We were lucky to catch up with Nick Drozdoff recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, thanks for joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

When I left Maynard Ferguson’s band in 1981, I was expecting to lead a lucrative career as a studio-free lance musician, However, in the early 1990’s the free lance industry was decimated in Chicago by looming technology. DJ’s were wrecking the free-lance scene and, synthesizers combined with samplers and sequencers were destroying the jingle recording scene as well as theater work. A great many musicians were scrambling for whatever work was left. Only the symphony musicians were insulated. The difficulties were further complicated by union missteps. It was a perfect storm of hardship and it escalated remarkably quickly.

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?

I started out as an electrical engineer, but I always pursued music on the side.I had no idea that I was any good until some folks heard me practicing at a junior college in their practice rooms. They encouraged me to pursue music professionally.

I was a design engineer at Motorola at the time and I quit my job to give it a go. I quickly found out that it is quite difficult to get started. Other musicians competing for the same work were blocking. I ended up getting a part time job in a nursing home as the maintenance man. It allowed me flexible hours.

I was playing in ballrooms and latin clubs as well as the pit at Great America. It was around that time I met a young woman who would help me make a demo tape. I made a professional quality recording and shopped it everywhere I could. There were some fascinating results, but I ultimately got called to play trumpet in Maynard Ferguson’s band in 1981.

Playing in Maynard’s band gave me “street cred” and when I left the band, MANY gigs started opening up for me. My career was now in full progress.

I was able to develop jingle recording work, the primary recording work in Chicago (a big advertising town).I was playing many weddings and bar mitzvahs. I also was able to develop much teaching work, too.

However, as mantioned previously, technology started decimating the work. I dabbled in being a wedding band leader, but found that work so toxic that is was destroying my playing. In 1990, with the birth of my son (the
woman who helped me make my demo became my wife; we’ve been together for 44 years), I had to get a day job. I choose to become a high school physics teacher. As a former EE that was a smooth transition. I quit my band leading business and went back to being a free lance sideman, teaching physics by day and playing gigs and shows at night.

In that capacity I worked with everyone from Sammy Davis Junior, to Styx, to Gladys Knight and the Pips, to the Temptations to the Chicago Symphony (as an extra). There are many dozens more names, but the list would get too long. In. any case, after playing one of the shows, it made for interesting conversations with my physics students the next day.

On another note, I was grateful to be a free lance sideman again, as opposed to a wedding band leader. It allowed me to be a better musician without having to endure the deluge of abuse inflicted on wedding band leaders.

Along the way, in addition with having a BSEE, I picked up a masters in classical music, a defacto masters in secondary education and a masters in physics. All of this woould come into play with what I am doing with my music, now.

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

When I first got started, I had to figure out to get work as a musician. I picked up two books: “How to Sell Anything to Anybody” and the Dale Carnegie book. I had to learn how to market myself. This was NOT something musicians were trained to do in the late 70’s.

This is what led me to make a demo tape. I also had a brochure made to send out with the demo. I got a black book – a book of all the jingle producers and music contractors in Chicgo. I sent them tapes in a little package. I did follow up calls. Many resulted in insulting dismissals. Many resulted in work. As a sensitive person, I found it difficult, but it had to be done.

Many of my musical peers thought I was nuts, but when I landed the job with Maynard Ferguson, they ALL changed their tunes. I was now part of the local elite.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Over the last several decades, I have witnessed dramatic changes in the music industry, all driven by technology. My unique training in music and electrical engineering put me in a unique position to pursue music as career on MY terms as the changes took hold.

My goal has always had the underpinning of love – love for music, love for trumpet, and love for sharing music with folks. Income has played a major part of the driving force, but now, now so much. This is difficult, but I think it is important.

I now feel that I need to make music that moves me and share it with people via the internet. Yes, I make some money with it (the resultant live work), but I think you can loose sight of what music is about if the sole driving force is INCOME as opposed to ART and LOVE.

The last several years have foisted some unexpected challenges. The pandemic set back my live work more that I could have imagined. On top of that, on June 7, 2020, I experienced a stroke. I was told it was a minor one ant that I would recover, but the fine motor skills required by a professional trumpeter were almost obliterated.

With therapy and coaching combined with family support and prayer (sorry, but I am a person of faith, though a bit confused at at times), I have made back to about 90% of where I was before. The unfortunate cost of my comback is that many of my old contacts won’t touch me as I have experienced inconstancies. However, I have made NEW contacts involved with music that I never expected to play, but I have been embraced. I have also been making contact with younger players who are not affected by ageism.

I see the future as bright, though still challenging. It is all a labor of love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nickdrozdoff.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-drozdoff-b2145513/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nickdrozdoff