We had the good fortune of connecting with Joel Pierson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joel, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is central to a career in the arts. Without risk, there is no originality. Most people choose the safer paths, but I have always tried to challenge myself by walking into the unknown. I always want to be putting my work out into the world without knowing exactly what will happen, or what people will think about it. Along the way I try to never settle for the obvious or easy route, and gauge success by the creativity that I see from my decisions.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a composer and pianist whose work straddles the worlds of jazz, pop, and contemporary classical music. I frequently use humor as a means to engage audiences. I am the Artistic Director of The Queen’s Cartoonists, a jazz band that plays music from classic and contemporary animation. I also write humorous music education books, aimed at making us laugh at ourselves while learning more about music.

Aside from creating these projects, the real difficulty lies in convincing others that odd ideas like these are valuable. But once people understand what I’m trying to achieve, the brand can take hold.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I enjoy long nights out that don’t end up where you think they are going to. I often create flexible social itineraries, almost like tree branches, where one can change directions but still have ideas of places to go or things to do.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can credit a number of professors I had for guiding me and encouraging my creative streak. I also take inspiration from musicians and artists that are difficult to categorize.

Website: www.joelpierson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/no.juan_no.juay/

Image Credits
Lindsey Thoeng, Jamie Jung, Lauren Desberg

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.