Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Wiley
Hi Charles, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My earliest memories as a kid have music running through them; I was lucky because music was always playing in the house. My dad is a guitar player and teacher, and it was normal for me to see him rehearsing with his bands or just playing guitar on the couch on a daily basis. He had a drum kit in the corner of his den and I remember walking up to it and staring at it, mesmerized. I was around ten years old and I sat behind it and just started hitting things. I don’t remember learning how to play the drums – it was more as if I always knew how, and it soon became the thing I wanted to do all the time. Fast forward to the present, and I’ve been lucky enough to continue to play drums and make my living doing it for the past ten years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been challenges along the way. There still are and I’m sure there will continue to be, but I feel that is a necessary part of the journey. I think challenges are the only way to grow, and from each struggle I’ve learned something new about myself. I’ve had plenty of bumps and hiccups along the way, but for me the biggest challenges have always been internal. I will think that things are not happening fast enough, gigs are not turning out the way I thought they would, or that there is something wrong because I am not in the place I want to be, musically speaking. Those thoughts and feelings make any difficult situation far worse, and can even sour a good situation because I’m so focused on everything that isn’t good. Over the years, I’ve worked hard at staying in the moment, appreciating what the moment is and being grateful for it; while also keeping my long-term goals in mind and working towards those. Having that more positive mindset is something that I continue to work on to this day.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I primarily play drums and I have spent the last ten years or so making my living playing drums in different bands. That time is split between touring, recording work, teaching, and working on my own music. I’m currently playing in the rock band Black Flag and we’ve spent the last two years touring throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, South America, and Mexico.
In addition to playing drums, I write music for TV and I’ve had over 250 placements on such shows as Dateline NBC, Late Night with Seth Myers, Oprah, E! News Live, Future TV, and more.
I also have my own solo project, Corn Man. Corn Man is a progressive rock concept album and fantasy adventure story I’ve created along with my wife, Deirdre O’Neill-Wiley. I became really fascinated with the food industry and learned that processed corn was in virtually everything we eat. That got my gears turning to create music and to tell a weird, wacky story which has evolved to include corn, mystery, action, and GMO cats and dogs. The third installment of the book and music, Corn Man Chapter 3: Operation Freedom Corn, was released on September 17, which was also the fifth annual International Corn Man Day. I started International Corn Man Day during COVID in 2020 as way for my friends and supporters to come together virtually and share in the Corn Man adventure. We wear our Corn Man shirts and take pictures to post on Instagram or Facebook with the #internationalcornmanday – this has been a lot of fun, and each year more and more people join in! This project is something I am very passionate about. More information can be found at: https://charleswiley.net and https://cornmanofficial.com
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I feel music is something you pursue because you have to, not because you want to, and if you feel the drive to do it, do it with everything you have. Play every day or as much as you can. There will be days when you don’t feel like it… play anyway. I wouldn’t get too caught up in the social media thing; I think it’s something you should do as a way of networking, but it isn’t everything. Also, try to have an idea of what you want to do musically and how you want to do it. I know that’s something that I struggled with; you can take a lot of different directions on your musical journey and that can be a good thing, but it can also be confusing. Having an idea of where you see yourself in the musical landscape can help you find your own path sooner. And lastly, keep listening to music and attending shows as much as possible, to remember the joy and love of music that brought you into this career path in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://charleswiley.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleswileymusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charleswileydrums
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeve8DgRCNxM_Hax1dziluA
- Other: https://cornmanofficial.com
