We recently connected with Steph Trivison and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Steph thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I started songwriting, and doing what I’d later learn was production, when I was very young. My dad, a musician himself, had a TASCAM 4-track in the basement of the home I grew up in and he helped record my first two songs at 6 or 7 years old.

The seed planted that day bloomed very slowly over many years. I got a drum set on my 8th birthday. A guitar on my 9th. I joined the school band in 5th grade. Started my first real band as a sophomore in high school. Music was never NOT around, so the essential building blocks of music production – understanding arrangement, instrumentation, a wide range of genres – were already in place by the time I bought Logic Pro and went all in.

That solid foundation gave me a leg up, but at times, I was actively discouraged from pursuing music. When I was 18, I lived at home and worked part-time while attending a music program at a community college. A family member gave me a no-win ultimatum – I could work more hours and pay rent to continue living in the house, but if I didn’t, I had to move out. This forced me to drop out of school and get a full time job. I moved out on my own a few months later.

Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have been a more self-assured at a younger age. Today, I credit discipline, confidence, and a deep curiosity to my success in writing, producing, and licensing music.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a songwriter and producer making music for artists, brands, film, and tv. I played in bands for many years and would record demos as a way to share all the parts I was hearing in my head. Those demos eventually turned into proper productions, and those productions turned into commercials and movie placements.

There are countless talented songwriters in the world, but so many of them don’t know where to start. Sometimes, they’re not even sure what their goals are because they haven’t seen the options modeled to them. The music industry is messy, confusing, and can be very hard to navigate without someone to show you the way.

Through building a great network and years (more like decades) of trial and error, I’ve learned the ropes as an artist, music producer, and entrepreneur. So when someone hires me to produce their project, compose their theme song, or create bespoke music for their commercial, I’m bringing that complete package of history and knowledge with me to use in whatever ways make sense for that project. It’s all about getting the best possible outcome.

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 find that non-creatives, or even creatives who are early in their journeys, think that creativity is easy. That you can just pick up graphic design, copywriting, or topline (lyrics and melody) a song with the snap of your fingers. I think this attitude is the result of the devaluing of content and the introduction of new creative software over the last 20 years.

All creative disciplines require… discipline. Songwriters have to write a lot of bad songs before they start writing good ones. Mix engineers have to mix for years to master the skill. This takes deep commitment to the craft and quality doesn’t happen overnight.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’m a big non-fiction fan and take in a lot of business and leadership content. The biggest turning point in my professional life came when I committed to reading one self-help type book per month. I started with “Growth Mindset” by Carol Dweck, followed by “Grit” by Angela Duckworth, and “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday. I’ve read probably hundreds since, but this trifecta changed everything for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stephtrivison.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephtrivisonmusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-trivison-925ab818/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephtrivisonmusic

Image Credits

Trish DiFranco, Hilary Bovay