We were lucky to catch up with Brett Phillips recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Brett, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re very focused on here – improving our ability to make decisions. Everyday, we’re faced with decisions that can impact the future of our careers, businesses, relationships and more and so one of the most impactful areas for personal development, in our view, is decision-making. Can you talk to us about how you developed or improved your decision-making skills?
When writing songs and making music there are unlimited creative options. In the world of recording and mixing alone, there are hundreds of options for audio plug ins, all containing their own unique sound, though subtle to most listeners. I’m not the expert at making creative decisions, but something I employ often is limiting the amount of options at my disposal so that I’m forced into making decisions and finishing projects. So instead of thinking about the many possibilities of getting the sound I want from my guitars, I’ll stick with one guitar and one amp. Or only one microphone, as opposed to cycling through every single piece of equipment I own. Could there be a better sound? Possibly, but then maybe the song would have never been finished and be in a state of perpetual experimentation.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Brett Phillips. I’m a musician from North Carolina. I’ve played in several bands, but mainly play solo at the moment or as a duo with my wife, who plays the violin. My music is very guitar-centric and I like to explore all the many facets of the instrument. Whether it be acoustic, jazz, or rock, I enjoy writing and playing in all styles. I’m preparing to release more music on Spotify and hope to complete an EP in the next few months. Between that, I also try to play out as much as possible. You can find my music on Youtube, and all social media outlets.
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 skills most helpful for me have been consistency, education, and experience. They are all connected to one another. Consistency in the sense that you should be willing to practice often and make an effort to progress, no matter how small it may seem. Education can be formal or not, but the willingness to learn and expand your knowledge of music is something that can’t be understated. Almost everything I’ve learned that was meaningful in music occurred outside of a classroom. Experience only comes after time, but it’s probably the most valuable of the three.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Biggest challenge currently is actually finished a new album by myself. It often feels like doing things on your own takes 3 times as long. I write, record, mix, and master all my material. Often times I will outsource the mixing and mastering, but the one consistent thing is that I write and play everything myself, including all instruments with the exception of drums. It’s been that way since I was 12 with my first digital recorder. While definitely more challenging and frustrating at times, I always felt better about the end product when I did my solo music by myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.BrettPhillipsMusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brettphillipsmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrettPhillipsMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCecIHnEfzt-QuC5mAV6_Fgw
Image Credits
Sydney B Photography
