We recently connected with Joey Greenstein and have shared our conversation below.
Joey, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
These two things are very much still in development. While there are certainly good days, I think some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned are during the bad ones. One of the best ways I’ve developed these things is definitely through therapy, but also in learning to question why I’m feeling down, battling with imposter syndrome, etc.
Basically, I try to turn into an interrogator and the person I’ve got under the bright light is me. It sounds scary at first, but so is the impending anxiety attack, so we need information fast! Really, I just want to get to the bottom of why I’m deciding to talk to myself negatively or sinking into an unconfident space aka emptying my own self-esteem tank. For me, putting my not-so-fun thoughts into perspective, coming to peace with or addressing the reason why I might be feeling that way and continuing to move forward is the best way to fill that tank back up or at least put a plug in it.
This is all a big reason why my record label is called Lots of Practice. I want to create an environment for artist-driven creativity that embraces the idea of practice, self-improvement and stepping outside your comfort zone.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My story’s got some real curveballs in it — from driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and Hoop Bus, being a college mascot, to my roller coaster of a ride at Snapchat ( I had to ride a roller coaster for content once, so double meaning here and also both wild) — but it all ultimately built to and lent a hand in me forging a trail for what I do now bringing people together with music and why I love it.
Shortly after hitting pause on past projects and somewhere in the timeline of me finding myself jobless and at the beginning of a pandemic, my focus shifted to bringing my vision for Lots of Practice into clear view. What I wanted to create was an artist-forward community, a way to shine a spotlight on the amazing people in the music space that motivate and inspire and a vehicle for experimenting and well, practicing. This label without labels has also served in pushing me to lean harder into my own production and DJ career, my own confidence and to do my best to be the change that I want to see in this industry.
The special thing about this project has really been all the amazing people that I get to work with and the friends and family that have lifted me and this label up from the very start. People like Maddie Gavin, who’s not only an absolute rockstar in her own right, but has given so much time and love to this and whose input is priceless; like Ryan Valenzuela, who’s just one of those people who’d drop everything to lend a hand, help us capture our best moments or anything at all; Zach Piehl, who immediately reached out when I announced the label and offered up Label Engine’s services for distribution; PUFF.magic who offered us our first single in lieu of a mix which kicked off us actually releasing music — the list of people and significant events that have led to the point the label’s at now goes on and on.
The best part of all of this is that I’m learning everyday — learning how to be a better listener, leader and advocate for the people and work we support. I’m so excited to continue sharing the magic from these amazing artists, stories and interviews surrounding pioneers in the scene, new guest mixes, events and more!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
If I was to name three qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that have been most impactful on my journey, I think one of those things would be knowing that it’s okay to feel knocked down as long as you remember what it feels like to get back up. Don’t forget that feeling! What I’ve found too is that you don’t always have to get back up on your own and it’s okay to ask for help.
Number two piece of knowledge would be knowing I don’t know everything there is to know about everything. Active listening is your best friend in expanding your capacity for growth and understanding. Recognizing what’s problematic and how you can provide solutions/do better is just as important.
As a DJ/producer, as cliche as it sounds, especially for me given the name of my label, the third skill I’d bring up is practice. Practice, practice, practice. I’ve been DJing for six or so years now and I still practice all the time to try and get better. And as someone who’s new to producing, practicing is something I’m constantly reminding myself to do. Having the motivation from an incredible teacher, like Justin Jay, to start a fire for you is key, but I’m also constantly reminding myself to be my own cheerleader and motivator and keep at it. Very worth noting, and maybe it counts as number 3.5 impact skill, but surrounding yourself with people who encourage you to do your best is huge. Very underrated.
I think that my best advice for people that are early in their journey is to be patient and have faith in yourself. I think there’s truth in the idea that, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. And, that doesn’t always have to do with just money. There’s wealth in grinding it out and making your mark along the way.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When it comes to the overwhelming feelings that can sometimes feel inevitable as a business owner or just as a person navigating this little game of life, one strategy that I like to employ is something I call ‘taking a break’. Not a novel concept by any means, but I think it’s an easily forgettable one.
There have been plenty of times where I find myself overwhelmed with figuring out what else I could do for an artist on our label or building a brand following, anything really, and thinking…what more I could do? What am I not doing? Am I not doing enough? etc. And sometimes that means I need to go back to the drawing board or to my list of things that I’ve done already and assess the next best move logically with some solid information, but sometimes, when I feel this way, I might just go take a walk, do another unrelated task that I’ve been meaning to do to fulfill that sense of accomplishment I might be looking for or sometimes it just takes a second to pull yourself up, take a breath and get back to it.
I’ve found that there’s no perfect formula. Give yourself credit for putting forth the effort to find your answers and it’ll go far.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joey________g/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/joeygmixes
- Other: Lots of Practice (Instagram) – https://www.instagram.com/lotsofpractice/ Lots of Practice (Bandcamp) – https://lotsofpractice.bandcamp.com/music Lots of Practice (Website) – https://linktr.ee/lotsofpractice
Image Credits
Michael Melwani Ryan Valenzuela Jonathan Nunez
