We recently connected with Gaurav Bali and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Gaurav with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I’d say definitely from my parents. My Dad was an accountant abroad and when he and my Mother moved the United States he basically had to start from scratch. They worked in New York City and my Dad went to St Johns University and then took his CPA (Certified Public Accountant) test.
Then throughout my childhood he would commute ninety minutes each way to and from work….I got tired just TALKING about what he did on a daily basis for 30 years!
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 guitar teacher and a professional musician who is currently focusing on building my own music school. I actually started teaching when I was in my late teens because my teacher opened a school and he asked me to teach the beginners. I knew right away that I absolutely loved the feeling of showing someone a new technique or a new song for the first time. I spent most of my 20s and 30s in a professional rock band from New York City that had a few record deals, made a few albums, and did some really great tours. After I left that band, I moved to Nashville for 7 years where I played with a few country artists, a great pop band called 30 Vice and an amazing (and very well respected) rock singer named Tony Harnell. Eventually, I realized that for many reasons I wasn’t going to end up settling in Tennessee, so I started concentrating more on teaching again, and then finally relocated back to New York in November 2022. Since then, I’ve been teaching exclusively online and I have close to 30 students currently. Eventually, I’d like to hire teachers to teach different instruments and open up my own music school. That’s my dream now!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Well, the number one thing I would say is that you have to have a passion for what you do. I know this is a cliché, but the old phrase is true: if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. That’s the way that I’ve been working to set up my life for literally decades now! At this point, I spend my day showing people how to play songs they love and enrich their lives with music. I finally gotten to the point after five years of hard work where my schedule is almost full, and I will need to either hire more teachers, or start a waiting list! I do miss playing, live a little bit, but there’s no rule that says that I can’t do any live performances in the future when I get the bug!
As far as any advice goes, I would definitely suggest not having any false pride and seek help from others that are successfully doing what you’re trying to do. When I first started teaching full time again in 2018, I enlisted the help of a consultant in Los Angeles that helps music teachers to expand their business. I adopted many of the strategies and concepts that he suggested while also making them my own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I’d say definitely the most impactful thing my parents did for me was always encouraging me, and most importantly, making sure I knew they were proud of me. They’re from India, and in many of these old school cultures something is not considered a “real job” unless you’re a “ professional “…Meaning, a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc. They made sure that I knew that they respect the effort that I put in to my craft for my entire life culminating in what I have accomplished throughout the years and what I’m hoping to accomplish in the future with my own music school.
Support and encouragement is the most important thing that parents can do for their children!
Contact Info:
- Website: Allinmusiclessons.com
- Instagram: Allinmusiclessons
- Other: Gauravbali.com
