We were lucky to catch up with C.J. Benoit recently and have shared our conversation below.
C.J., we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
The entertainment industry is a hard nut to crack, it’s even harder when you’re autistic. So I learned to keep pushing. Also helps I have a very supportive wife!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m the frontman and multi-instrumentalist for Los Swamp Monsters, a genre-blending multilingual Rock and Roll band from Nashville, TN.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Drive. My college mentor Bo Eckard once said “I thank you for your time, not your talent. If you didn’t have the talent, you wouldn’t have been asked to be in the big band.” And he’s not wrong. And in order to have that, you gotta have the drive to hone that talent and stand up to be there. I’m not a gifted musician. I worked at it.
2. Open Mindedness. I learned how to play 45 musical instruments. You have to be open minded enough to find them and willing to sit down and learn. I’m also teaching myself management and booking so I can work on things properly.
3. Attention to detail. Read every contract. ESPECIALLY THE FINE PRINT. This industry is cutthroat and you need to protect yourself. Don’t be afraid to look up terms you don’t understand, ask questions, make sure you get every aspect that if something should happen, you can protect yourself, your bandmates, and your loved ones.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m always looking for collaborators in music, booking, touring, etc. My contact info should be on here some place, but hit us up on Facebook, email, etc. Operators are standing by!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.losswampmonsters.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/losswampmonstersofficial
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/losswampmonsters
Image Credits
Food pic: Lexi Rock
Other pictures are from various shows in Georgia, New Jersey, Texas, and Missouri.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
