We recently had the chance to connect with Chris Swan and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
Owning my own business, going to school to finish my music degree, and playing gigs in New York City can get a little crazy sometimes, but I love it! Being busy means you are alive, it means you are needed, and you are a part of the world around you. It’s a gift, but it is important to rest sometimes!
I wake up at 5 am so I can do some morning mediation, then I practice for 1-2 hours. Then, after breakfast, it’s work time. Office hours, doing administrative stuff, sales calls, marketing, etc. Then the rest of the day is a combination of teaching, doing my own studies, and practicing more when I can.
Usually, the day ends around 9-10 pm. In order to stay healthy, I make sure to make sleep a priority while also making room in my calendar to go hear live music and hang out with friends.
It’s a busy life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a New York City musician, composer, and educator. I really love jazz and hip-hop, so I try to combine the two in my teaching and in my gigs.
Currently, I am heading up my trio (The Chris Swan Trio) and performing in venues all across New York City doing our “Hip-hop Is Jazz” show, where we demonstrate the deep connection between the two genres. It’s a lot of fun!
I am also teaching piano and voice lessons through my business My NYC Music Lessons. I get to help people every day discover more about the magic of music and help them learn how to do things they never thought they could do. I also learn so much from my amazing students and am very thankful for the chance to hang out with these awesome people!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was a kid, I always thought I was never good enough to be successful in music. I wasn’t good-looking enough, thin enough, cool enough, smart enough, or talented enough. I was always looking for the reasons things wouldn’t work instead of how they could work.
As I get older, I’ve really noticed this is all in our heads, and it’s something that a lot of us do. One of my favorite things about teaching is watching students overcome their mental obstacles. By helping them see what they are achieving, it reminds me that we are all capable of more than we think we are. It just takes time and dedication.
Time is a hard concept to grasp when you are young, but as you get older, you learn how much power there is in time. One day at a time will get you a lot farther than you might think.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes! Countless performances I have attended, especially by amazing jazz artists, have left me feeling both inspired and depressed. It’s so easy to get lost in comparing ourselves to others, but we have to remember that we are seeing them after years of preparation. We are seeing the culmination of all their work. We are all in our own part of our journey, so to compare where we are now to where someone else is is insanity. We will never win that battle.
It’s important to hear great musicians to remember what we are all capable of, but then you have to stop and celebrate where you are.
The bottom line is, just don’t ever give up. Ever. Just keep getting up and doing it again the next day. That is what all the great artists have done. If you do the same, you are guaranteed to have success.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Perserverance. The world will tell you all the reasons you can’t do what you are trying to do. It’s up to you to ignore everyone and keep doing the next thing. Not because you have anything to prove, but because it is who you are. The world can never tell you who you are. That’s between you and God.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Yes! I am so thankful to be able to do what I was born to do, but it hasn’t always looked the way I thought it would. I had to be flexible and learn that God’s plan for my life wasn’t always what I had planned. Once I learned to accept that, embrace that, I started really loving what I get to do every day. Whatever your job is, you have to choose to love it. Wherever you are in life, you have to choose to appreciate it. It doesn’t mean you can’t change or go for the next big thing, but you are exactly where you are supposed to be right now. If you can internalize that, you can have joy and peace in whatever you do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mynycmusiclessons.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mynycmusiclessons
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamchrisswan/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/mynycmusiclessons
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mynycmusiclessons
Image Credits
Dervon Dixson
Joe Bayer
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