Daily Inspiration: Meet Brooks Herring

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooks Herring

Hi Brooks, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a musician since I was a kid. I started playing the trumpet and drums in 6th grade, and picked up guitar around age 14. I already enjoyed writing poetry, so I started writing songs. Music was always a hobby of mine and something I loved, but I didn’t grow up around the industry and knew absolutely nothing about what it meant to be a “professional” musician. As far as I knew, people got struck by lightning and ended up on the radio.

I joined the US Navy right out of High School. I spent 6 years on Active Duty as a weapons specialist. I deployed to Iraq and Africa, and took a guitar each time. I practiced, wrote, and started singing quite a bit while I was on deployment. When I was in Africa, I even got to open for a couple of USO Tour bands. After leaving the Navy, I went to work for the US Army and deployed to Afghanistan for 2 years. Again, I took my guitar and spent a lot of time writing and practicing, but this time I started recording YouTube videos and got some really good feedback.

I came back from Afghanistan and moved home to SC in June of 2013. I opened a restaurant with my dad but really struggled to find purpose in the civilian world. After a firm push from my brother (retired Army), I went to the VA to ask about education benefits. I decided to go to the University of South Carolina to become a Physical Therapist, with the dream of working with other veterans recovering from combat trauma. While I was in school at South Carolina, I started playing drums for a local country artist. I’d get up during his breaks and play a few acoustic songs, and eventually those venues started to ask about booking me. He retired from music and passed on his bookings to me and I started to experience what it meant to be a “professional” musician. I began upgrading my arsenal (speakers, guitars, etc.) and expanding my repertoire and found myself in high demand.

The summer between my undergrad degree and PT school (2018) was a turning point. I decided, instead of finding a job for the summer, that I’d try and market myself and play more shows. By the end of the summer I was playing 6-7 shows a week and making great money. That’s when it occurred to me that, not only could I pay my bills by performing, but that it was a viable career option for me. I had begun digging into the industry and how it all worked. I decided to continue and finish PT school, but I used that 3 years to lay the foundation for a career in music. I started traveling, I had a logo designed and trademarked, I ordered merch, I started talking to studios, I created a website and started playing the social media game.

I finished my Doctorate in December of 2021 and went full time as an artist in January 2022. Everyone outside of my close circle was beyond baffled, but I had my sights on what was next. I started releasing music that year and hit the ceiling in SC pretty quickly. I knew I had to make a move if I wanted to succeed. I got a call from a representative at the VA asking me how PT was going, and I was upfront and honest with him. I was practicing in a clinic part-time, but my focus and passion was with music. He didn’t skip a beat – told me I could go back to school for music under a different VA program if I wanted to.

After some deep dives on Google, I decided on the Music Business program at Belmont, in Nashville. I got accepted and moved to Nashville in January 2023 to start classes. Since then, I’ve been a full-time student, playing shows 6-7 days a week, writing multiple times a week, traveling all over the country, and looking for more ways to serve my community and my veteran family. I’m a veteran mentor with the CreatiVets program and love everything we do through that program.

There’s so much more detail to this…

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
GOD NO.

It’s been anything but smooth. I’ve failed, I’ve sucked, I’ve made terrible decisions, and trusted the wrong people. I’ve tripped up many times, but I keep getting back up and moving forward – and I always will.

There are so many struggles….

Money – this job is not cheap. The equipment just to get started is expensive, and the investment is never ending. And there’s always advertising costs, recording costs, travel, management, apps, and so much more.

Time – is a never ending struggle. There aren’t enough hours in the day to be an independent artist, student, and parent, and have any decent amount left for sleep.

Management – can make or break you. A great manager can propel you to the next level. A bad one will just take 20% of your gross for making Instagram posts.

Support – one of the hardest things for me has been having a true support system at home. I decided to get sober this year and it’s been really tough.

Social Media – is all the record labels care about any more. It’s painful. I have to spend more time being a “content creator” than I do being a songwriter because it’s the only way we can get noticed. I grew up without SM, so I absolutely hate having to become an expert with it just because it’s one of the keys to the doors I want to get in.

Booking, networking, Nashville “circuits” and cliques, Playlisting and the DSPs, and so much more… the struggles are endless. I hope to put together a team soon that can help me face them all.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a singer-songwriter and performing artist known for my uniquely versatile voice and my ability to write and cover music from just about every genre. What sets me apart is my story, and my eclectic musical style. I have folks tell me all the time that the timbre and range of my voice are unlike anything they’ve ever heard. I love to write and record music across multiple genres. I’m known for covering a very wide variety of music from all genres and generations as well. I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve shared music with the world and had people connect with it. I’ve put my heart and soul into words and been able to touch the same in people I would’ve otherwise never met. And that music will outlive me. That’s something to be proud of!

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
You only control two things every single day, no matter what happens – attitude and effort. Believe in yourself always, SHOW UP every single day, take every opportunity to serve others, and be a master of forgiveness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brooksherringmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooksherringmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooksherringmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrooksHerring
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/brooksherringmusic
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1edwwJzKlddJljBPlcJihx