Meet Brandon Essig

We were lucky to catch up with Brandon Essig recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brandon, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I tend to get distracted easily, or overthink my artistic process from time to time. “It’s gonna take me FOREVER to learn this part, I won’t do it justice,” etc. But something I’ve learned over the years is that progress IS the process. Let’s say I’m struggling to learn a drum beat for a song that is super complex, detailed, and outside of my usual wheelhouse. If I’m serious about learning it, I take time every day – could be 10 minutes, could be an hour or two – to approximate it with the skills I have, then adapt that interpretation over the original again. This way, it creates a mostly similar but uniquely me version of the original. My work ethic comes from this creative approach: the way an artist interprets is something that is constantly morphing and evolving as they go through life, have new experiences, and learn more things. It keeps the process fresh and engaging, it makes me WANT to practice and feels less like a chore. You have to WANT to improve your station and abilities, which I find to be come more naturally than ever before BECAUSE I approach it from a place of creativity. If you find a way to keep what you do interesting, you will be compelled to return to it and not procrastinate on it.

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 a musician and actor. I began playing drums when I was 8 years old, and found my way into the drama department the following year. Music as an artform has remained a constant throughout my life because of how wide-ranging and malleable it is; there’s truly no “wrong” way to do it. When it comes to my work as a singer – which I’m performing with New York-based caroling company The Tinseltones this holiday season – I take the work that I do (singing bass parts, setting the starting pitch, calling the setlist) seriously, while also making sure to have fun when actually performing. My part is the foundation for the others, and learning every nook and cranny of the songs to keep from flying off the rails is the most important of that job. Similarly, one of the bands I play with, Eels of Love, recently released 30 minutes of new music called “Eels in Space” that we’re all very proud of, as we worked on the songs for several years before releasing them. Even though the songs are all instrumental, we made sure they would still be catchy and memorable, whether that be through the melodies or the rhythms. What I find most exciting and interesting about what I do is how the end product changes throughout the writing process; we workshopped these songs for several years in a live setting before settling on final versions and recording them. No matter what shape your work takes during its development, it’s always a reflection of you and your influences, which are subject to change and shift as the ideas formulate into a picture.

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?

One of the most important qualities to have when pursuing an artistic outlet is resilience. Any and every artist you know and enjoy has faced hardships in their journey: financial, emotional, or just feeling discouraged after not getting great at it right away. It will take time, like any skill, but if you keep at it you WILL notice improvements. Another is being someone who people want to work with – and this is not just in terms of skill, but in personality. Keep your focus on executing your art well, but understand that if you’re not easy to work with, they will find someone else who is. Being open to direction is crucial in being someone that people can trust and work together with to find a shared, cohesive vision. Lastly, being prepared when the opportunities arise is paramount. This not only means coming in knowing exactly what you’re doing, but if you’re able to cover for any mistakes you or someone else may make means you won’t crack under pressure. There have been times when I’ve rehearsed plenty and felt confident in what I’m doing, and something somehow goes wrong – do I let it stop me in my tracks? No, I keep pushing forward. These three skills come with consistent practice and study; what at first may seem like hard work become effortless after a while.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents instilled a great love for music (and the arts in general) for me at a very young age. They showed me how it brings people together, allows us to forget about our own mundane lives for a bit and lose ourselves in another world. It’s a powerful thing, being able to create like that. When I told them I wanted to pursue this work, they supported me every step of the way. They believed in me, that I was determined to make it happen. Most parents would balk at the idea of their kid trying to support themselves only through their art – and make no mistake, there have been rough times for me followed by lucrative times, as any artist experiences during their career. But they’ve never stopped believing in me, and that’s been the most impactful thing they’ve done for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brandonessig.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bressigandon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bressig1/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-essig-81625967/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bressig

Image Credits

Jeremy Aaron
Paul Pollio II
Zach Scott
Ryan Bazinet