Nick Gulyamov shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Nick, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Who are you learning from right now?
Being an elementary school music teacher, I see over 700 students in a week! I am constantly learning all sorts of things from them.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My professional life revolves entirely around music! I grew up in Palm Beach County, and participated in band on the clarinet and saxophone since the 6th Grade. I fell in love with jazz music and chose to pursue that in college, getting a degree from Florida State University in Jazz Performance on saxophone. As I was wrapping up college, the world went into lockdown for the COVID pandemic, meaning there were no performance opportunities. This led me to get creative at carving out a living as a musician, leading me into the world of music education. The next couple of years saw me progress from just teaching private lessons, to being a part time assistant teacher at a middle school, to getting my current job of being an elementary school music teacher, I have been able to channel my passion for music into teaching the next generation of musicians. All the while, I have still been able to fulfill my dream of being a musician by playing gigs of many varieties.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was convinced as a child that the only thing I could do was be a performer/musician. As I grow, I realize that there are so many different avenues to channel your passion, and no one has to be limited to just one form.
Also, that I could fly and climb on walls!
When did you last change your mind about something important?
Through receiving a formal music education, it’s hard not to become a perfectionist that’s focused on the results of the performance. Since I have become a teacher, I realize now that the journey really is the most important part. A perfect performance means nothing if you don’t make progress, and nothing can beat the feeling of seeing real progress each and every day.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Definitely depends on which section of the music industry we’re talking about. Here are a couple of my thoughts:
– Performance industry: That success looks like selling out the biggest arenas and stadiums all over the world. While that is obviously an amazing accomplishment, I don’t think that’s all there is to feeling fulfilled as a performer.
– Recording industry: That the most important thing is the number of streams you get, or how many followers you have. Music is about impacting people’s lives, not catering to an algorithm for clicks on social platforms.
– Education industry: The idea of putting on a performance of the most impressive repertoire, rather than instilling a love for music and understanding of basic musical concepts.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
As I’ve stated in previous questions, to many people in the performing industry, success is playing to the biggest audiences. Despite that, my biggest performances have been some of my least satisfying. Something about a big audience makes me feel extremely disconnected from the art of making music. I have found that the more intimate and artistic a performance is, the more satisfying it is for me. That is the kind of music that I want to share with as many people as possible, but it doesn’t involve selling out any arenas.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickgulysax/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NickGulyamov
