Meet Rick Stojak

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

Hi Rick, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I’m not the tallest guy you’ll find in a room. Actually, I’m usually the shortest. Of course growing up this way was a little uncomfortable at times as I was overweight as well.

What I quickly found out as far back as middle school is that my appearance didn’t matter as long as I accepted myself. I found that if I asked people questions about their lives and shifted the focus to them, then people would open up to me. That made me more approachable and able to connect.

No matter what the stage in my life, I’ve held my head up high and showed no fear. Drumming helped me incredibly with confidence and self esteem. The short fat kid was a good drummer and kind of funny. I concentrated on what I was good at and learned to like and appreciate myself.

Maybe some doors won’t open because of appearance but are those really the doors that you want to go through?

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
For me drumming was my calling, it was what I loved to do and what I did best. At the age of 13, I put all I had into it. I took private lessons, played in the school band and worked on original music with my older brother, who played guitar, daily.

It was great for my self esteem to be playing in a band with my brother and his peers. Three years into drumming I played my first gig at the famous club CBGB in New York City. At the same time we were recording demos at high quality recording studios. We had seven major record companies interested in our band, B. Wilde. We were enthusiastic and at the same time very green about the realities of the music industry.

We played our own songs which were well received, but there was not any real income in original music unless you made it big. With key band members leaving the band and styles changing, we never got a contract with a label and eventually the band broke up. We had nothing to fall back on and I didn’t have a college degree. What I did have was a pure passion for drumming and a burning desire to somehow make a living in music.

While transitioning to a day job in marketing that I enjoyed and offered me a comfortable lifestyle, I kept on practicing and taking more lessons. At the same time I began to accept that making it as a rockstar was becoming elusive. So I decided to depart from this idea and joined a band that offered the opportunity to have fun and be creative with my drumming. The style of music they played was Psychobilly which was a mix of roots, rockabilly, punk rock, and various styles all mixed into one. It was underground at the time.

I loved the music, but knew it had little chance of being successful on a large scale. However, the music that I played for artistic sake and experience ended up being the most successful thing I’ve ever done. I became a drummer for hire for many bands. This led to shows all over the United States, several European tours and recording on many albums. In addition, I received a small income from drumming which supplemented my corporate day job’s paycheck. However, the real pay from my music career was the amazing experiences, free travel throughout the world and all the great people I met along the way. It also sharpened my drumming skills massively and more importantly I discovered I could share all this knowledge and start teaching drums.

In my forties I evolved my business to a point where I could make a comfortable living teaching drums full time along with various gigs and studio sessions. I now have over 50 hourly students at Rick Stojak’s Drum Studio in San Diego. I teach private lessons full time that are at my studio as well as online.

During the last decade I’ve written a 4 book, drum set method series called “How to Build a Drum Groove” that offers a new approach to learning drums. It accelerates students’ ability to play drums by matching beats with hit songs. I have had tremendous success with my business by implementing this series into my teaching curriculum.

I have several professional endorsements with top drum equipment manufacturers. I’m also a cofounder of a weekly video podcast called Drummers Education Connection. It’s a show that provides performance, insight and inspiration for drummers of all levels. In addition, I offer music career consultation and enjoy being a mentor for many of my students. It’s very rewarding to be able to share all of my knowledge and to help others find their way.

People often say I’m a natural on the drums. My passion was natural, but I had to build all of my skills from the bottom up. I earned my ability to play through my love of the instrument and tenacity. I can teach drumming to my students because I had to figure it out myself. I worked hard on my playing ability. It would not have happened without focus, passion and determination.

My drumming journey is constantly evolving, and there is always something exciting around the corner. I’m always open to recording drum tracks of any style and playing the big gig. The more I learn the more interesting it becomes. This makes my drumming career creative, challenging and rewarding.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The skill of being responsible was definitely key to my success and happiness in life. I feel I took a practical approach to making it as a musician rather than living gig to gig and sleeping on other peoples’ couches.

Many musicians have no back up plan or savings and are fully dedicated regardless of the outcome. I totally respect and understand that path as an option. And, perhaps that is what’s needed for some to be successful.

Being able to pay my bills and live a comfortable life has always been a priority for me. Having a day job and then being a part-time musician worked well until I was finally able to go full-time as a musician in my mid forties. Having the income gave me the ability to invest in my drumming career. I was able to play the music that I liked and that kept me excited and enthusiastic.

If you’re considering a career in music, I would suggest finding several mentors who can share their experience and give you practical knowledge of what to expect.

Having patience was also a key to success. I always had a belief that things would eventually work out, so acceptance of every situation including failures was essential. The key was to learn from every experience and make it a growth opportunity.

I would recommend focusing on the good stuff. Look for the good in every situation. I try not to focus on the brain chatter that’s negative. And, I remind myself that I have learned something from every challenge.

I’m definitely an optimist. You have to have faith and trust in life. I know if I do everything to the best of my ability and I’m the greatest version of myself, then regardless of the outcome I accept it and move forward. Optimism comes a lot easier for me by being prepared and honest with myself. I have also found that my focus is powerful, so I put my attention on successful outcomes.

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?
I’m so grateful for my wife Julia! I never could have made it this far without her. We share a common interest in our personal and spiritual growth as well as a passion for fitness both physically and mentally. We listen to personal growth podcasts, Audible books and YouTube platforms and are always exploring how to find peace and happiness. Every morning starts with a walk where we instill positive affirmations. After that we do a fantastic yoga and stretching routine that sets our day in a great direction.

I was also lucky enough to have a fantastic mom and dad! My mom is alive and well at 97 years old. She’s always focused on the positive and never says anything bad about anyone. To this day, she is always able to give me incredibly sound advice. My dad was a Marine in World War II and served in the South Pacific. He was very responsible and an ultimate survivor. Being an incredible roll model, he instilled a solid work ethic in me that I feel has been a great source of my success.

I owe so much to my late brother, Robert, who was my best friend and musical partner for decades. I miss him every day and always try to make him proud. He was a tremendous believer in me when I was very young. He made me feel like I could do anything.

The drumming community by and large has been super supportive as well. I owe so much to my teachers especially Zoro the drummer.

I am so very fortunate to have a large and wonderful friend and family network. I also find constant inspiration and learn from my students.

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