Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Whitaker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Joshua, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I find that trusting my creative instincts keep me sharp. I started doing piano videos because I didn’t have a teacher. I wanted to play songs that were exciting, interesting and that would captivate people. This came from being curious, challenging myself and asking, “where can this go?” I was just paying attention to what was drawing me. I practiced piano everyday until I got it. I kept that desire alive through watching other musicians on YouTube. I would incorporate things I liked into my own videos to help me create my own vibe. Over time, my interests developed into other interests and I go just with the flow. For instance, I’m currently working on my first single as a songwriter. Depending on when this article is released, the song will be available everywhere (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.). I’ve been building my brand as a pianist all these years so this is a bit out my comfort zone. Honestly, going into the unfamiliar keeps the fire hot. I felt that songwriting was an area I could tap into so I trusted my gut. Being around other creative people helps also because you can gain inspiration from them. So long as I’m doing things I vibe with, the flow of creativity is infinite. If I had to sum it up, I’d say:
Trust your instincts
Pay attention to what draws you
Develop your skills, learn new ones
Stay around other creative people
Don’t compare yourself
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?
My name is Joshua Whitaker, pianist, songwriter and producer born and raised in Portland, OR. I’m 28 years old and got my first keyboard around age 4. I practiced the preloaded classical songs on there but I wanted to play songs I enjoyed. I discovered piano covers on YouTube and watched pianists perform popular songs. That gave me inspiration to start my channel back in 2011 and upload my own videos. Since I didn’t have a music teacher, I used the videos I posted as a way to study myself. Over time, it turned into content that I uploaded to Vine, Instagram and YouTube. As of now, I’ve done 3 piano albums, lofi tracks, short films, produced for artists and currently working on my first original single as a songwriter.
In the process of content creation, I was thinking of how I could brand myself. I came up with the name TrackFingers because after doing talent shows in high school, I’d be dressed for track practice hours later. Track is also a double meaning; “track” for track and field then music “track.” “Fingers” referring to me as a pianist.
The most exciting part about what I do is connecting with people through my music. There’s no better feeling than playing music and seeing how it impacts people! I’ve been doing that with covers for years and now I’m in the process of doing that with my own songs. I just finished my first original single titled, “The Night is Young.” I’m excited and also anxious to put this out being that it’s my first original. One of my best friends named Shon whose also an artist, helped me write some of the lyrics. I teamed up with another musician out in Arkansas, Pat Washington who killed it on the production. At the time of writing this song, the only thing I looked forward to was going out on the weekends. Normally, I’d be home creating content but I was out of it. I was exhausted from being around people I didn’t like and just wanted to escape. On top of that, I was job hopping and stacked with bills. After putting out my 3rd piano album in October 22’, I felt there was more I needed to give musically. I started writing this song during the middle work shifts and when I got off. I took inspiration from those low moments to create this track. This song will provide an opportunity for my audience to see new side of me .
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?
Discipline is big. It’s doing what is necessary regardless of how you feel. There’s days I don’t feel like practicing or recording but I still do it. My goal in the beginning was to be able to play by ear since I didn’t have teacher. Having clear goals and being excited about what you’re doing fuels your discipline. Spend time writing out your goals and figuring out why you’re doing what you’re doing. If your “why” is strong enough, the discipline to do what’s necessary to hit your goals will be easier to maintain in my opinion.
Persistence is key. Every content session I have isn’t glamorous. Depending on what I’m doing, it might take time to do a piece of content. I have faith that I will accomplish my outcomes as long as I keep going. Not seeing results right away is the biggest test but you must continue. The hardest thing about growth is that you don’t feel it. It’s only when you look back after accomplishing your goal, that you can see how your persistence paid off. Believe in your vision. Course correct along the way when something isn’t working but never stop.
You must overcome procrastination. Putting things off will kill your dreams. The way you transcend that is by making decisions. By making decisions, you ward off procrastination. I try many things that work and don’t work. Not everything I do works but the key lies in the doing. Some motion is better than no motion. That beats living with regret and wondering, “what if?”. When you get ideas, work on them right away. You’ll gain confidence when you see results. Making progress is addicting. I love seeing myself grow and improve.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I’ve been rebranding most of the year. Going from pianist to singer / songwriter is an interesting change. Learning the process of putting these parts together from making music, branding, content creation, marketing, working with producers, photographers etc. is more work than what I’m used to. When I just did piano covers, I handled things on my own. I’m learning to have patience with myself and not overthink or second guess. I read and research successful artists on a similar path as me. It’s a new journey putting out original music. Ultimately by taking action, I’ll grow from the experiences and apply the lessons to future songs I do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trackfingers/
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/TrackFingers
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3mpeadC
- Apple Music: https://apple.co/3itGpW1
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@trackfingers
Image Credits
Instagram – @sinistershots Instagram – @warren_tafah Instagram – @quesainbolt
