Ty Ellenbogen’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

Ty Ellenbogen shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Ty, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Good company! It’s said that laughter is the best medicine, and I’m so fortunate to have an amazing community of friends that help me unwind. I do a lot of remote work and it means I have to be extra mindful about staying tapped into my social life. I think it’s easy for all of us to forget that we’re social creatures who need that type of connection in our lives!

That being said, I find a lot of joy in my quiet time, too. I’m a firm believer that reading a book, journaling, and watching a movie are some of life’s great pleasures.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a recording artist based in Nashville! I’ve been playing music for as long as I can remember, but I’ve been writing and producing songs of my own for the past 5 years now. I draw musical inspiration from a wide variety of sources— 70s & 80s soft rock, old school R&B, current-day pop, you name it. I like to say that my sound is a combination of “old soul” and “new pop.”

I’ve also come to love helping other artists fulfill their creative visions. This has led to me wearing a lot of different hats, among them songwriter, producer, live playback engineer, and monitor engineer. My ideal career path is one where I can continue to play those roles for other great artists while I work on music of my own.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I think growing up, I always held onto this notion that I could get exactly where I wanted in life on my own. I was a pretty independent kid who took a lot of pride in being able to works things out on my own. When I started pursing a career as a recording artist, that mentality carried over— I grew obsessed with being self-sufficient, being a “jack of all trades.” I was already a multi-instrumentalist, so learning how to produce music on my laptop allowed me to write and record everything on my own. It was a way for me to maintain absolute control over my art; nobody else wrote a single lyric, played a single note, or touched a single fader during the process.

In some ways, it’s important for music to be imbued with the artist’s unique sense of self. Art is self-expression, after all. But as I’ve matured, I’ve come to realize that creating everything in a vacuum is neither practical nor does it serve the art itself. At some point, I had to accept that asking for help made me wiser, not weaker. I find there’s a certain humanity in creating with other people; the product suddenly becomes an amalgamation of each artist’s lived experiences. In essence, collaborating is a reciprocated conversation between souls whereas creating alone can feel a bit like shouting into the void.

Surrendering that sense of control and inviting others into my creation process is something I’ve prioritized as I work on my upcoming project. I’m grateful to have built my foundation as someone who can “do it all”— I think it’s allowed me to become a well-rounded musician and see the bigger picture when it comes to the recording process. But relieving myself of the burden to do everything alone has allowed me to create some of my best music. I can’t wait to share it all!

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Fear of failing, without a doubt. I’m a perfectionist through and through, and I have a love-hate relationship with that trait of mine. It means I hold myself (and my work) to a higher standard, which is something I’m proud of. However, it also means that I sometimes shy away from opportunities because I’m afraid I’m not qualified enough to be perfect in that setting. It’s a bit of a catch-22— I feel the need to be qualified before I enter new situations, but I’ll never become qualified unless I try and fail first!

As a recording artist, my attention to detail does give me a certain edge when I’m editing or mixing a song. Unfortunately, though, perfectionism and art do not always mix well. There’s no such thing as “perfect” art, so as a songwriter, it’s a mindset I really have to fight against. If I critique every idea before it ever gets down on paper, I close myself off to endless possibilities for great songs. In many ways, I create my own writer’s block by being too judgmental, and sometimes my best songs are ones that come about when I’m not afraid to write a bad song. It’s still something I work at, but I try to save my perfectionism for later in the creative process. That way, I can get every idea down in the moment and worry about making sense of it later when I come back to edit.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That metrics are everything. I think the advent of social media and music streaming led to a more analytics-focused approach from record labels. In order to get signed now, you pretty much need to be doing numbers on social media and streaming. And of course, there is merit to that approach— labels are ultimately trying to run a business, so they need to see a proven track record before they invest in an artist. But the downside to chasing virality is that it does not necessarily equate to impactful art. Just because someone has a viral moment on TikTok does not mean people will continue to connect with their music in a meaningful way long term.

In some cases, these viral moments can even propel people into the spotlight before they’ve had a chance to develop as an artist. Too often, we see artists get signed to major deals based on their social media success only for them to struggle as a live performer or have future releases fail to live up to the expectations that have been created for them. This is not at all a denouncement of social media or a criticism of using metrics to make informed business decisions. However, I firmly believe that no amount of metrics can discount the art itself. It is why I am especially critical of those seeking to profiteer using AI artists. It may remain a lucrative venture for now, but we as consumers of art will always yearn to feel seen and understood by other humans.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would probably stop caring about what other people think. It’s hard not to get caught up in that sometimes, but we all owe it to ourselves to live fearlessly and authentically. I remember reading a quote that said the only two people whose opinions you should care about are your 8-year-old self and your 80-year-old self. I suppose my 80-year-old self is out of the picture in this scenario, but the message still rings true: build a life and legacy that you are proud of!

There’s a certain courage that comes with being an 8-year-old. At that age, the way you’re perceived doesn’t concern you in the slightest. I also think there’s wisdom to be gained from viewing the world through a child’s eyes; every encounter is an adventure, a source of inspiration, a wonder to behold. For all of us— artist or otherwise— there is real value in honoring that inner child. It is human life in its purest form, and I hope to channel it for as long as I live.

Most of my biggest regrets in life are actions I didn’t take because I was afraid of being judged— afraid I’d be seen as incompetent, weird, rude, or otherwise. I worried so much about what other people thought that I didn’t stop to consider how my inaction would make *me* feel. As an artist, I especially feel that fear when it comes time to share my music— am I being too honest? too depressing? too bold? too corny? In a world where I don’t care how I’m perceived, none of that matters. Instead, I can just focus on creating art that is 100% true to me.

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Kenzie Leigh, Stacy Sideris

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