We were lucky to catch up with Rob Vincent recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rob thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I have this battle with myself very often. In my experience, making a career out of being a musician (especially in Nashville) is way more a mental struggle than anything else. But at the same time, it’s a beautiful thing to know that everyone is having the same struggles. I deal with imposter syndrome a lot – thinking I’m not good enough to be making music full-time, thinking my productions/mixes don’t sound as good as “fill-in-the-blank”. But as I’ve met more and more people in the industry, especially people who I’ve put on pedestals for so long, it’s so comforting to know that they are all having those thoughts too. We are all just people trying to make art that is meaningful, and what I’m learning is the most important critic for what I’m creating is me, not anyone else. But yeah, I definitely have those “what the f*ck” moments where I think about going to just get a normal 9-5. But I also know myself, and I know it would not take long for me to start feeling like I’m missing out on what I’m supposed to be doing/what makes me the happiest. It’s a weird career path but I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else!
Rob, 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?
I’m a musician based out of Nashville, TN. I’m primarily a keyboard player, but I also produce/mix music and work in the vinyl industry as well. I come from a classical background, but started developing skills in sound design and production through high school. I went to college for music production at UNF in Jacksonville, FL, and moved to Nashville soon after. Since being in Nashville, I’ve played for various artists, both in town and on the road, while also writing, producing, arranging, mixing, and editing with/for different artists and producers. Some artists I’ve played for include A Day to Remember, Katy Nichole, Nicholle Galyon, Sophia Scott, Callista Clark, Casey Dubie, Timothy Edward Carpenter, and more. With my classical background, I have a strong understanding of harmony and music theory, and my experience playing live gives me a unique perspective on arranging and collaborating with other musicians. Along with my work as a musician, I’ve also spent the last few years working as the project manager for Vinyl Record Pressing in Atlantic Beach, FL. Working in vinyl has helped me make valuable connections and see a whole other side of the music industry that not many people get to see. Above all else, I just love working with people and making art that feels honest and fun, whether it’s working on a song, playing a show, or pressing a record!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is the idea of putting all my eggs in one basket, professionally speaking. I did an internship in 2019 with a very successful producer in the Christian music space. After seeing his workflow and day to day life for a summer, I knew that being a producer was what I wanted to do. However, when I started my professional career, I had to break through some mental barriers around my professional identity as a musician. I had to learn that I can make a career in music while also wearing a lot of different hats. Honestly, I had to learn that in order to have a career in music, I actually need to wear a lot of different hats! In the case of the guy I interned for, he was a touring musician for 10 years before settling down and focusing in on writing/producing, a fact I would conveniently forget in my most frustrating moments when it seems like nothing was happening for me. Since giving myself the space to take on varying kinds of work, it feels like there’s way less pressure on me to be one certain thing, and way more freedom to simply enjoy what I’m doing and build my own career.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think it’s incredibly important for us as a society to validate being an artist/musician as a career. It’s funny, for example even now I sometimes feel unqualified to say I’m a professional musician, even after playing keys on a major tour or producing a song I feel great about (and got paid to do!). The reality is, music is an absolutely legitimate career, and in order to make it a career you have to be a self-starter, an entrepreneur, a networker, a therapist, a business owner, an accountant – all on top of the time and dedication it takes to develop skills in songwriting, engineering, performing, etc. And yet, artists get paid a fraction of a cent for streams and get asked “When are you going to get a real job?” It can be very disheartening for people who put their heart and soul into their art/career, and yet feel strained by the financial and societal expectations of other people. And yet, those same people placing those expectations on creatives are consuming art in some form every day, whether it’s reading, listening to music, or watching movies. I think we can all do a better job to understand where we fit into society and recognize that each of us have something unique and beautiful to contribute to our world. To quote “Dead Poet’s Society” – “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @_robvincent
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-vincent/
- Other: https://soundbetter.com/profiles/355687-rob-vincent https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3A78ivUyGh5mq9vM4aGc2e?si=9f852959b828405c
- https://open.spotify.com/artist/7nU07wKkxbyBsRj7OR6LwY?si=jz-897D6Q2WTBYEL8bgNrg
Image Credits
James Hartley Isaac MacDonald Caleb Young