Meet Brian Strand

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brian Strand. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Brian with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

Ever since the first time I picked up drums sticks and heard the crack of the snare, felt the recoil of the sticks rebounding off of the drum heads, and experienced the pulse and drive of the rhythm, I knew that music would play a large role in my life. But, I soon learned that playing an instrument and creating music was not as easy as just picking up sticks.
I grew up playing sports, mainly soccer and basketball, so I knew practice and repetition were needed in order to elevate one’s skills. Applying that to music was natural, in that my journey started in the school band and practice was a daily recurrence. That led to increased confidence and enough improvement on the drums that I got a drum set and joined a punk band.
I always knew that I wanted to contribute more than rhythm, and drums weren’t the instrument that were going to allow me to achieve that goal. So, I picked up a guitar and started to learn and teach myself melodies. This was almost like starting over with the exception that I understood rhythms and tempos. I dedicated a summer to learning a handful of chords and strumming patterns, and started writing a couple of ideas down. At the same time, my brother taught me how to sequence music using his keyboard, so I got my first taste of recording and putting songs together.
Through these processes, I continued to feel, hear and see the improvement in what I was able to create. I think a big element in my continued drive and work ethic is enjoying what I create. I imagine a chef feels similar satisfaction when creating something unique, and knowing in that moment that they are on to something special. But, there is still a small part of me that is never fully satisfied, and I always challenge myself to create something better. This is an approach that I have taken through my musical journey thus far, and probably will continue until I can’t do it anymore.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Musically, I am a singer-songwriter of alternative and indie rock music. I am also a parent of two children, Nathan and Liam, and have been married to my high school sweetheart Melissa for 18 years. Professionally, I am a creative director and brand manager, so I am fortunate to continue being creative for my day job as well as through music.
I love writing and performing music, and I love the challenge of creating something new. Whether I am being very intentional about connecting through lyrics, or through integrating other musical genres or instrumentations, exploring new ways to create is my happy place. I’m often asked what my writing process is, and I don’t really have a straight answer. Part of how I am able to keep my style fresh is by changing up my writing approach. Sometimes I start by humming a melody on my phone. Other times, I think of some lyrics and write them down. Or, I pick up the guitar and just strum until I land on something that piques my interest. Changing up the tuning, or even the instrument altogether also can spark a new idea.
During COVID lockdowns in 2020, I challenged myself to create something new everyday. That led to a mountain of song ideas, which sparked the idea of releasing music as a solo artist. I compiled the 10 best and most complete concepts, finished them and began releasing them on March 31, 2023. Each song has been released as a single, with the eighth and most recent track, Hope, having been released on October 25.

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?

I believe the three most important qualities in my journey were persistence, dedication, and connectivity. If you aren’t dedicated to what you are working on, it likely will never be as good as it could be. Learning an instrument, and to be able to write a song takes a ton of effort, trials and failure. But being persistent in learning, training and growing improve the quality of work. Writing a solo album is great because it allows me to work without the need for buy-in from others. However, I never would have learned as much or gotten this far in my abilities without making connections and working alongside other music-minded individuals in my past. Connecting with others can help you understand what may and may not appeal to like-minded musicians and music lovers. You can also learn from their mistakes and accomplishments.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Growing up, becoming successful in music seemingly followed a specific path; put a band together, write music, play concerts, record and album, shop it to record labels, get a contract, go on tour… success. But, that world has changed dramatically over the past 10-15 years. Social media seems to be the main way to connect and grow your fan base. And, with ever evolving algorithms driving what potential fans will see, it becomes increasingly difficult to get your music in front of them if you aren’t constantly making content for social channels. This presents a big challenge for a solo artist. I have to decide whether to create social content daily to keep my profile at the top of the algorithms, or be a songwriter and continue to create the actual content that I want people to see, hear and experience. Over the past year, I poured a lot of effort into trying to push my social profiles to the forefront, with little success. It was draining. So, for the last four or so months, I decided to dial that back and concentrate more on creating quality music that I am happy with. That has led to less stress and a happier version of myself. It doesn’t solve the issue of growing my fanbase as quickly as I’d like. But I know that when I release music, it will be better received because I poured everything that I have into it.

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