We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mike Schmid. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mike below.
Hi Mike, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
Can anyone really fully overcome imposter syndrome? For me, it’s a daily battle. When I take in some really amazing art that makes me think “I could never do that”, it can be hard to remember that I am still good at what I do. In order conquer that beast (if only for the day), I have to focus more on what is unique about my art. What can I say that is uniquely me? What is the stylistic blend of all of my influences, and experiences, and all the people I’ve known, and all the art I’ve loved? Uniqueness and authenticity, I believe, are the only ways to deal with imposter syndrome. Because some days I may feel like I’m a fraud at playing “The Artiste” but I know I can be genuine at being me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Okay, so this is where that imposter syndrome kicks in — I hate talking about myself. But anyway, right now I’m currently focusing on my new music company SOUNDSUGAR. I created it to help artists refine their songs, providing services from top to bottom: songwriting, toplining, vocals, keyboards, editing, tuning, mixing and mastering. I meet my clients wherever they are in their process and help them get their music across the finish line so that it’s ready to be heard by the world. It’s been very inspiring and rewarding to work with clients all over the world in so many different capacities.
I started in the music business fresh out of graduating from Berklee College of Music with a degree in songwriting. I began by writing and recording an album of my own songs, and have continued a career as an artist (I’ve released another 6 albums since then).
Of course that was not immediately profitable, and I had been proficient in piano since early childhood, so naturally I gravitated to jobs where I played piano. I accompanied a lot of singer/songwriters in live shows and on albums.
This led me to joining Miley Cyrus’ band 17 years ago, and I’ve been fortunate enough to continue to play with her since then. In the meantime I’ve worked with other artists as well, touring with the Chainsmokers, Troye Sivan, and working on lots of records.
Aside from touring, I have been writing topline and performing vocals for EDM DJs globally for a decade.
Through it all, I’ve been mixing and mastering my own work and always honing my skills at that, so SOUNDSUGAR was a natural way to roll-up all these skills into one business, and provide bespoke services for each client.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the MOST important skill there is, is learning how to learn. The flexibility to adopt new technology & techniques, the inquisitiveness to find new things to learn, and the confidence that you can actually do it if you take the time — those 3 qualities are exponential in terms of growth. There’s a quote that sums this up — “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe”.
The best way to strengthen this is just through practice and self talk. Switching from “I don’t know how to do that” to “I don’t know how to do that YET” is crucial. Then just consistently spending time “sharpening the axe” until you feel confident and are always adding new skills to your toolbelt.
And now we have so many resources to learn new things that if you refuse to do so, someone else will surpass you — fast.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
An ideal client for me is an artist with a unique vision for their music. Who really knows what they want, but are also open to new ideas and avenues that may help achieve that vision. There’s a perfect blend of ‘sticking to your guns’ and knowing when to change course that leads to really great art and really open collaboration.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soundsugarmusic.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/mikeschmid
- Facebook: facebook.com/mikeschmidmusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/mikeschmid
- Youtube: youtube.com/mikeschmid
- SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/mikeschmidmusic
