We recently connected with Mark Catalano and have shared our conversation below.
Mark, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I’ve been fortunate to have great people around me… My parents, siblings, teachers, and peers have all helped me to understand how to be humble while not being too self-deprecating. It’s good to laugh at myself, and admit my faults, but everything requires balance. Too much negative self-talk can tip me in the wrong direction.
Another important piece is to try to enjoy the process, and accept that I’ll never be done improving myself. I think I’m really lucky to have found things I love like music, where I can always keep improving and learning. Music, for me, is the gift that keeps on giving. Knowing that I’ll always get better if I just keep working at it gives me confidence and self-esteem.
I think the final piece is that a good teacher is someone who knows that they’ll always be a student, but they’re just further along than their students. My dad always said that we have to pass along our wisdom and knowledge, and I’ve learned that he was right.
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 business is Catalano Music LLC. I teach music lessons, online to students of all-ages all around the world, and also in-person:
Guitar, Drums, Ukulele, Voice, Piano, Songwriting, Recording, and Bass.
I also host performance opportunities for my students.
And last-but-not-least, I perform live regularly and write and record my own music.
It hasn’t been easy to build this business, but music continues to keep me excited and it’s given me great opportunities to be of service to my community. I honestly feel really grateful that this is how I get to provide for my family.
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?
I think it can all be summed-up into one thing. My peers in LA taught me that it’s all about the hang. Make this your mantra. Repeat it. Never forget it.
This means people have to like you. I mean they have to REALLY honestly like you. This means you’re going to have to like yourself, and be a good person. There’s no room for drama or cockiness in the modern music industry. That stuff will get you fired. We must be humble, grateful, curious, generous, hard-working, prepared, and on-time. This will get you into the rooms and roles you want, and keep you there. Spend your time with people who also understand this, and you’ll be alright.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
There have been A LOT of people who have helped me along the way. Here’s a short(ish) list: My mom and dad helped me to discover piano, guitar, and singing. My brother and sister helped me to discover drums, and many of my favorite artists. My cousin Dale helped me to discover audio engineering and bass guitar. My high school music teacher Tom Ruggieri encouraged me to become a teacher myself. My brother-from-another-mother Nicholas Sainato taught me lots about songwriting, teamwork, work-ethic, and accountability. My brother-from-another-mother Marc Langworthy guided me into being able to produce my own music. My brother-from-another-mother Elliot Schwartzman opened a lot of doors for me in my LA music community, and taught me how to best present and carry myself in this business. Last but not least, I credit my wife Melissa Ciesla with bringing many vehicles of growth into my life, including yoga, meditation, & therapy, which have all been massively beneficial to me. I don’t believe anyone is really ever “self-made”, and that’s just fine.
Contact Info:
- Website:CatalanoMusic.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markcatalanomusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkCatalanoMusic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markacatalano/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarkCatalanoMusic
- Other: https://linktr.ee/markcatalano
Image Credits
Image Credits:
Kelly Elaine Garthwaite, Andy M Hawkes, Melissa K Ciesla
