We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matilde Heckler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Matilde, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you manage your own social media?
Social media has almost always been a part of my life. From an embarrassing high school Youtube channel to now marketing myself as a musician, it has been a necessary tool to both personal and career growth in my life.
Over the course of my many years online, I have grown a following on Instagram and TikTok, creating music and lifestyle content about being a musician. I have always been my own social media manager. I actually enjoy the process of brainstorming and creating content for my audience. Though, it’s not always easy. As a musician, some days my creative brain is more “on” than my logical content brain. It can be difficult to juggle the two worlds and feel like I am doing them both well.
I find that many creatives resonate with this struggle. It can feel like a drag to take a moment during a session or writing a song to take a video. I always tell people to reframe the way that you think about content – try to let the content fit your life and not the other way around. Your audience should be getting a glimpse into you and your process – it shouldn’t feel forced. That’s why I feel like I have done so well online. It’s just my audience seeing what it’s like to be a musician on the daily.
For those who don’t feel like they can spontaneously create content, I recommend dedicating an hour or so every day to social media. Whether that be planning, scheduling, creating, or actually posting, treat this time like you would practicing an instrument. It might feel grueling and unnatural at first, but it will help to give structure to this process.
Above all, I think that social media can be a really great tool to get audiences listening to your music and even get you booking gigs. I have had numerous people and companies reach out to me for strings work because of my online presence. Use social media as a tool for your growth – it doesn’t have to be evil.
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?
My name is Matilde Heckler and I am a genre-bending violin player with a wide range of experience. I recently graduated from Berklee College of Music on a full-tuition scholarship and am now based in New York City.
Over the course of my career I have worked on recording projects for pop, jazz, classical, folk, musical theater, and hip hop artists, adding my unique touch to each work. These projects include Dermot Kennedy, Mori, Varsha, a new musical entitled Isabella Of Boston, and more. I have worked with several Philadelphia Orchestra members and grammy-nominated players, performed with Mark Wood, for The Met Gala, and have performed and recorded in some of New York’s most iconic spaces including House of Yes and Power Station Studios.
Aside from recording and performing for others, I explore my artistry within my own original music. My most recent release, “pretty,” is a clear step in a new direction for my sound. With over 80k streams, numerous Spotify editorial placements, blog coverage, packed live shows, and more, I am a force to be reckoned with at just 22 years old.
My artistry spans across all mediums. Most recently, I landed my first feature film with Paramount Pictures in Mean Girls The Musical as a featured actress and musician, playing violin, piano, bass, and singing. I also fuse my visual art within my sonic art, featured on all of my public releases.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
The music industry isn’t always an easy place to be – it takes grit, dedication, and a lot of perseverance. My family has no ties to the industry – I grew up on an organic vegetable farm in eastern Pennsylvania. While I wasn’t getting industry connections, having small business owner parents helped to grow my own entrepreneurial spirit. I saw first-hand how to see something you want and go for it – one of the reasons I think that I have grown a reputation in the industry. I see where I want to be in five years and while the path on how to get there isn’t clear, I know that I have to take steps in that direction. I reach out to people, show up, work hard, and do what I have to do to make this dream happen. I think that people in the industry respect this kind of hard-working attitude. It hasn’t always been easy but every time I fall down, I get right back up and try again.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
From a young age, people tend to tell you that you can’t make a living in the music or arts industry. They are hobbies, not careers. I believed them for awhile. I saw my future as a starving artist and it seemed impossible to call myself a full-time musician. Now, I see how foolish that is. I am surrounded by countless successful musicians making a living off of their art. Most will agree that every month isn’t the same and certainly isn’t easy – there are painful highs and lows, some months making more than enough money and others not enough. Most people in the industry don’t do just one thing – another thing I had to unlearn. Music is not your typical 9-5. You are taking different gigs every month, teaching in between, and constantly searching for your next opportunity as a freelancer. This has definitely been a learning curve for me – having to navigate paying the bills every month, not burning out, and still exploring parts of my musicality for fun. But I really do thrive in this kind of environment. I love the hustle, the grit. This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://matildeheckler.com
- Instagram: @matildeheckler
- Youtube: @matildeheckler
- Other: TikTok: @matildeheckler
Image Credits
Lillian Heckler, Katherine Foster