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

Hi Pat, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

Support from friends and family has been vital from the outset and remains vital even as my fan base – my customer base – grows well beyond that inner circle. Unconditional support in the beginning afforded a sustained opportunity to learn my craft and to begin to find my voice as a singer-songwriter and recording artist. A business can’t thrive on friends and family alone, obviously – at some point the equilibrium shifted and I have come to rely on the kindness of strangers to an increasingly growing degree.

It’s essential to maintain the connection with family and friends through it all, because they are the ones who lifted you in the first place, who will always there for you in those moments of trial and uncertainty that we all go through from time to time, who know you best, and won’t accept you being anything but authentic and the best possible version of yourself.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I came late in life to the music business. Had a nice career in the news business, only started focusing on music about 15 years ago when I discovered I have an ability to write songs. Had a lot of catching up to do, a lot of lost time to make up for. I wasn’t a very good guitarist, my singing was just OK, and I knew next to nothing about how things work. The journalism background equipped me with a professionalism that I could build on. It took years to find my footing but I feel like I’ve been on a good track. I’ve finished production on my fourth studio recording – “Just Like An Old Love Song” – and I’m happy to report it came out amazing. Planning the release now. It’s a helluva to-do list, so it’ll be a while before it’s ready to release.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When it comes to social media, I’d guess as many as 95 percent of singer-songwriters are something like 100 percent DIY. Social media can be a dark art, even for people who are steeped in it. I’ve always done my own and I’ve never felt it was entirely adequate. I’ve been advised – and I think it’s good advice – to engage specialists to handle the job. I’m sure I will do that when I feel the time is right. I’ll always read and research the subject as much I can because even if I’m not hands-on every day, I feel the need to understand as much as possible what’s being done on my behalf. There are always workshops, seminars, etc., where you can check out what’s currently happening in social media. It’s necessary to understand that the rules of the road are constantly going through revision, so you need to keep learning and stay nimble.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There are a ton of books about the music business. Some of best ones I’ve found are “All You Need to Know About the Music Business,” by Donald S. Passman; “Music, Money, and Success,” by Jeff Brabec and Todd Brabec; “How to Make It in the New Music Business,” by Ari Herstand; and, of course, “Indie Bible.” There’s no one book, obviously, that has it all, and there are competing and conflicting takes on a lot of issues, so best practice is to use a variety of resources to find what works best and create your own personal blend.

Contact Info:

• Website: patnasonsongs.com
• Instagram: patnasonsongs
• Twitter: patnasonsongs
• Youtube: @PatNasonSongs

Image Credits
Photo credits: Kathy Marshall, Melissa Kobe