We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kerem Seçkin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kerem, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe my resilience stems from my deep love for what I do and the strong desire I have to bring my visions to life. Having a solid foundation in the profession you choose is incredibly important. I firmly believe that the decision you make regarding your career plays a direct role in shaping how resilient you will be. If you choose a field that you don’t truly love, it’s much harder to stay committed during difficult times—it often won’t feel worth the struggle. On the other hand, if you find something you’re genuinely connected to, enduring hardship becomes more meaningful. You’re more likely to push through even the toughest challenges because you know it’s in service of something that matters deeply to you. For me, that passion has always been music. I’ve had a strong connection to it for as long as I can remember, and it has always been what I wanted to pursue. I believe that this deep connection is the true source of my resilience.
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?
I’m a drummer, producer, and composer with over 13 years of experience on my instrument. I recently graduated from Berklee College of Music, where I majored in Jazz Composition and Performance. Right now, I’m preparing to record my debut album, which will feature a collection of my original compositions and arrangements. These pieces were written during my time at Berklee and reflect different moments and milestones from that journey.
I’ll be recording this music alongside my friends—musicians I deeply admire and trust. I’m incredibly excited to share the final product with the world. In addition to the album, I’m also working on a number of tracks as a producer, which I plan to release in the near future.
What makes my work special, in my view, is its sincerity. I strive to be honest in everything I create, and I believe that honesty translates into something meaningful for the listener. My music is a true representation of my aesthetic and sonic identity, and I believe that people with similar sensibilities will connect with it.
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?
I believe it’s essential to maintain a healthy balance between your own opinions and the ideas you absorb from others. Gaining insight and guidance from people you admire can be very valuable, but listening to yourself and respecting your own thoughts is equally—if not more—important. Outside perspectives can definitely help you grow in many areas, but it’s crucial to filter them through your own judgment before deciding how to apply them to your life.
Equally important is the ability to see things objectively. In any field, if you want to improve and move closer to your goals, developing objectivity is a critical skill. Without it, you risk making poor judgments and decisions that create unnecessary obstacles in your path. Learning to see things as they truly are, without distortion or bias, gives you the clarity needed to make better choices and progress with confidence.
Finally, I believe that remaining open-minded is vital. Openness allows you to keep learning, to consider new possibilities, and to refine your path without becoming rigid or closed off. When you are open-minded, you give yourself the chance to challenge old beliefs, adapt to new circumstances, and embrace perspectives that you might not have considered otherwise. It doesn’t mean accepting every idea blindly, but rather being willing to explore and evaluate them thoughtfully. This attitude creates space for continuous growth and ensures that you are always moving closer to becoming the best version of yourself.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Answers to this question vary from person to person. For me, I believed that being well-rounded was the route that would take me to what I wanted to achieve, so I made a conscious choice: to prioritize self-improvement over creating for many years. I had a clear sense of the art I wanted to make at an early age, but I knew that if I had tried to create in that style back then, I wouldn’t have gotten the results I desired.
I’m a drummer and that’s where I have the most experience, but I’ve always been interested in understanding all of music. Improving in this area is something that truly excites me and gives me a lot of joy. Even now, practicing piano, bass, or drums is usually my favorite part of the day.
Many years after making that decision, I can genuinely say I’ve been successful in this endeavor: I’m now at a place where I can create as I desire. I would happily recommend this approach to anyone who loves music as much as I do — pursued thoughtfully, it can be hugely rewarding. On the other hand, for some people, exploring what they can create with what they have right now can be an incredible journey too. I don’t think there’s a single right answer; what matters is doing a deep dive into your own mind and choosing the path that best fits your desires.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.keremseckin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keremseckin_/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keremseckinmusic
Image Credits
Sinan Tökmeci
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