We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew Lee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Matthew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

In the art and craft of learning an instrument there are several obstacles. You need to have proper instructions on the basics and fundamentals. Like any trade knowing what to do and what not to do is essential in making progress on your craft. Practice is just one of the facets to help understand your instrument. Comprehending what your working to and working on ways to achieve the highest learning possible comes a variety of ways but I found it best to consult a teacher or mentor. Much of the obstacles are balancing your time and workload with your regular life needs. In the case of the music business, much of the obstacles are actually earning enough money to financially survive and provide for yourself.

Matthew , 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 have two degrees in Music Recording and Business. I got into the music business as I have a passion for creating, writing and performing music. I provide a service as a teacher both in person and several different online forums. I solve a wide variety of problems when I teach from technical aspects of playing to mentally understanding what is going on in the music and why its there. I am most proud of creating music from scratch and releasing it to youtube and getting favorable responses. Each time I do this I feel not only a sense of accomplishment but understand my self better in so many ways. It’s therapeutic in a way and each process takes a different route to get to the end goal.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The freedom to express yourself and choose your path career wise . Your the boss and captain of your own ship.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Technology has changed the game on how music is consumed. I believe its been devalued to the point where its difficult to make a good living for mid-tier artists. As in any industry, you must adapt to the new conditions or not survive. It can be done but being wise to technology and self marketing and branding is a must. Unless you can afford a team of people to do that for you, which most of us just can’t do.

Contact Info:

• Website: matthewleeguitar.com
• Instagram: matthewleeguitar
• Facebook: Matthew Lee
• Youtube: @matthewleemusic

Image Credits
Photos by Johnny Stanton