the student shapes the method and the teacher provides knowledge and guidance to help students learn to think, communicate, and express themselves.

I am really passionate about what I do, the community I have created, and I put my life and heart into building this career. The sacrifice is worth it when you love every moment of what you do. Music is for everyone, so I hope to see YOU join our team of students. :) First lesson is free when you mention this article.

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 am a private music teacher who owns a music academy with a variety of other teachers. We cover private and group lessons in categories like voice, strings, winds, piano, and drums. I have a Master’s Degree in Music Education and wanted to create a school where teachers study the students to create a learning path catered to every student’s needs and desired outcomes. Every person has a connection to music and my school, Tilghman’s Academy of Music, aims to do that. We offer private music lessons online around the world.

What sets us apart from other music schools is that we do not use one method for teaching all students. While some students learn best from a theory-method books, others learn by ear training, or composing their own music and identifying its elements. We have students from ages 3 to 85. We have students with special needs. We have students around the world with very different backgrounds and interests. Our sound specialists work to create ensembles and performances that are virtual to include music recorded from our students across the globe.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“If you want something done right you have to do it yourself.”

This mindset can be dangerous. Although many entrepreneurs and creative souls have trouble releasing any control over our vision, the mentality of trying to do everything myself quickly leans to burnt out dreams and settling for less. When I was getting my degree in music from Berklee College of Music, I took classes about developing your artistry and the creating a business model. A theme I picked up on for success through school and experience is that we need to turn a D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) vision into a D.I.O. (Do It Ourselves) project. We need to learn to ask for help, find mentors, and most importantly delegate. This will allow better quality results and as the artist or creator, you can focus on your role and not all the busy work that takes time away from what you need to do.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Did you know that one hundred years ago poor families would work extra hard so that their kids could learn to play a musical instrument? The belief was if my child could be a great musician then, he could afford a much better life. Ha! That is not the case today. Parents hear that their child wants to go to art or music school or even start their own business and they list all the reasons that they are not practical. I have family members that still to this day ask me when I’m going to get a “real job”. My job teaching and managing a music school pays for my house, my kids, and all my bills. Most importantly, it makes me happy to do everyday. I actually have many parents who reach out to me on Facebook and have asked me to mentor their kids or educate them on what the music business world is actually like. I often sit with those kids and hear their goals and dreams and I give them an idea of what it looks like to be successful, so they are prepared to make a decision if music is the right path for them. It’s not easy to go against a traditional, steady job. You don’t always know the rules on how to get there or have the support from your family or friends. A good start is to ask yourself what you really want and why. If you want a shortcut from a traditional 8-hour workday, then being self-employed probably won’t work. The second thing you should do is get a mentor to guide you through a business plan and concept of how to navigate in a creative world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tilghmansaom.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tilghmans_aom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TilghmansAOM
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlyn-tilghman-432019ba/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tilghmansaom
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgL0AH02HWVQlFeaYbVwbtw
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tilghmans-academy-of-music-oceanside