Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brett Vaughn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brett, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found my purpose by simply paying attention to the signals that life sent me. Growing up, I always had an affinity for creativity: the first signal. Cartoons, comic books and video games inspired me to begin drawing, which I continued to do for a handful of years. Having grown up with a father who was an expert guitarist, a grandmother who was a classically trained singer, as well as music being central to my family circle in general, I had always deemed music to have significant importance, and often had daydreams envisioning myself as a guitarist someday. I first dabbled with music via piano, but lost interest. Similarly, playing trumpet in the elementary school band was neither particularly successful or inspiring.
I didn’t “get the bug” until I found the music that resonated with me, specifically, as opposed to the music that was being played around me. Upon this discovery, and being impelled to pick up the guitar, I found quickly that I never wanted to put it down. After a matter of months, and being all of 11 or 12 years old, I was able to play the music I was listening to and continued to devour as many new obstacles as I possibly could. I recognized that this was the most powerful, potent experience I had ever felt in my life up to that point, and knew that not only did I want to do it forever, but that I possessed a natural aptitude, as evidenced by my rapid progress. So what I learned early on was that I was attracted to the arts, and that I had a natural gift for music, especially the guitar. I have been playing guitar now for 23 years, and am grateful everyday to have a lifelong craft to which I can apply myself.
All of this would be well and good, but there is more to living a life and being a human being than simply a craft, a pursuit or the method by which you express yourself. This second chapter is critical: who are you if you strip away that identity of what you “do”? From when I began playing guitar at 11, through my teens and into my early 20’s, being a musician was who I was. I took pride in it. It gave me identity, It gave me purpose. But that is much too shallow. I think if you have a gift, you do have an obligation to hone, sharpen and refine it and share it with the world. But first and foremost, it is who YOU are that you must hone, sharpen and refine. So to get back to the question of finding purpose, I would say the purpose of all humans is to know themselves; strengths and weaknesses, light and darkness, highs and lows. To learn how to accept oneself and all of one’s own flaws, not making excuses for one’s own shortcomings (that are within one’s own control), and to seek experiences and wisdom that will help one crystallize the best versions of oneself. This is life, and it is THIS experience which you will bring to your art, making it much richer, resonant and timeless than merely art for art’s sake.
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?
In simple terms: I am a musician. These days that word means about 10 different things, so I’ll start from the top of the totem pole, working my way down.
I am an artist. I devote myself to exploring artistic modes of expression through the medium of music. I create bands, compose songs and lyrics, arrange instruments, record demos that eventually lead to albums. I am a guitarist first, but have become a strong vocalist over the years as well. I am currently in two bands. One is my death metal project, Portend, of which I am the chief songwriter, vocalist and guitarist (currently preparing to record our debut album). The other is Psychosomatic: a thrash metal band that has existed for decades, and with whom I completed an East Coast tour last fall. I also have a project in hiatus, The Mindful: a psychedelic, progressive rock power trio with jazz-fusion and avant-garde improvisations.
Next, I am a guitarist. Session player, sideman, hired gun, tradesman. My business is to be an instrumentalist capable of playing a wide array of musical styles so as to be applicable to as many business opportunities as possible, in the studio or onstage. I have experience and training in: jazz, gypsy jazz, fusion, blues, funk, r&b/soul, country, folk, bluegrass, American roots music, various forms of rock and metal. I played on a Billboard Blues Top 10 charting album (Katie Knipp “Take Me With You”), select albums by folk/Americana songwriter Jessica Malone, and much more. Tomorrow I will be going into the studio to lay down funk/jazz guitar rhythm in a hip hop context. Whatever it is, if it’s music, I want to be able to function within it.
Additionally, I am a music educator. I teach guitar, of course, but have also taught music theory to non-guitar instrumentalists (trumpet, voice, bass, etc). I have an online teaching business, and people can find out more via my website. I teach students with many different backgrounds and goals, which keeps me engaged. Some students want to learn to “shred”, for example, so a lot of technical discussion ensues. Other students are more interested in songwriting, so studying music concepts of harmony are prevalent. The students I am able to help the most are in the intermediate stage, having already learned basic concepts and playing techniques, but need assistance breaking through to the higher spheres.
Lastly, I do have a consistent social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube. I regularly post videos playing guitar, giving guitar lessons and addressing music theory. My Patreon channel is a place people can go to learn from me without taking direct guitar lessons. I offer guitar tabs and lesson videos.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Be open minded to experiences and knowledge. Stay hungry for musical data, Learn from other players, learn music theory, all genres. You will get more work if you stay open minded to different musical situations. You will also become a better, more well rounded player.
Be humble, but never devalue yourself. Especially in music these days, people expect everything but are willing to give next to nothing. Know that your skills, experience, perspective, time and energy is extremely valuable,
Be the most tenacious person in the room, never letting anyone underestimate you. If you find yourself in a challenging or intimidating situation, work twice as hard to rise to the occasion. You are literally your only obstacle. Don’t be a slave to negative self-talk. Just be diligent, do the work and you will succeed.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Since I am a relatively recent transplant to Los Angeles, my list of contacts is not large. The biggest challenge I am facing is finding opportunities to work with new people, where the pay is at a reasonable level considering my skills and experience. There are many musicians who are just starting their careers here who are willing to work for way less than they should, and it has a ripple effect across the gig industry.
As I develop my Los Angeles “Rolodex”, I can continue to support myself in other ways, such as my teaching business and Patreon. I am meeting more people and finding more opportunities as time goes on. The only real obstacle here is that it takes time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brettvaughn.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/inmybookofspells
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/brettvaughn
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@inmybookofspells
Image Credits
Elle Jaye Photography Zoart Photography
