We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wyatt Crabtree. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Wyatt below.

Wyatt, appreciate you joining 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 learned the professional side of music the hard way. I say that but I don’t think there is an easy way.
In my case I had no connections to any music venues and knew only one performing musician at the time. I learned how to perform in front of an audience by frequenting open mics and eventually performing for tips at local farmers markets. These are fun places to play (I still do) and are great for getting exposure and improving the performance as an experience to both me and my audience.

However, learning how to be a working musician goes far beyond the ability to play an instrument and perform in public. Those are certainly skills any musician must have in order to be successful, but the learning curve comes in how to take that passion and skill and market it to places that are willing to pay musicians for live performances.
in order to that, a musician must also have good communication skills and the ability to sell themselves to potential talent buyers. This takes time and patience and the ability to absorb criticism without giving up.

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 perform live music as Joe’s Cousin One Man Band. I play guitar, drums, and sing all at the same time. There are very few true one man bands out there where the musician is actually playing multiple instruments simultaneaously without relying on loop pedals or effects. It is a very small community and most of us know each other or know of each other.
I got into the live music business because I have always had a passion for artistic expression and I just love music.
I have written and recorded two albums of original music and have even had one of my songs appear on an international compilation album of one man bands from around the world. I am proud of that for sure, but am mostly proud of the songs and the stories they tell.

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

Support local!!! There are many great national touring acts out there and they are certainly worth seeing, but that local artist might just put on an amazing show and the cost is so much less but the fun is so much more. Oftentimes audience members can become part of the show or can interact with the artist and get to know them on a personal level. It all starts in your own home town and I can tell you with complete confidence that there are plenty of amazing musicians and artists right here. Give them a chance. You will be glad you did.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect is the applause, the smiles, the dancing, seeing the toes tapping and all of the other interactions with an audience.
Many people give us words of encouragement during or after a show. It is nice to hear that somebody enjoyed the show.
I have had people tell me that my original songs have spoken to them during times of hardship and that means more to me than any amount of money ever could.
This summer I was on tour and playing a show in Conway Arkansas which is over 900 miles from home. A man came up to me and told me he has been following me on social media for years and was excited to see that I was playing in his hometown. I cannot even begin to put into words what that meant to me, but I can tell you that it was special.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joescousinmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joescousinonemanband/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joescousinmusic
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@joescousin2670
• Other: Spotify:
  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0JLB0y1OYoVT4cUM4X4UwA