We were lucky to catch up with Stu Stapleton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Stu, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
I absolutely make a full-time living from my creative work. Its almost feels like a responsibility for me to give into the gifts that were given to me and share them back into the world. I have been playing Piano since I was 6 years old….. I am now 34. I have been a gigging musician in clubs, churches, weddings and eventually a session player before I started to make the switch in to production. I learned or was able to see that there was a cap on earning potential and time when it came to being just a “musician”. I didn’t like that way that narrative was going to play out and I knew there had to be a better more efficient, lucrative and purposeful way to go about this. Expanding my skill-sets and trajectory into Production, Arranging, Recording, Mastering, Mixing, and surrounding myself with the right business minds and partners has turned my entire trajectory in life around. I now stand before you as a 2x Platinum & 4X Gold Record Producer/Keyboardist with leverage , knowledge,skill-sets, and 6 figure Passive/Residual income that allows me to look at life and approach the game of life much differently. I wouldn’t have changed anything about the process that it took to get here, without it and the setbacks and triumphs I wouldn’t be here today nor have the mindset. The process is what defines you and molds you, everyone wants to skip it but it is the most important part to success.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a 2X Platinum and 4X Gold Record Music Producer…. currently located in Nashville, TN. I was born in Asuncion, Paraguay . adopted and raised in Colorado. I was classically trained in piano from the age of 6 to 18. I ventured into my true passion of R&B – Pop- Soul – Hip Hop after that. I have been in the music industry for about 10-12 years professionally, I was a musician at first, just gigging and trying to make ends meet, eventually became more a session musician and finally transitioned in production around 28 -29 and that is when my life began to transition. As a Producer/Mastering Engineer and Keyboardist I literally take peoples ideas and enhance them at the tracks level meaning production or instruments. Or sometimes it is at the recording level mixing and tracking or Mastering just depends on what hat I am wearing for that given artist. What sets me apart I would say is that fact I am a seasoned musician which allows the real elements of a musician from the playing down to the feel to always be included in my work. Sometimes people aren’t always moved by what the hear or see… its what they feel.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Understanding that traditional education and thinking is not what matters nor needs to be focused on to be successful not only in the music business but in life for that matter. I had to think in an nontraditional way to reach the people that ended up changing my life and putting me in the positions to change my life. Also being true to my own purpose and skill-set… not getting caught up in the next guy or what someone else is doing. When I was able to focus on my own skill-set and vision for myself that is when everything shifted. Mindset was and still is everything.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I had a strong presence on IG before I was hacked and deleted… but what it taught me is understanding your core demographic and catering to that audience either if it is for an educational, entertainment, or marketing standpoint. Understanding core marketing ideas and paying attention to numbers that actually matter and how they convert for your business or goals is life changing. Also don’t chase perfection.. just start and put things out there and evolve along the process.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPGCcFjOkQ74vxtegRsJAIg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@estuardo_galenostapleton
Image Credits
Will Wittman