We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Quinn O’Donnell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Quinn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents were always very accepting of me and my desires. They always taught me that if something felt right, to go for it. But also the reverse; if something feels wrong, that’s because it is.

Though I realized that college was not for me, my parents were very encouraging of me to find a new dream to pursue. When I came to them with the desire to live in a foreign country for a month by myself, they were very supportive. They expressed their desire for me to make it on my own and discover how a different culture lives their day-to-day life. Even though I was scared and lonely, they were always only a phone call away to pick me back up when I was feeling down.

Having a family who supports you unconditionally provides me with the encouragement I need to say “yes!” to opportunities that will help me grow.

Quinn, 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 grew up in a musical family, so I was consistently surrounded by creative people. It was pretty inevitable that I would end up pursuing a similar path. Though the way I went about it differs very greatly from that of my parents.

While my parents each have a degree in jazz studies and performance, I ended up dropping out of college after one year. I felt like I wasn’t growing and my days became repetitive. I became jealous of the people around me who were all finding joy in their classes. I felt guilty for not feeling the same. After that, I found a deep love of coffee and wine that provided me with career opportunities and the flexibility to work hard on my music. Within all of these jobs, I found other people who were like-minded to myself and wanted to seriously pursue music. Eventually forming a band, who I have been playing with ever since, I began to explore my musicality and was able to grow in the way I felt benefitted me the most.

Which brings us to today; I am a little older, a little wiser, and playing live performances on a regular basis. A new sophomore album is also coming very soon!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

People will always react to the emotions that you put out in the open. If something goes wrong at my show and I begin to noticeably panic on stage, not only will my audience feel uncomfortable and sorry for me, but so will my bandmates, who are looking to me to solve the problem and lead the group. But, if I approach the situation in a casual and calm way, and maybe even crack a joke or two, my audience will remain calm and my bandmates will be more likely to aid in solving the problem.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Always show up on time and keep a cool, professional attitude. No one likes to play a show with an artist who doesn’t have respect for everyone else in the room.

At the end of the day, it’s a show, one of many in fact. People have chosen to spend their time and money to see me perform a really well-executed set. The least I could possibly do is make sure that my performance is good and that everyone enjoys themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.quinnodonnell.net
• Instagram: @moldyespresso
• Youtube: Quinn O’Donnell

Image Credits
Cover photo by Emily McCreight @_sirensstudio_ on Instagram Other photos by Nate Kochis @natebbradley on Instagram Breeann Wallace @breeannrose on Instagram