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

Lon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I taught myself to play the piano on an old player piano in my playroom. I figured out how to use my fingers and hands to make sounds I heard either on the radio, records or just in my head. In 7th grade, when everyone was playing the guitar, I was the only one who could play “Our House” by Crosby, Stills and Nash. That led to learning more songs and playing for everyone throughout high school, college, and into New York City. What I should have done is concentrate of the basic technical aspects of piano playing (scales, proper fingering) as well as playing different kinds of material (classical, show tunes, etc). It took me a long time to break out of the improper way I had taught myself to improve my playing. I’m still working on it. Had I taken the time in my early 20s to practice technique more, I’d be much farther along in my playing. I used the excuse that “I’m too busy playing gigs to practice”. Once I realized that improvements come away from the gigs, I made faster progress. I still need to make more time to practice, but the improvements have helped a great deal.

Lon, 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 off to college with the idea that I would study animal sciences and become a veterinarian. I had really been influenced by the All Creatures Great and Small series, and being a vet was my goal. At school, I took all the required courses, but also found time to take acting classes. And I still played the piano, either for productions, in bands, brunch at a local restaurant and just in the dorms. Two years into school, I decided that I was not going to be a vet, but an actor. I graduated (with a degree in Animal Science), headed to New York, and found work at a dessert night club with singing waiters. I started out making cappuccinos, moved to the piano, played 5 nights a week for hours while attending the Neighborhood Playhouse for acting. I was then hired by a casting director to play auditions, and he also allowed me to audition for the shows I was playing the auditions for. After 5 Broadway shows as an actor in 10 years, my career gradually shifted from music and acting to simply music. I was hired as the music director for the Broadway production of Hairspray, and have since been music director many Broadway shows, as well as some film and television work. I usually get hired to take celebrities not known for their singing (or not singing at all) and teaching them how to sing. I’m most proud of that skill. I have also been hired by tv and film productions for my sense of musicality to help the direction complete their vision for their productions.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I spoke earlier about having a dual career in acting and music, and gradually shifting over to music. I like to say the work chose me, but I think I also made the decision to go where the work led. I also had just married and had two children, so choosing a career that actually paid money versus a career that wasn’t known for a living wage wasn’t a hard decision to make. I played auditions for an additional 10 years before I started getting hired as a music director. Who knows where I would be if I had concentrated solely on acting.

In order to be a creative, untold hours have to be spent learning about the craft you have chosen. To hone one’s craft, hard work and dedication are needed to succeed at what you end up doing. I feel that non-creatives are unaware of the time and sacrifice that go into having a creative career. Musicians get hired to play for a party, and are treated like hired help rather than as someone with years of experience providing entertainment. There’s an old story about a woman calling the musicians’ union to hire 5 musicians for a Saturday night. After expressing shock at the union rates quoted, she is told to call the plumbers union to ask them what would be the cost of 5 plumbers coming to her house on a Saturday night. She ends up hiuring the musicians as the rates are far lower. I tell this story not to equate music with plumbing, but to illustrate the lack of knowledge non-creatives have about the life of a creative trying to make a living

Contact Info:

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