We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lilla Pride Szucs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lilla , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My first bigger project in my life with my flute carrier was organizing a whole tour in the United States when I was 26. in July 2007 I lost my Father in cancer. Because I grow up in a smaller city with the population of ca.33.000 people everybody knew everybody. :) Im coming from a total regular family where My Father was a plumber and my Mother worked in a Shopping Center as saleswoman. No one in the Family had never anything to do with the music, only my Brother who is also a Professional musician, Trumpet player and today the Director of the Music school in our city in Ajka,Hungary where we were born and grow us as kid.. our Parents was always very proud of us and our music carrier. Without knowing about professional music life without any music background in the family they supported us how they could. My Dad always told to everyone in the City if we was on a Music Tour outside Hungary. In this time was difficult and big deal to travel from an Eastern European country to an other country .Not anyone could afford it .

I studied in Vienna at the performing Arts and Music in this time when my father health get worst. I always wanted to see the world also as tourist not only as musician. I was close to my Dad when he passed away was hit me hard. Im the type who even if is very bad I never show it front of people. But the only way how I could survive those time I practiced like 6-7 hours and made my self busy with organizing concerts. I remember I was searching on the internet about different opportunities to organize concerts and tours for myself all over the world. I didn’t taked serious that anyone would answering back to me, but I gave a shot . what can I loose ? Nothing. ..And if you not try you never will know.:) I wrote all the hungarian Embassies and hungarian communities organizations in the United States asking around for opportunities to make a concert.from Alaska to Florida :) I remember I spent weeks in the Internet room at the University because of this :) When I finished all the contact what I found and sent emails, I not really taken serious that anyone answering. I thought in my mind : I’m the 5 million th people with the same email, because I’m not a pop star :)

after a week I already forgot about this emails actually, because I had so much else to do :) a few weeks later I got an email from San Francisco, that they would like to invite me . I couldn’t believe it ….. next day I got an other email back from different city… than just realized this is real.. from then I just began organize the whole tour. I didn’t had any money, for tickets or hotels, so everything like supporting my travel get a big work for me. I didn’t know how but I knew I WANNA GO and I will do for my Father this. I take the risk and said yes im going. I had zero money for the ticket I borrowed I remember from my Brother for it :) Long nights searching on the internet where how to do . and came the day when im standing at the Airport in Hungary and I told myself : good luck in the US , but I can do it !

Lilla , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born in Hungary, in Ajka. I was inspired to learn music after my brother who 4 years older like me and already was learning music .at age of 7 When I began to learn the instrument actually I not even knew what kind of instrument the flute is. They want me to learn violin because my hearing was so good at the music theory class, but I didn’t liked violin and they sent me to the flute teacher. Had nooooo idea what kind of Instrument is, but was better like violin :). When I get older like 12 years old my brother already went to the Music Conservatory to an other City in Hungary, and was no question that I choose the same “job” like him . He was my Idol :) At 14 I applied to the same school, what is like college here I think. This School specialized only for music and those people who wants to take the music serious in their life. after the years I moved forward with University . In the younger age like between 14-18 you didn’t see clear how really “works” to build a carrier, but teaches you from other people how you can.Today you need a big support behind you and many contacts. I didn’t had, so my situation was not the best and was hard to build up “my name”. even if in Hungary everyone knew who is Lilla Szucs,meant nothing unfortunately if I wanted to move forward internationally with Music. Im happy that I choose this life as musician, because I saw very much I travelled a lot in different countries .I saw different cultures. One of the hardest job being Musician today I wouldn’t be again :)

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

Supporting a musician is not big deal today for people , just they don’t know what is sad. very sad. Supporting means not only financial support !! today the Social Media takes over the whole world and everything goes on it. If you just take a picture with a friend and you tag on SM this is also a supporting FREE movement . What I missing today is the classical concerts or events anywhere . All restaurants, bars, shops have the opportunity to collaborate with each other. making their store a little special, give the opportunity the musician to play. The store makes also profit, because will notice that this is something special happening. :) This all about collaboration, what is supporting each other without money

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

This is a good question.. :) Im a rally old school, I still read books and not on internet. I like to read News Papers with coffee :) All I can say that if you just walking on the street you see what the world looks like. what is important, what are the newest trends or style. Unfortunately we living in a world where Instagram, Tik Tok is the “God” :)Everybody on the Phone everybody on Social Media and people checking only there what is good and what is trendy. I personally had the experience to be a Manager by a Music Band and I managed myself a Concert tour 20 years ago from the nothing. This was the best experience and lession in my life how to build up your carrier. But today is different also in teaching. If you are coming from a different country everything is new and everything is different. So had i. I had to learn everything from the beginning. This system what was working in Europe in the US was actually worthless :) In my Job as Musician and Music Teacher I was shocked when I moved here, but also saved me ideas and opportunities for new projects and helping Students to reach they goals to be a professional musician. More you see ,more you know !!!!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lillaflute
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lillaflute
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/lillaflute

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