Musical Mentor

Calloused fingers, adoring fans, and hours spent strumming the same progression until you have it just right. It’s no walk in the park to make music, but the payout of human connection is one of the satisfying things you can achieve. Being a musician like this isn’t just a pipe dream, though; in fact, Jefferson Academy’s own Mr. Landaur has been posting music for four years and creating it for almost his entire life. It hasn’t always been easy, but he’s worked hard for a long time in order to produce the slow, acoustic music that so many of his students and fans find comfort in. 

“I’ve played music for my entire life, but my actual career as a musician didn’t start until I got a loop pedal when I was eighteen,” Mr. Landauer proclaimed. “From there, I spent the next three years pretty much just writing garbage until I was 21. By the time I started actually publishing my music, I had this huge backlog of songs and ideas to draw on for inspiration.”

Music isn’t anything new for Mr. Landauer; he’s been playing since he got his first guitar at 5 years old. From there, he took lessons until middle school, where his interest turned to playing in a band rather than taking traditional classes and learning to read music. He started making his own music in high school and has been creating it ever since. Being a musician isn’t without its challenges, however; according to him, one of the biggest challenges he faces is his expectations. 

“It’s really hard when I make a song thinking that this is gonna be the one, the one that Pitchfork gives an 8.5 out of ten, the one that gets people to make a subreddit because they love my music. Every time that doesn’t happen, it’s taxing and disappointing.”

While he usually has fun making music, he acknowledges that it can be disappointing sometimes when a song you put a lot of yourself into doesn’t make waves like you were hoping. He doesn’t let it discourage him, though. He knows that even if he only makes one person feel happy or seen, it’s all worth it. 

“Success isn’t guaranteed, you know? Maybe you record one album, and you make your girlfriend’s mom’s favorite piece of music, and that’s as far as it goes. That’s still one person who you made happy.” 

For Mr. Landauer, making people happy is the best thing he can do with his music. It’s why he encourages students to make music too- he wants to be able to lift others up so they can find the same joy in music that he does. One student who’s worked with him extensively is E. Fisk, a senior and member of Mr. Landauer’s Songwriting Club.

“He’s really good at explaining the different components of songwriting to someone who might not know much about it beforehand,” stated Fisk. “It also helps that he has experience because he can tell you what’s worked for him in the past and what hasn’t.”

Mr. Landauer is as eager to help his students with their music as he is to create his own. He’s always offering tips and advice to ensure that they can create the best music they can. He also recognizes, though, that this field takes dedication and hard work, but he also knows that if you work hard enough, you could have a shot at greatness.

“If you have a vision, if you’re driven, you’ll meet people who will help you and people who will become your close friends. You just have to keep going and make connections, and eventually, if you write enough garbage and keep at it the entire time, eventually you’ll make something amazing.”