We were lucky to catch up with Art Dixie recently and have shared our conversation below.
Art, 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?
Resilience: the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
I had to look that up to make sure that I really understood what I was talking about and to also make sure that whoever is reading this knows that they know! lol
To answer this question, I had to go back to my childhood and my environment growing up. I had to think back to my first failings and remember that resilience was not a natural thing for me. I had parents who cared and who encouraged me to keep going.
One of the simplest and probably most relatable stories I can tell involves my first time riding a bike without training wheels. You know that point where your parent raises the wheel and the bike starts to wobble? I hated that wobble. I was so glad that when I started to tip, the training wheels would do their job and I wouldn’t fall over…but I also knew that my dad told me that he was going to take them off one day and I was stupid scared about that! lol
When that day came, he was there to get me started with a push in a big parking lot at a Lutheran Church across the street from our house that was pretty much empty on Saturdays. He pushed me and told me to pedal and that I could do it, and soon enough, I was going and moving and gliding and striding…straight…and I was quickly coming to the end of the lot where I had to decide whether to run into the parking curb coming straight for me or to turn.
Turning had to happen because running into that parking curb seemed ridiculous and scary and dumb. So, I turned the handle bars and then…BAM…sweet black tar asphalt to the face and knees and elbows. My dad came running to make sure I was OK (I wasn’t in my mind) and he told me that it was smart for me to make the turn and that I did great for a good long time before I fell. He explained how to do it better next time using my body as well as the handlebars and he said that next time starts after a few Band-Aid’s and ointment and as soon as I felt that I was absolutely sure that I wanted to learn how to ride a bike (he probably was more like, “you’re going to learn to ride this bike because your mama and me paid for it” but for prose we will wax poetic LOL).
I knew that I wanted to ride a bike and I got back out there with his help and fell a few more times of course, but eventually, I was riding that bike all over the parking lot and then up and down the street, and soon, all over the city.
I tell that story because I know that somewhere along the line, someone has to encourage you and tell you that you can do it… and then when you finally do it…you learn to find that confidence all by yourself as you grow older. You remember that in all endeavours, there will be moments of self-doubt and that mistakes will be made, but if you push through and learn the craft and the rules and brush your shoulders off and keep going…anything is possible.
Resilience is when you learn to believe in yourself enough to try and fail and try again. ANYONE can do that!
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 am a co-founder of the music production service provider and soon to be gig platform HTI (aka Hot Trax Inc).
We have provided services for major brands such as Google Memories and Top Buzz, backline/production support for Derek Dixie (Music Director for Beyonce, Chloe x Halle for 12 years), scoring and production services for Jenny Klein (Supernatural, Marvel), as well as scoring composition and production for award winning indie projects like the film “Made Public” (Foster Wilson and Brian Leahy)…and many more.
We connect the best talent to the best projects through a careful curation and vetting process. We realize that there is a gap to be filled globally that recognizes how many amazingly talented people are out there wanting to make art that rises above the norm and mediocre. This gap has to do with access to A+ talent and resources that should be readily accessible at anytime. For example, let’s say you don’t have the funds, clout/access, or ability to connect with CAA or WME…most don’t… but you still want to work with some of the best and brightest right now… TODAY…HTI is here to help you find what you need to get “that sound” or “that polish” or “that…x-factor…”thing” that’s missing whenever you need it!
There’s lots of gatekeeping in the entertainment industry…and for good reason… MONEY.
It costs lots of money to hire the best and even more money to promote projects/products for profit. HTI’s goal is to create a “happy place” as far access and we believe that there should be a shared and concerted effort utilizing the technical and social tools of this era to encourage collaboration and to make great art profitable for more people. It’s still gatekeeping…but we are using a much wider net.
HTI is in the midst of building a world class gig platform that will feature carefully vetted artists and projects. We are also expanding services to connect with management, tech, and marketing through powerful partnerships.
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?
The 3 qualities that I think are important are:
Vision
Learning
Resilience (as aforementioned)
Vision lets you know where you are going…even if it’s just a pinpoint of light down a loooong hallway…at least you know where you are going. That pinpoint of light will grow brighter as you get closer to your goal. The one thing that I am learning is that it is OK to change your mind, pivot, or improve upon your original vision. If something isn’t working after trying to get it working…it’s OK to make adjustments and/or additions/subtractions
Learning is a big deal. Learn and become great at something to the best of your ability. Knowledge cannot be denied and the world will recognize it when it is presented properly. I look back and wish I knew more things and I realize that I still have an opportunity to do so. Never stop learning!
Resilience is everything. I spoke on it earlier and I stand on it. You can never fold or quit just because you fail when you try. You must keep going.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
One of the biggest challenges for me is maintaining my patience and belief that things will work out exactly the way that they should as long as I do my due diligence and try my very best towards any endeavor. Most times I want things to happen relatively quickly and successfully. When they don’t, I can sometimes become disillusioned or a bit frustrated. I have to remind myself that you can’t force things to be great and that nothing is ever perfect. You may have to go through a few iterations and a bit of tempering before you reach your desired outcome or goal.
Another challenge that I am learning to face head on is that people come in and out of our lives for a reason and sometimes for just a season. No matter how much faith, time, and effort that you put into collaboration or partnerships, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Sometimes the people that you are working with are working on their own things, their own vision, and themselves in general and you have to learn to be able to let go and still have faith and belief in yourself and your own vision, trusting in your ability to “get er done”.
We can’t do everything all by ourselves…not if we want it to be recognized and pursued, but you also must accept that the people that come in and out of your life and your vision are movable and sometimes replaceable parts.
Contact Info:
- Website: hottraxinc.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/hottraxinc
