Jackie Venson
Austin, TX USA
"The power is with the people now and I love that world. It’s the only world I want to be in."
Career Roadmap
Jackie's work combines: Music, Writing, and Being Creative
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
While there is no set path for this career, I'd recommend reading about mine and seeing if it applies. There are several ways to enter this field. I think the future is bright for anyone who wants a career as a musician. It used to be that the equipment was so expensive that only record companies had it. Now, it's become much more affordable. You can get affordable gear and make a really great record. It's also so easy to share links to your work, have your friends share it, and gain followers.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Contemporary Writing and Production
Berklee College of Music
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I started playing piano when I was 8 years old and was pretty intensely dedicated to it growing up.
2.
I spent 13 years playing piano but ultimately decided that while I loved the music, I didn’t like the rigidity of the classical environment.
3.
While watching a student concert at the music college I attended, I was inspired by one of the students rocking out on his guitar—I started thinking that maybe I could start a whole new persona.
4.
I took up guitar at 21 years old and decided that it was my dream to become the next big musician out of Texas.
5.
For the first several years, I really felt an urgency to realize that dream—which fueled me to find my manager and producer.
6.
I eventually came to the realization that I have so much time to accomplish my goals and I’ve since slowed down a bit and take on new gigs and projects one day at a time.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
This is my dream but I started late, so I need to make this happen as soon as possible.
How I responded:
I started playing guitar when I was 21 years old. At the time, I thought that was old. I felt like I was starting so late, so I felt so much urgency to realize my dream and become the next big musician out of Texas. That urgency lasted for six to seven years before I realized that I actually have so much time to accomplish my goals. It stems from this societal brainwashing that makes us all ageist and self-conscious. In reality, 21 is not too old to start something. We all have so much time.