Thomas O'Shea

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I like to say that I push buttons and dials to make sounds and push more buttons and dials to make those sounds sound good. I also write about my life and about stories that I think people would enjoy in song form.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

Use what you have. If you're waiting to get better equipment, you will wait an entire lifetime. New equipment doesn't mean better work. Start now- even if it's with a phone or old iPod. Create, write, learn as much as you can and add to your process as you go.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

My high school choir teacher held a unit for "sampling" one of our pieces and I just never stopped producing and writing after that. Once I learned more about music theory and other important things for a career in music, I pretty much knew this was what I would do for my career.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

I don't remember exactly who said this but it was: " I don't know about you, but I'd rather be happy living in a studio apartment than miserable in a mansion." Basically saying- do what you love and you'll have a good life.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

Oh for sure. I went to school for music, but it was pretty clear that if you truly wanted to make it as a musician then you had to do more than just the required classes and assignments. I was releasing my own music under my old moniker, I started a band, I produced for artists from around the nation, and I did live sound engineering for a lot of different acts. For work in the music industry, it's about what you've done and the connections you made- NOT just about your degree unlike other industries. The bare minimum is not enough here.

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

Yes. My parents (specifically my dad) were completely against me going into music because it would be "too hard" to make money. It took a lot of discussions and a lot of proving that music is the one thing I'm good at to finally convince them that music is the career for me. I, at one point, was a double major in audio and business- and my grades showed exactly what I should be spending my time doing... I had low grades in my business classes and nothing but B+'s and higher on my music classes. My dad was convinced that it was because I "didn't care" about those classes when in fact it was because they were terrible for my mental heath and awful for my studies.

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

Fear. It's scary to put yourself out there- both in the professional sense where you're trying to get a job and a promotional sense where you're promoting what you made. Once I finish a song or something, I always do the next step of getting whatever I'm working on sent out so that I end up telling myself "well, you got this far- keep working." When the last thing is just hitting the send button, I did the hardest part just send it. And then if that doesn't work, I kinda do the push button throw phone tactic.

How did you start building your network?

Reach out to people- it doesn't matter how. I personally use Instagram, Facebook groups, TikTok, YouTube, and business cards to network with people. Network everywhere. In person, online, and with anyone you meet. You never know when an opportunity can come from simply just knowing someone.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

Lots of stress, lots of fast moving, and lots of decisions on the fly. When anything in music or audio gets tough, other people are waiting on you to fix the issues. A lot of times when things are going wrong, I am already planning out plan C-Z while working on plan B. It's all about being as flexible of a worker as you can be. Nothing is set in stone.