Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Max Kaplan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Max, appreciate you joining us 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?

Earning a living as a musician is more about what you’re willing to give up than what you’re willing to put in. Don’t get me wrong- putting in the hours on your craft is absolutely necessary. But to make a full time living as a musician you have to be willing to give up a lot of stuff. A normal life for one. You have to be willing to spend most of your life in the back of a van. You have to be willing to spend hours every day sending emails trying to book your band. You’ve got to be willing spend your hard earned money to pay the best musicians to play with you. Normal relationships? forget it. But if you’re willing, the life and the music gives you the greatest rewards you can imagine. Being a full time musician is a crazy life. It almost feels illegal at times- like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be- but I wouldn’t trade this life for the world.

Max, 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?

My journey towards being a professional musician started in college. I was urged by my parents to major in music (I wanted to do something more practical). I knew that once I graduated, it was going to be hard to find a job. So I did everything I could to put myself in extracurricular positions. I did like seven internships or something crazy like that. The last one I had was the best and most lucrative- I was the president of my colleges radio station. Through that I got to meet and interview a lot of local artists on the music scene in Memphis. One of them, a guy named John Nemeth, took interest in me and we exchanged numbers. We stayed in touch and I sent him a few recordings of me playing guitar, so one day he asked me to sit in with his band in Memphis. I didn’t think nothing of it really. Flash forward to post graduation, I had no job, was ready to go home to my family in NJ in defeat. Nemeth calls me and asks if I’d like to play bass for his friend, Tony Holiday, as a full time touring gig. What this meant was I’d make enough money to live without a day job. All I had to do was play bass for a guy I’d never met and travel the world with him. Id never even played bass before. But I took the gig anyways as I knew it’d lead me to better things. I’ll never forget those days with Tony. We did about 250 gigs in 2019 all over the us and mexico. That’s how I got my start in the music industry.

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

One lesson about making music professionally I had to unlearn is that there is no “band.” You as the bandleader are the “band.” The rest of the people are employees. I know that sounds harsh but it’s the truth. You’re the boss and they follow your guidance. At the end of the day, they get paid by you. This is the best way and I’ll tell you why. If you book three gigs in a weekend in your town, and one guy from your band is unavailable, you can’t cancel the gig. That’s money that you wouldn’t make. Instead what you do is hire a different musician to sub for him. This is a common practice and it’s how a lot of musicians get in with new bands. Then at the end of the night, it’s you paying the rest of the fellas.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Besides the fun of performing, I’d say the travel/ adventure. Being able to see the world at such a young age. It’s truly incredible. Since january of 2023 I’ve been to 3 countries and driven back and forth across the US multiple times. I’ve met so many wonderful people and tried so much good food. It’s a dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maxkaplanmusic.com
• Instagram: mkappy33
• Facebook: facebook.com/og.kappy
• Youtube: max kaplan & the magics
• Other: www.linktr.ee/mkappy33