Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charles Wiley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Charles, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I think it started when I was a kid – I would watch my parents put in long hours working on various projects and hobbies, and that was just normal. Sometimes they were working towards a specific goal but more often than not, they were just working on improving at a certain skill because they wanted to. I didn’t know it then, but seeing that taught me that the work itself was the important thing, not just trying to reach some predefined stopping point. Obviously you need a goal and a purpose, but you are never going to stop working on improving yourself just because you reach a certain point; there is always something else to strive for. That is still the foundation of my work ethic today; there’s no shortcut, you just have to put in the time and work.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’ve been writing and playing music for over 25 years and I’ve been lucky enough to make my living for the past decade as a working musician. I divide that time up between being a touring and recording drummer for multiple bands (currently I’m on tour with hard rock band Black Flag); writing music for TV (I’ve had over 125 placements in various TV shows including Oprah, Dateline NBC, Late Night with Seth Myers and more); teaching; writing for Drumhead Magazine; and my solo project, Corn Man. Corn Man is a progressive rock concept album and fantasy adventure story I’ve created along with my wife, Deirdre O’Neill-Wiley. I became really fascinated with the food industry and learned that processed corn was in virtually everything we eat. That got my gears turning to create music and tell a unique story which has evolved to include corn, mystery, action, and GMO cats and dogs. The third installment of the book and music are on their way! More information can be found at: https://charleswiley.net and https://cornmanofficial.com
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
For me, there was really just one thing that was the most impactful, and that was seeking out teachers who were doing what I wanted to do, and at the level I wanted to do it at. Everything else of importance naturally arose from their help and influence. I simply go out of my way to find people who meet that criteria, and then bug them until I can study with them.
Each one of my teachers – Gil Sharone, Ed Shaughnessy, and Greg Mathieson – challenged me to grow and expand not only my drumming ability but my overall musical approach in ways that are immeasurable. I continue to use the skills I’ve learned in those lessons today. Some of the important things that naturally arose and developed while studying with them was to always be learning and trying to improve, and also how important it was to figure out who I am as a drummer and musician. It took me a lot of years to figure out what kind of drummer I wanted to be, and indeed that is something I am still working on; but knowing that has dictated what new skills I need to learn, and also what current skills I have that need improving – which, of course, is all of them!
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I’ll list two books that have been paramount in driving me to become the best version of myself:
David Goggins – Can’t Hurt Me and Tim Grover – Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness.
I’ve read and listened to both of these books over two dozen times. They both spoke to and continue to speak to me. I’ve always thought and been told that my dreams, goals and ideas are a little “out there” and, to some, unattainable. These two books confirmed that yes, my goals and dreams are “out there” – but they also told me that I’m not alone in thinking this way. And, more importantly, these books said I have to think this way to achieve my goals, and that there are no shortcuts or hacks. I suppose you could file both these books under “self-help,” but there aren’t any “5 steps to reach your dreams” in these books. Instead, they take you through each author’s journey and, as they are becoming who they are, you are also learning who you are and who you really want to be. I encourage everyone to read them!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://charleswiley.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleswileymusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charleswileydrums
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeve8DgRCNxM_Hax1dziluA
- Other: The Corn Man project at: https://cornmanofficial.com/
Image Credits
Photo credit – @non_deux_non, Todd Olson, Brooke Billick, @echo7sierra.mediagroup, Manuel Crail
