Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Koch.
Hi Bob, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In many ways, my life has been pretty typical and filled with good fortune. I graduated college, got a good job, married and had two great sons. Doors opened professionally and I moved into sales which turned out to be satisfying and lucrative. I’ve always had a creative side and my work helped satisfy that a bit but not completely. Right around my 50th birthday, song writing became a way of surviving and coping. I was going through a divorce and it felt like I was losing everything. It was challenging to see the positives from a good job, love from my sons and family, and plenty of friends. I felt I lost everything I worked for materially and I guess much of my identity was embedded in all the “stuff”.
I began writing songs and while I didn’t realize it at the time, it kept me present. It gave me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. While I wrote I didn’t think much about anything else. I think my songs themes and inspiration in part come from this experience. I’m now retired. and working on my third album. I work with very experienced and talented musicians that help me bring my music to life. I travel pretty light these days but can’t imagine it any other way. Life is good!!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, I think things have come pretty easy for me but I am a hard worker. I feel lucky but I also believe in the sentiment “you make your own luck”. I worked hard, I saved money and made a goal to retire as young as I could. That worked out pretty well. Now, my music is in a way my work. When I started this journey I was just a guy who knew a few chords on a guitar but could structure a song and write lyrics. Now, with the help of my friends I’m about to have three albums released and hopefully will perform more often to live audiences.
When it comes to obstacles/challenges, as I’ve said previously, my divorce was definitely something that set me back. However, if that didn’t happen I would have never discovered the part of myself that I believe is my truest version. I enjoyed success as a sales professional and it provided the means to have a family that I love but when things changed, doors opened to explore something I didn’t know existed. I can’t express how lucky that makes me feel.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a singer/songwriter. My music would fall into the americana genre. As I’ve alluded to, song writing began as a way of staying present. When I write, I don’t think much about anything else. In a good way, it becomes a bit of an obsession. I think the themes and inspiration come from many different sources and a big part is listening both outwardly and inwardly. I’ve learned at any moment art can be inspired by words someone may be using or something you may see close by or off in the distance. You just need to be open to it and things will be channeled to you or through you. Listening, of course, means listening to yourself. So many lyrics and melodies have come to me at random times, day or night. I’ve learned to pay attention to those moments and write down or record whatever I’m hearing.
I have many songs that are about the journey. Life, if you will. But, my family experience is also etched throughout my music. I believe every family has great stories and can be expressed through art. For example, there has been a lot of isolation in my family. Disagreements that lead to indifference and separation. This is a great source for storytelling. My first album, This Heart of Mine, is filled with those stories. My second album, Politics and Religion was very much inspired by the 2016 election in America and I think continues to be relevant today.
How do you define success?
Success for me is most satisfying when it involves collaboration with others. Any success that I’ve enjoyed professionally in my sales career or with my music, is in part because of collaboration with very talented people. Success typically shows itself through gratitude. And when gratitude has been expressed to me, it’s only because I had been fortunate enough to help someone else. Whether it involves being a parent, co-worker, boss, friend or bandmate, there is no better feeling than that.
The other important thing about success is a willingness to be open to other ideas and opportunities. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to leave my ego at the door. I don’t think my ego has ever been too inflated but I’ve definitely learned that if I want to increase my chances to make a great sale or write a good song, for example, seek input and open the mind. Song writing is deeply personal and this can be hard to do. However, I’ve learned that if I want a song to be the best it can be, open up to input and let it happen. And on occasion, a good song will solicit a response and when someone takes the time to express how a song made them feel, that’s success.
I’m really excited to release my third album because much more collaboration has occurred in making each song the best they can be. I’m lucky to collaborate with talented people like Jonathan J. Clark and Rich Mangicaro. Both are life long musicians who have played with incredible bands and are terrific composers and song writers. This collaboration and attention to detail, has brought me closer to understanding myself and feeling the joy and gratitude from the process of creating it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bobkochmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobkochmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bobkochmusic/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/bob-koch-74b3b21
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jesr321
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5bO8NEs5PzSpUYroOvjS2X
Image Credits
Some of the photography by Kristina Sado
