Meet Peter Ippolito

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Peter Ippolito a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Peter, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Purpose is a funny thing. Sometimes it’s a singular objective and sometimes it’s a mission with multiple fronts. Sometimes you think you’re on the right track and get pulled into another. Knowing what you’re meant to do is one of the most fulfilling things in we get to experience in this life and I’m lucky enough to have found purpose in so many aspects of mine.

I think the first realization of where I started to find my purpose is when I began to tell myself, “Fame in the music industry is just a perk. It’s not something I need. If I’m meant for it, then it’ll be. If I’m meant to stay here and provide a space and a chance for others, then I’ll do it”. It’s the selflessness that grew into doing so much than just playing music, but sharing the experience with others, being a role model in the scene and community for those to look to for advice, providing opportunity while lifting others in their opportunities, and using the talent I have to help others in more ways than most see. I’ve worked in this band, on music festivals, a benefit organization, studio sessions, media, and all of them fall into place working together as one.

However, it can grow at any moment. Once I became a husband new purpose bloomed. I live a life with someone I love very much. That becomes a whole new purpose. Then in 2022 I became a dad and another purpose bloomed. Balancing all these things together is no easy job but the feeling you receive, the accomplishment and the pride is what lets you press on. Even if it I let go of the music business aspects in my life, I know I have purpose at home. I have a daughter who loves music and a wife who loves seeing me strive in what I do. The funny thing about purposes is sometimes you don’t find it. It finds you. And there is no one more suit for it than you.

At the end of all of it I would’ve never thought I would work and talk with bands like Psychostick and A Killer’s Confession. The fact I’ve had the opportunity to open for people like Alien Ant Farm, RED, and Smile Empty Soul. Being able to rally people together every year, multiple times a year to raise money for those in need through music. To continue to notch all these achievements and more under my belt is something unbelievable. To be able to come home to a supportive family knowing the struggles this all causes sometimes is just as unbelievable. I’m beyond thankful for everything that has happened and everyone I’ve met. I’m thankful for the purposes that found me and showed me the way.

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?

Overall, I’m part of many different outlets musically.

-Home For The Day is like that home base of it all. It’s the band I’ve been a part of for almost 10 years now. We’re actually celebrating our 10-year anniversary this September in Gastonia, NC on the 28th. Being in a band for 10 years is something that doesn’t happen often. You don’t see a lot of long-standing musicians keep something alive that long. It’s taken me all over the east coast, to Texas twice, multiple festivals, venues like the Masquerade (ALT) and The Fillmore (CLT). It’s allowed me to make so many connections to feed into other things I do. The best part of it all is being able to do it with the people that are in the band. I love Christian, Thomas, Nick, and Bryan very much, and I wouldn’t dare do this with anyone else. We’ve released new music all year which you can find on all platforms. Our most recent song is called “Drowning”, and we have another 2 coming out in July and August with a full-length album this September.

-Top Heavy Productions is our home studio where we record all of our material. Recently I’ve opened it back up to the public to record other bands. Long before COVID we actually had a roster of 12-15 bands around the state we we’re recording. Recently we’ve had projects like Alpha Strain and Nosey Neighbor come through to record.

-House Shows For Hope is our non-profit benefit organization that we started back in 2019. My wife had the idea to turn our house shows into something more by collecting donations at the door for different groups or people in need. We then named the house venue “The Hope House”. In 2020 when COVID struck we fused Top Heavy and HSFH into one by streaming live sets on Twitch (TopHeavyProductions) to help fuel and save the NC scene by giving artists a safe place to play with an online audience while continuing to raise money or supplies for those who need it.

-Fusion Media Entertainment is a group that I co-host that does interviews for people of all talents and covers music news related events.

-Brewstock Music Festival is my adopted child of a local festival that turned into so much more. In 2021 someone ditched the event out of nowhere leaving question to what had happened. Many of the bands including myself came together to revive the festival, renaming it “Brewstock”. Over the years we’ve simplified the team to Nestor Idler, Todd Jackson, and me. As of recent we’re getting ready for our 4th year set to be at The Rooster in Gastonia, NC on July 26th and 27th, headlined by Psychostick. The festival itself has grown to become a massive success and talked about every year of what we’ll do next. We look forward to seeing where we this can take us and how big of an event, we can create for the Carolinas.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

It’s probably not what you think it would be.

Being yourself is probably one of the most important skills, if you could call it a skill. There are some people who talk in a way that you can tell is just an act. Some don’t see it but the real connections that you have opportunity with can see right through that. If you’re not honest about who you are and what you’ve done don’t expect much.

Truthfully, as silly as it sounds, luck. There are a lot of times we’ve landed things we don’t deserve or didn’t actually belong on and the number of times that’s happened is probably more than we can count. Have faith and stay optimistic. Things don’t always work out but when they do it’s rewarding. Embrace what’s given.

Connect. The only way you’re going to find your place is when you connect with others. Be brave and talk to people in your scene or with those you admire. You may have a lot in common or you may have a skill they’re searching for. Getting yourself out there is one of the most important things you can do.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

We’re always big on collaboration. We love features in music, putting events together, helping others shine when they’ve earned it, etc. Essentially, we’re open to anything so long as we can make it work. You can reach out to me personally, message Home For The Day, Top Heavy Productions, really any of the outlets listed from before depending on what you’re looking to do. Let’s explore each other’s scenes and see how we can help one another!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Danny Mazzeo- Pit Crew
Jonny Golian- 20xx

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