Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nate Arnott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nate, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Humanity is captivated and obsessed with creating, from health trends that seek to craft ideal physiques, to the wonder and breathlessness that we feel at the glow of a sunrise, we thirst for and want to participate in creation. I find it helpful to view resilience as the result of a willingness to be “created.” It is the ability to face adversity or difficulty and to adapt to those circumstances. I believe that the lessons learned, and the experience gained produce an outcome that is equally or more beautiful than what existed prior to a given season of adversity. I have learned that the challenges that have exercised the muscles that produce this resilience in my own life are the very things that I cherish most afterward.
My story in this area is still being written but a few seasons in my life have produced both the greatest challenge and the most rewarding outcome. The first of these was born out of a series of severe injuries that I experienced throughout my high school career. In the span of 15 months, I was a pedestrian hit by a car, I endured a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and I had multiple spinal fractures. I spent years in various forms of physical and cognitive therapy as a teenager working to regain my strength and function. I grew up excelling academically and working hard toward the things that mattered most to me. In a short period of time, I was faced with an inability to relate words to their definitions, continued cognitive struggle, periodic losses of sight, and significant physical hurdles. The life and rhythm that I had known was completely upside down.
Most people revere and praise the outcome of another’s resilience, but I often found that few individuals were willing to sit in the tension and pain of unknown circumstances with me. The process can be an uncomfortable canyon, but it is not an emotional terrain that should be avoided. I learned through my recovery that I don’t want to run from the difficulties in life or spend all my energy doing the “safe” things. I want to be the friend, husband, and leader that isn’t deterred by challenge or unwilling to take risks.
I find that the unknown is wonderful, terrifying, and an invitation. This description is also reflective of the God I’ve come to know. I was raised in the home of a pastor whose humility and faith are two of the most beautiful and selfless things I’ve witnessed in my life. These attributes, paired with the ferocity and loyal love of a mother shaped me, but it wasn’t until this season during high school that my faith became personal.
I chose to sit in the tension with God as I recovered, and to acknowledge and grieve what I found scary and painful. Little by little I found prayers answered and companionship in the woman whom I now call my wife. Too often we think that resilience is something that we can fully take credit for. I think this way of thinking unintentionally hardens our hearts to those around us and squelches the partnership that we can offer to others when they are in need. Adversity is not something to be quantified by demographic or a set of criteria, rather it is most important to acknowledge that the greatest minority is the individual. We all encounter difficulty and crave the knowledge that we have place.
These lessons in resilience translate to many areas including songwriting, teaching, and running a business. In songwriting you must be resilient when mining for the lyric that fully conveys the story you are telling. In teaching you have to remain attentive to each unique student, seeing their personal story and way of learning as valuable–especially in the moments of tension as they wrestle with new ideas and explanations are adapted to fit their specific learning style. Lastly, in business where the technological advancement and speed of economic change require an ever evolving need to adapt and utilize new resources i.e. marketing strategies and ways of creating products and resources for present and future cliental.
I’ve always been a dreamer with an insatiable ambition to go after the things I feel conviction toward, but I don’t know that my wife Katy and I would have started Six Thirty-Three Sound if it weren’t for the ability to walk into the unknown together. This ability was molded through the season I detailed above and through thousands of days spent together, choosing to adapt to previous changes in occupation, persistently praying for direction, and an unwillingness to settle for the “safer” avenues in life that we grew up listening to others praise. Resilience is a crafty dance partner that may lead you to move in ways that you had never considered or wanted before, but you may just find that with each round you begin to appreciate where you’re being led and the joy of the dance!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My wife Katy and I are the founders of Six Thirty-Three Sound–a Private Music Lessons Business that specializes in tailored one-on-one instruction. Six Thirty-Three Sound began as a small Guitar Lessons offering for local students in the Northeast Ohio area, but we’ve now grown to offer in-person and remote lessons that allow us to serve a client base that stretches across the United States. Through the years we’ve expanded our services to include: Guitar, Voice, Music Theory, Music Production, and Guitar Tone/Technology Lessons.
Alongside our individual lesson offerings, we provide a range of customizable workshop and consultation services for churches, worship teams, and musical groups looking to grow with one another while expanding their knowledge base.
Katy and I are passionate about the language of music and helping students understand why things work and how best to command these ideas to tell impactful musical stories. We write custom lesson plans for each individual that studies with us to serve every person’s unique goals. We know that by helping others grow familiar with this language’s core principles, we can take the same tools–applied in different settings–and lead others in the expansion of musicality across genres while helping the development of their unique voice.
We are currently working on an educational resource expansion that will include books and recorded lesson courses for purchase via our website: sixthirtythreesound.com. These items are currently in development, with the first products intended to be available late 2024 or early 2025. Our goal with these resources is to serve individuals who do not have the ability to take regular one-on-one lessons with us.
Alongside Six Thirty-Three Sound, Katy and I are songwriters who perform under the name Those Knighted. We are working on our debut body of work and hope to have our first batch of music under the Those Knighted moniker releasing later this year. We play live on a regular basis around Ohio, and we recently launched the Those Knighted Patreon and social media channels to help our music reach more people. We were songwriters and musicians long before we were teachers, and we believe that our practical experience in settings from studios to stages help us better serve our students while continuing to push the boundaries of our current musical abilities. For more information and details about Those Knighted head to: bio.site/thoseknightedmusic.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
First, I would encourage individuals who are considering starting their own business or pursuing a career that may not be traditional, to commit to never stop growing and researching. I believe that you cannot lead people to a place that you aren’t going.
That said, when beginning Six Thirty-Three Sound Katy and I researched as much as we could about the current technologies in our industry, best practices for website design, software and products that would allow us to grow a client base that went beyond local in-person students, etc. Depending on what industry you’re going into, and your starting budget, you may not have the monetary resources to outsource the behind-the-scenes tasks or administrative duties. Although this road can be more challenging due to wearing so many different hats, you are also becoming better equipped to serve your clients, especially in the moments where you run into technical difficulties or challenges. You can be the one who helps solve a problem while limiting the cost required and the energy needed to find external help.
Outside of the behind-the-scenes details, continue working on your craft and never be too proud to tell a customer that you don’t have an answer and you’ll get back to them. Communication is key!
Second, be genuine! In a world where social media and technology produce a pressure with a seemingly endless list of mandatory ways to entice customers, above all else be genuine. I’ve found that most things that connect best with our audience and help new students find us are born out of Katy and me being ourselves. This can be a clip of one of us playing a song or improvising musically, or it can be presenting a topic that we are interested in.
Third, the customer is NOT always right. There are plenty of times where it is important to listen to your clients and prospective customers to better gauge how you can grow as a business; however, there are also times where it is more important to stand up for the integrity and policies of your business than it is to satisfy a disgruntled individual. I grew up in a culture where the idea that the customer was always right led to an unhealthy overextension of self and a self-deprecating nature that was praised by other business owners. You can be respectful without people-pleasing and feeling an expectation that burnout is inevitable. If you are whole, then you remain in the best position to serve your clients and keep growing. In most cases, those who choose to do business with you want to see you succeed and they want to be interacting with you. Throw away the notion that being a doormat = good business practice!
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
An ideal client for Six Thirty-Three Sound is someone who is looking to grow as a musician and who wants to truly feel confident in their area of study. At Six Thirty-Three Sound we love demystifying topics such as elements of Music Theory that have historically been overcomplicated in more traditional learning environments.
Beyond a hunger to grow, an ideal client will carry a willingness to apply themselves to the material they are presented with. An individual’s proficiency level and personal goals can vary, but if a student doesn’t acknowledge that learning is a process that requires time and one that blooms with personal ownership outside of their designated lesson, they will struggle to succeed long term.
Lastly, I would say an optimal client is truly interested in studying in one of the areas we offer. Too often, a parent’s desire to “enrich” their child’s experience can lead to the purchase of instruments that are cost-effective but not enjoyable to play. It’s okay if music lessons and playing an instrument isn’t for everybody, but make sure that you’re interested and invested enough to pursue musical growth well, not just the general idea of being able to play something.
Ultimately, the people that will have the best experiences at Six Thirty-Three Sound are the ones who are willing to trust us and come along for the ride. Students don’t always see the big picture of where they’re being taken in an individual lesson, but over the span of time they will look back and realize how far they’ve come.
Contact Info:
- Website: sixthirtythreesound.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/six33sound
- Facebook: facebook.com/sixthirtythreesound
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/sixthirtythreesound
- Youtube: youtube.com/@six33sound
- Other: For original music and all things Those Knighted: bio.site/thoseknightedmusic
