Meet Bethany Becker

 

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

Hi Bethany, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?

Self-discipline is something that I think I’ve always had when it comes to my music. I remember at the start of my career, when I was around 14, being told that it was unusual for rising artists my age to practice and write without their parents’ pushing them. I thought that was crazy!

The music business is HARD. I can’t emphasize that enough. And if someone doesn’t love it enough to be self motivated to practice and create, they’re going to get burnt out very quickly. I consider myself very self motivated and even I struggle with feelings of burn out on bad days!

To summarize, I guess my self-discipline comes from my love of my craft, the love of and personal need to create, and my inner fire to conquer the seemingly impossible giant that is the music industry.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a professional creative, and I absolutely love it. I’m 26 years old, however I’ve already been working in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I’m primarily a pop/rock/country singer/songwriter. I’ve easily played over a thousand concerts, at one point playing over 120 in one year! It can be exhausting but it’s so much fun!

I wrote and recorded my first record in Nashville, and got the opportunity to work with some of my heroes, including Liz Rose. Liz is best known for working with Taylor Swift (who I’m absolutely obsessed with) on all of her country records, and she wrote my favorite song “All too Well.” I don’t usually get starstruck, however I will admit I got a little starstruck working with Liz. My first record covers a lot of my teenage years, going back far enough to cover drama I had with my first crush in middle school. It’s really fun and definitely worth checking out, in my very biased opinion 🙂

I just announced my next EP, If the Boot Fits, that’s coming out on July 20th, 2024! The creation process for this EP was very different from the creation of my album. These days, I have my own band and resources in my hometown of Austin, Texas. If fact, the City of Austin Music Foundation actually gave me a grant to assist in creating the record, which has been a huge blessing. I sat down and wrote the lyrics and melodies to these songs by myself and then fine tuned and arranged them with my band, who also happen to be my best friends, practically family. I actually married one of them, my phenomenal guitarist Blake Jurasin. I’m not a big rule breaker but I absolutely broke my “never date someone you work with” rule. Luckily it worked out in my case! Blake actually sat down and wrote all of the original scratch arrangements for the EP.

In the decade since recording my first record I’ve learned A LOT about the record making process. I actually got my bachelor’s from Berklee School of Music through their online program, and I focused a lot of my studies on songwriting, producing, and marketing. I’ve been heavily involved in every part of the production process for this new EP, and it has been such a joy getting to bring my unfiltered stories to life through music.

“If the Boot Fits” is a compelling combination of revenge and innocence, taking from the sincerity and fun of my multi-award winning debut album, and seasoning it with a fiery americana edge. I just released the title track as the first single and the response from my fans has been absolutely amazing. It’s fulfilling and therapeutic to put my experiences into song, and it’s incredibly special when my stories are able to help other people through their life experiences as well.

I would be honored if you’d take a listen to my new single and keep your ears open for the full “If the Boot Fits” EP on July 20th!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Humility is the first thing that comes to mind. Working in a, dare I say, incredibly stressful and competitive industry, you’ll find that when anxiety is high many people will throw kindness out the window and hide behind masks of ego. Although the stereotype of an artist is an egotistical crazy person, in reality no one will want to work with you if you have an ego. Know your worth, but always be willing to learn and ready to admit to failure and bounce back from mistakes. Which brings me to my next quality…

Resilience. The entertainment industry is full of rejection around every corner. It’s unavoidable, no matter how talented an artist may be. However, it shouldn’t be discouraging, it’s just part of the job. After over a decade in entertainment I cannot even tell you how many “once in a lifetime” opportunities I have completely botched. I’ve taken so many blows to my pride and emotions. However, I’ve also had many “once in a lifetime” opportunities go my way. If you haven’t caught on by now, they’re not actually once in a lifetime opportunities. There are always more for those who have the resilience to bounce back.

Lastly, positivity. Ironically, if you listen to my new EP, it is the angriest collection of work I’ve ever released. However, despite the circumstances that made me mad enough to create my new music, I’m still here making music and holding my ground. I’m not saying that you have to be blindly optimistic surrounded by pixie dust following your dreams, because there’s a reason people don’t follow their dreams. It’s hard! However, if you keep a positive outlook on everything, each obstacle becomes a learning opportunity. Every mistake becomes knowledge on what not to do next time. And if you stay humble, resilient, and positive, there will be a next time and an abundance of opportunity in your future.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Honestly, I would have to say my husband Blake. I had a lot of the industry figured out by the time we got married, but I was missing a very important piece. I didn’t have respect for myself. I was so used to listening to the “experts” I surrounded myself with when I was a kid in entertainment that I had become a little bit of a yes man when it came to others opinions on my career. I had failed to acknowledge my own wisdom and vision and would go along with ideas and marketing plans I didn’t agree with. With Blake’s encouragement I learned to stand up for myself and my authenticity as an artist. I did lose a team member in the process, however this new EP would not exist if I didn’t stand up for my ideas. I’m so grateful to Blake for helping me learn to speak my truth and stand my ground.

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