We’re looking forward to introducing you to Markus Siegel. Check out our conversation below.
Markus, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is a normal day like for you right now?
We recently got a puppy so our lives have changed more than we expected. Our priority outside of work now is making sure our pup is trained well, fed well and socialized well. We’re together most of the day, she comes to the studio with me every day and has to deal with listening to the same 4 bars of music over and over again while I work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a musician and film composer from Romania, currently living in Los Angeles. For the past few years I’ve been working on some of Hollywood’s biggest movies such as Wicked and How To Train Your Dragon, alongside one of the most sought after composers working today, John Powell.
This is a job that never gets dull and always pushes you to grow as a musician. Every project has its unique challenges and every film needs its own identity from a musical standpoint. No one movie is the same so you’re constantly having to re-invent yourself and always forced to push yourself to come up with original and exciting music.
The really interesting thing about this part of the industry is realizing what a difference music can make to a movie. You are essentially able to shape and completely change how a film is perceived, tell the audience what parts of the story are important and sometimes create emotions that would otherwise not come through with picture alone.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad is the one who really showed me that working hard, doing great work and being humble takes you far. You don’t have to have the most natural ability to be successful, but you do have to really care about your work, be interested in what you’re doing and do your absolute best whether its a big job or a small job. My dad is known for the quality of his work and for the great relationships he establishes with his clients and I aim to run my business exactly the same way.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I have had many moments where things got so difficult that the easiest and most straightforward option would have been giving up and moving on. The one strength I do have and I’m proud of is that I am completely unable to give up on things that really matter to me, regardless of how uncomfortable I get or how difficult situations get. Being a musician comes with a lot of uncertainty and there is an element of struggle and pain that you have to go through before you come out the other side. Looking back now, the struggles I had to endure feel worthwhile but if you had asked me this while I was going through it, I would have told you to not bother trying to establish a career in this field. It really feels like those who end up making it are the people most willing to suffer for their art.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’m the kind of person who wears their heart on their sleeve. What you see with me is what you get and it’s something that I’m proud of. Portraying an image of myself that doesn’t feel genuine is something that makes me really uncomfortable. This business is riddle with people who have ulterior motives and people trying to climb up the ladder by stepping on other people and I’m consciously trying to do things differently. I can really see a big difference in how people treat you once they realize that you are being genuine and not nice because you have to. I’m also a big believer in the fact that you attract people whose values align with yours, so if you’re respectful and kind, the right kind of people will make their way into your circle.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
I’m building my career one brick at a time. I’m establishing relationships with people who are also in it for the long haul. This is a life long pursuit and the work I’m putting in right now to hone my skills and relationships will set me up with a career for the rest of my life. It’s important to me that I establish a career that allows me to work from anywhere so I can spend more time with my family in the future. I’m sacrificing time spent with my family and friends now, so I can have flexibility in the future. Its tough being away from the people I care about now but I know in a few years I will look back and thank myself for the sacrifices I’m making today
Contact Info:
- Website: https://markussiegel.co.uk
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markus.siegel.music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siegel.markus.christian
- Other: https://play.reelcrafter.com/X-v6wWFmR1–vmJkdcldTA
