Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tim Kobza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tim, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I grew up in Omaha Nebraska, my mom was a piano teacher and in my family everyone took piano lessons. I participated in choir and ultimately was recruited to play guitar in the church band. Guitar was a challenge, but I loved it and never had to be asked to practice. Once I started tapping into the creative outlets, it was clear to me that I would be pursuing a life in music. Playing gigs, teaching, writing and recording started for me in high school. Seeing Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny and other jazz icons at a young age was really inspiring.  My first international tour was in Caracas Venezuela , that was a mind expanding experience in all ways.  I attended North Texas State University for my undergraduate degree in Jazz studies ultimately, I received my Masters degree in Guitar performance from USC Thornton School of Music and there’s still so much more to learn!

Tim, 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 Professor at USC Thornton School of Music where I teach in the Popular Music and Guitar departments. My professional work as a guitarist, producer, composer, and recording artist continues informs my teaching and connection with the next generation of music makers, performers and artists.

A friend of mine once said, “Life is a lot like Jazz. It’s best when you improvise.” Being a trained jazz musician certainly helps me to navigate all aspects of my music career in real time. At the heart of it is the network we create that is our own personal ecosystem which provides us with community, creative outlets and hopefully a living.

Some of the requirements for staying in demand as a musician include maintaining fluency on one’s instrument, be professional, on time, prepared for the gig, stuff like that. Successfully interacting with the broader community of artists, players and music industry is part of the fun and challenge of a freelance musician’s lifestyle.

As a composer and guitarist, I’m hired because of the combination of my skills and work ethic; I get the job done. As a sideman, I strive to make singers and those on stage sound great. I enjoy being a part of a great rhythm section and playing many styles of music. I double on a variety of guitar adjacent instruments as well, bass, banjo, mandolin etc..

Being able to read music has opened a lot of doors for me. Know enough music theory to be able to communicate with all musicians. Speak the language! Learn DAWs (digital audio workstations) such as logic, protools, ableton, etc. Make music and be creative.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I’m probably most proud of the accomplishments of my many students who are out in the world doing it professionally on a huge level! The most rewarding aspect of being a creative musician and artist is the relationships that I’ve built through my work. Projects that I’ve been a part of as a producer, guitarist and a collaborator have resulted in lifetime friendships. Currently I’m pursuing more work scoring music for TV & film. I’ve partnered up with a former student Josh Ginsburg, a super talented composer, and we’ve been building those IMDB credits!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Humans need music! Value and support for the arts is essential if a healthy musical ecosystem is to be maintained. However, while we are ensuring the success of music here in the US, there are significantly more barriers to entry into a music career in other countries. I strive to encourage musical growth through collaboration with artists all around the world – In my work at USC  I direct several music related international student exchange programs, I’m currently working to broadening my teaching horizons in this area.

Contact Info:

• Website: Timkobza.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/timkobza
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/timkobza
• Other: Spotify Tim Kobza IMDB. Tim Kobza and Timothy Kobza

Image Credits
Michael Moldofsky
Robin Stark