We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Randy Corinthian a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Randy, 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?

Yes! I’ve been very fortunate to earn a full-time living from my creative work over the years.

It all started as a young musician during high school. I would enter talent shows and compete for cash prizes. During this same period, my music teachers would recommend me for shows throughout the community. Many of the shows were paid opportunities. These talent shows and community events helped me develop an awareness of the potential to earn money playing music.

It wasn’t always this way, of course.

There were years of development along the way. I must have spent thousands of hours practicing, listening, studying, and practicing more. It was necessary to attain a certain level of mastery of my instrument before any recognition showed up. It took years for me to cultivate the skill and build the confidence I needed to pursue and obtain paid performance opportunities. My experience at the university level was pivotal. The performance experiences gained throughout those years were paramount. The established relationships, many of which remain intact, have played key roles in creating some of the opportunities I have enjoyed along my career path.

While hindsight does seem to offer a level of clarity not experienced in real-time, I have come to understand that there is a season for everything. If I had known then what I know now, it’s quite possible that I could speed things up a bit. However, I give thanks for the entire process. And, I remain grateful for the now and what happens during the now to shape my future.

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 am the youngest of 11 children. I’m an American-born citizen with a Caribbean heritage. My parents were born and raised on the beautiful island of Jamaica, and nine of my siblings were also born and raised on the island. I am the first of my siblings to graduate from college. I attended Florida A&M University, receiving my Bachelor of Science in Music Education, and Florida State University, receiving my Master of Science in Music Education with a concentration in Jazz Studies and Commercial Music.

The “Elective Wheel” in Middle School is where it all began. It was designed for students to rotate every nine weeks throughout a series of elective classes (Chorus, Phys Ed, Home Economics, Band, etc.). My first elective was band to start the year. Quickly grasping the musical concepts, my director thought it would be good for me to continue my musical studies. We shared the same sentiment, and I never left!

As time progressed, I worked consistently to become a better musician. Eventually gaining the respect of my peers, I earned the top spot in my school band. With that designation came the responsibility to play all the “solos” in the literature. It was a spring afternoon, during recruitment season, when a local high school band director visited our program to recruit new talent. I recall the excitement I felt knowing I would be able to showcase my talent to someone at the next level. The conversation that ensued with the visiting director following the performance, without question, changed the trajectory of my career path.

During high school, I was involved in multiple performance organizations: marching band, symphonic band, jazz band, and chorus. My involvement in these groups help me to improve upon several characteristics: dedication to practice, punctuality, professionalism, and performance etiquette. These years were pivotal for me, as they shaped my perspective on what it took to be a part of the music industry. During this time, I decided to pursue music as a career. The next logical step was college. So, I applied and auditioned for scholarship consideration. Once I received my acceptance letter, my fate was sealed.

Creative works…Inspirations…Focus…Mission.

RC Music Group is a solutions-based company specializing in live musical entertainment, artist booking, and management, commercially recorded music for film, television, and radio, and event planning and management.

We provide exemplary solutions whenever there’s a need for music or musical entertainment. The distinguishing characteristic that sets us apart is our ability to accommodate our clients’ requests and uncover desirable outcomes even when faced with undesirable circumstances.

I’m most proud of my ability to keep my head about me, even when others are losing theirs. I want my potential clients/followers/fans to know that I’m passionate about my musicianship and creative artistry, and that I will always give them the best.

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

It should be noted that there are several rewarding aspects of being a creative artist. So, it is challenging to settle on just one. However, I’ll give it a shot for the purpose of this interview. The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is ownership: time, value, and creative content.

In contrast to the corporate approach, being an artist enables me to decide how much time I’m willing to exchange for a particular job or project. I also play an active role in determining the value I agree to for that exchange of time.

Ultimately, the ownership of the content creates a high level of pride for my family and me. It also lends itself to longevity, therefore allowing for any descendants to take creative control and determine the best way forward for the family with regard to the ownership of the asset.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

The Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is an attractive new asset that utilizes blockchain technology to assign and store value. It can be bought, sold, or traded using cryptocurrency. There’s been quite a bit of talk surrounding the tokenization of assets across several, if not all, industries and items of value. I believe the addition of smart contracts will simplify transactions across all platforms. It also presents a unique investment opportunity for those looking to diversify their portfolios and position themselves for future gains in an emerging new market/asset class, because everything is going to blockchain.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rcmusicgroup.com
• Instagram: rc_music_group
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063503443577
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randycorinthian/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Q9Sax
• Other: http://rcmusicgroup.bigcartel.com

Image Credits
Patrick Wilcox Gregory Reed Thierry DeJean Echo 1 Studios