Meet Susan Aquila

We were lucky to catch up with Susan Aquila recently and have shared our conversation below.

Susan , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Developing confidence in music and in life is like working out a muscle. If you don’t use it, it will fade away.. In spite of being fearful, I am always putting myself in a position which requires me to depend on myself to fight my way through. Even though it’s a painful process and can lead to failure, it’s not a failure if you continue to grow. The more times you do this, the more confident you become. Musically, I’ve always taken chances and put myself in front of an audience…. Do or die. It’s exciting and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The important thing is that you put out there experiencing it!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have been a musician my whole life. I have made a career being sideman to celebrities. I have performed with Joe Jackson, Diana Ross, Billy Joel, Beyoncé and Steven Tyler to name a few. I am classically trained on violin and I play a mean 6 string electric rock violin. Now I’m branching out on my own and developing as a solo artist. I am hoping to relaunch my solo career in 2025 with a new music , shows and touring.
Feel free to look up on YouTube: Susan Aquila Eruption to see the electric violin in action:

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?

The first quality that has really helped me is to check your ego at the door and be willing to learn. It’s okay not to know everything. Know your strengths but be willing to let your guard down and learn new things. This will only add to your skill set. The second quality is don’t be afraid to roll your sleeves up and work hard. Be the most prepare that you can be going into a situation. Be ‘overprepared’.. Coming into a situation where you can display your abilities and show respect for the work is vital.
The third quality that is important is to not give up. You will get knocked down many times but if you don’t get up again and learn from it, you won’t improve.
I find the best exercise to help is to go into a situation thinking I am what I am but I’m going to work hard to gain the skills from everyone else in the room.

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?

I am looking for songwriters and lyricists to collaborate with. I am a dynamic performer with the unusual instrument of electric violin that sounds like a guitar. Finding the right material has been difficult.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Susan Aquila

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