John and Joel McNeill of Soul Surplus<\/a> recently joined students at St. Mary\u2019s Episcopal Day School to talk music, creative careers, and the unexpected path that brought them to Splice. From studying English and mechanical engineering to building Soul Surplus and eventually joining Splice, their story showed students just how many directions a life in music can take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, rather than simply telling students how they got there, much of the conversation became about how they create and what young music makers can start doing right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are seven lessons from the conversation that work just as well in the classroom as they do in the studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John and Joel were making music at the same age as the students they spoke with\u2014but neither had a plan to work in music technology. John studied English, Joel studied mechanical engineering, and both simply kept making music along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou never know where your interests will take you,\u201d John told the students. An interest doesn\u2019t need to become a career before it\u2019s worth pursuing. Make the beat, join the band, learn the software, or start the weird side project. You never know where it might lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soul Surplus started by solving a problem John and Joel experienced firsthand. As sample-based producers, they wanted original sounds without the complexities of sampling existing recordings\u2014so they created their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA good business always solves a problem,\u201d John told the students. \u201cIf you’re solving a problem for yourself, you can solve problems for so many other folks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of Joel\u2019s most effective techniques is simply setting a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and making something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some Soul Surplus sessions, they create and record in short bursts, and then return the next day to listen with fresh ears. Some of their favorite ideas have started this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a student asked if random sounds ever inspire him, Joel pointed to something as ordinary as a lawnmower outside his window\u2014the right frequency can spark an entire song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Capture the idea before you judge it,” he says. Hum it into your phone, record the rhythm, and decide whether it\u2019s good later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a student asked about writer\u2019s block,<\/a> John\u2019s advice was simple: keep showing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Referencing Steven Pressfield\u2019s The War of Art<\/em>, he reminded students that \u201cinspiration always comes from doing.\u201d Don\u2019t focus on making something great\u2014just start. Open the project, pick up the instrument, and try one idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joel offered an important counterpoint: sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Close the laptop, step away from the instrument, or take a walk. Creative discipline isn\u2019t just about putting in the hours\u2014it\u2019s also knowing when an idea needs some space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked what successful musicians have in common, John and Joel pointed to generosity, collaboration, and sharing your work\u2014not followers or streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great creators practice their craft, but they also build community and learn from others. As John told the students, \u201cThere are things that someone\u2019s going to be better at than you, and you\u2019re going to be better at than them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The session ended with a fitting full-circle moment when a group of sixth graders introduced John and Joel to their own band, Pink Lightning<\/a>. John and Joel immediately wanted to hear their music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a reminder of why connecting classrooms with working creators matters. Students don\u2019t need to know exactly where music will take them\u2014they need opportunities to create, connect, and see what\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John and Joel didn\u2019t know where making music at that age would lead either. They just kept going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explore our educational resources, including free lesson ideas and our Magic Link program to get your students started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n1. Follow the interest before you know the destination<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n2. Solve a problem you actually understand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n3. Put a timer on your creativity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n4. Record the weird idea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n5. Don’t wait to feel inspired<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n6. Know when to walk away<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n7. Make things and share them with people<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nClosing thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nReady to bring these ideas to your classroom?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n