We were lucky to catch up with Sahffi Lynne recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sahffi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I have been living as a full-time creative since 2010. Before then, I was working a full-time day job and working nights and weekends in music. When I felt ready to take the next step, I went part-time in my day job and stayed working there for about two years. When I took the leap to be full-time, I didn’t feel quite ready, yet I didn’t feel I ever would be ready, so I took the proverbial leap of faith. In the beginning, I didn’t understand how much rejection would come with this job. It was really painful and I struggled with my internal critic daily. After 13 years, I understand rejection is part of the process. In fact, if I’m not rejected weekly, I feel I am not putting myself out there enough!
Sahffi, 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 am a musician and vocal coach offering my music and teachings as medicine to illuminate our connection. These days I offer music and lessons online and in person and can often be found collaborating with house music producers, performing at spiritual centers, and teaching voice lessons for those ready to release their authentic voice by learning how to use their bodies as instruments with my own teaching method, “The Vocal Ladder.” I have wanted to be a musician since I can remember, and when I got to choose an instrument in elementary school I chose the mellophone because it was weird and no one else played it. (I liked being unique!) In high school I switched to French horn and ended up pursuing a French horn performance degree from the Peabody Conservatory. After graduating I went to New York to study with the teacher at Juilliard, and quickly decided the competitive nature of the classical music world was not for me. After a short two-year stint as a Music Therapist, the performing bug caught me again, and I joined a rock and roll band. That’s where I started writing my own music, and I was hooked! I loved being able to express myself through my own voice. I found singing to be fascinating, and as a trained instrumentalist I realized my body was my instrument, yet my body was more than an instrument- it had feelings, traumas, insecurities, tension, and daily challenges that I needed to work through to be able to play it comfortably. I have played classical, rock, folk, house, and medicine music over the past 25 years, and have enjoyed teaching my “Vocal Ladder” method to others looking to find expression and authenticity in their own voice. I feel very grateful to be working as a musician that inspires others to find their own voice!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think the hardest thing for people to understand about creatives is how hard they actually work. I am often confronted by the attitude that I’m “just” “playing” music, that I must have so much free time as a musician, or that I must not be very good if I’m not “famous.” (I often get the question, “Why aren’t you famous yet??”) The truth is most musicians aren’t famous, and most musicians work way more than most people comprehend. You often see musicians teaching and performing on nights and weekends, yet you don’t see the behind-the-scenes work; all of the practicing, writing music, booking emails, social media campaigns, promotion, recording, planning future projects, writing grant proposals; the list goes on and on. We even have to do our own bookkeeping! This job is all-encompassing and not for the faint of heart. I think to truly live as a creative you must have a drive and a call to do so. Anyone brave enough to be a creative deserves our support and attention! They are being called by a higher power to offer something new and unique to the world.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I have grown my social media presence very organically over the past 15 years. I am of the mindset that I’d rather have people in my circle who actually love what I offer and actually will attend shows, mention my name to friends looking for voice teachers, and support my creative endeavors. To me it’s not about the number of people who follow me yet rather about the affect I have on the people that are following me. I also have been offering a monthly email newsletter for the past 15 years, and although the number of recipients are small (around 1,000), my open rate is about 80%, which makes me very happy! My audience continues to shift as I shift as an artist, so not being rigid or stuck in the “numbers” game of social media allows me to appreciate and connect with my followers in real time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sahffi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahffi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sahffi
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sahffilynne
- Other: https://sahffi.bandcamp.com