We were lucky to catch up with Paul Cosentino recently and have shared our conversation below.

Paul, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I started leading jazz bands when I was in high school. People asked us to play at house parties, church picnics, community festivals etc. Bands always need a leader- collectives really don’t work. And I was always somehow the de-facto leader.

In college, I wanted to major in music but my parents didn’t go for that, so I majored in business and minored in music which actually worked out pretty well in end.

I had a band going in college at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, but I wasn’t making enough to pay my bills. So I took an advertising sales job and hustled as many gigs as I could. After a few years, I realized I was probably making enough playing music to quit the “day job”. So I took a leap of faith and did just that. And I haven’t looked back for over 30 years.

There are many very talented musicians and artists who can’t make a living in their field. It’s always a combination of being true to your art form, finding an audience, and knowing that your creative output is your product and your business. Everything needs to be run like any other small business- advertising and marketing, quality control, budgeting, personnel, payroll etc. And different jobs require different skills, preparation, budgeting, and planning. A gig at a local nightclub is much different from a wedding which is much different from a muti- city tour. All these things used to be taken care of by a business manager and a road manager decades ago. But that rarely exists now for anyone not in a top pop touring group. Having the business skills to do all these things and run my band like a real business has helped me be much more successful than I otherwise would have been.

Paul, 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?

Paul Cosentino’s Boilermaker Jazz Band brings the sounds of the jazz age and swing era back to life. Interpreting Jazz Classics and The Great American Songbook in their own unique fashion, you’ll hear familiar tunes and rarities performed by superb instrumentalists and heartfelt vocalists. From concert halls, festival stages and dances, to elegant soirees, weddings and corporate events, listeners and dancers agree — with their infectious beat and enthusiasm this band can make any crowd move!

Leading the Boilermaker Jazz Band on clarinet, saxophone, and vocals is Paul Cosentino, a full-time bandleader/performer who founded the band in 1988 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He is constantly searching for more tunes to add to the band’s classic jazz repertoire — you’ll hear something different every time! Paul plays an antique Albert system clarinet giving him a wonderfully distinctive sound.

The Boilermaker Jazz Band has performed at major venues throughout the world- including Lincoln Center Midsummer Night’s Swing and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, Smithsonian Institute and the International Lindy Hop Championships in Washington DC, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Chicago Summer Dance, West Coast tours from San Diego to Vancouver, Canadian Swing Dance Championships in Montreal, The Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, and the Jeju Island Swing Festival in Korea.

Everywhere they go, they deliver the good feelings that real jumpin’ jazz can create. Paul and the Boilermakers have recorded 14 critically acclaimed CD’s and have received rave reviews for their excellent live performances. The Boilermakers have been featured on radio shows across the country and overseas, including a National Public Radio Jazz Series that was broadcast on over 50 stations. The Boilermaker Jazz Band’s music was also featured on the hit Fox TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” for a fantastic Lindy Hop routine.

The Boilermaker Jazz Band performs for festivals, concerts, clubs, dances, seminars, corporate events, weddings, and parties of any kind. We also offer dynamic, informative school and children’s programs and specialized “theme” performances.

The band is available in a variety of formations to suit your needs and budget.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

First and foremost, show up! If you like music, art, theater, find out who is doing it in your city. Find some folks who are doing things you enjoy. And challenge yourself to experience something new and different. We can’t create if no one is willing to pay for it- by purchasing a ticket, paying a cover, or buying a piece of art.

Corporate sponsorship for things like festivals has essentially dried up since the pandemic. So now it’s all about communities supporting their local artists. And every little bit counts. Getting together with a few friends and showing up for some local musicians you enjoy means the world to them- to us.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Working for myself has been great. I cannot imagine dealing with working for someone else. Of course that comes with all the responsibilities, headaches, and risks involved. BUT for me the reward has been making great music- a lot of great music. I’ve performed locally in PIttsburgh with all our best musicians. I’ve brought my own band all over the world, and have been asked to perform with great musicians from all over the world. What could be better than getting paid to do that?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.boilermakerjazzband.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boilermakerjazzband/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/17986105742
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@boilermakerjazzband