We recently had the chance to connect with Philip Silverberg and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Philip, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Currently – I just finished touring for a bit – I was out with country artist, Nate Smith. Typically the days started by waking up on the bus and trying to figure out where I am by looking up the nearest Coffee shop and wandering over to it. Then I usually sit and do a little bit of work – catching up on emails and following up with people via social media – followed by a little bit of practicing some language skills with Duolingo. The coffee is an absolute necessity to how my day starts.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Phil Silverberg, and I’m originally from New Jersey and have now lived in Nashville for 4 years. I do a number of things under the company name Silverberg Media LLC. I moved to Nashville to focus primarily on Music Production and Songwriting, but have always done a number of other things that all revolve around music. This includes, Photography, Videography, Touring Keys and Hammond B3 Organ player, and Live sound Audio Engineer. In fact, recently – my main job has been in audio working as Touring Monitor Engineer – I just recently finished a run with country artist, Nate Smith. If you had asked me 10 years ago if I thought that this is what I would be doing at this point in my life, I would have said, “Not a Chance” – but here I am, loving every minute of it.
When I’m not on tour, I’m usually home working on new music and songs. Constantly tinkering in my home studio. Recently, I started shooting content out of a Content Studio in Old Hickory which has given me a space to exercise the other creative parts of my brain via photography and videography.
My goal is to help other people get where they’re going. I want to be be the high quality, yet reasonably priced option for those that need it.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I’m almost afraid to admit this – but for me, one of the most vivid memories for me is a moment from High School. I had a teacher, who in front of a whole class told me that I was a slacker, and would not succeed in life. One of my best friends was sitting in front of me and looked back at me. He said that he could see the flames in my eyes after she said that. I have held onto that moment – I knew, even back then, how wrong she was and that I was going to go on to do and be anything I wanted to be and that no one, except for myself, would stop me. I’ve since gone on to do things that many people only dream of doing and accomplished things that I never even knew were things I’d want to do. I remember seeing that teacher after I had been in college for a few years and seeing her jaw drop when I told her what school I was at, and that I was double majoring in Economics/Business and Music, and minoring in Religious studies.
I hate that I still hold on to that moment because it feels, at times, that some of what I do comes from a spiteful, “I’ll show you” type of place. But what I learned from that moment, was how powerful a teachers words could be, and how much they could leave a lasting mark, positively or negatively, on a student. When I taught, I did my best to keep this in mind and always find a blend of being realistic, but encouraging at the same time.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I can admit that my biggest fear is failing. It terrifies me. I’ve always carried a strong belief in myself to be able to do anything that I set my mind to. Some things are not meant to be done correctly the first time, and some things can never be perfected. That’s a real struggle for a perfectionist. I never used to think of myself as a perfectionist, but as time has passed, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I expect things to be right and when they aren’t, I need to do everything in my power to make it right, or at least better. While this has brought me a ton of success in a number of different areas of my life – it absolutely, constantly holds me back. I have brief moments of total disregard where I just “go for it” – and usually those moments drive me to places I’ve never thought possible. But the thought of failing, or letting anyone down is almost always the thing that holds me back.
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 think that generally speaking, what I present to people is genuinely me – I’m not very good at pretending and typically wear my emotions on my sleeve. That being said – I’ve always been a chameleon of sorts and found a way to be who I need to be for the different types of situations I might be in. When I sense a big personality in the room, I tend to let that personality be the biggest personality. I try to let them take the space they feel they need because I’m fine in whatever space I’m in.
I care a lot about everything and everyone – that is always coming from a genuine place. As long as people know that about me – I’m a happy man.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
This goes back to my perfectionism. I find myself constantly doing things with an almost obsessive level of care regardless if anyone is watching or paying attention. I gain satisfaction in things being done properly. I think it shines through in most of my work. It’s the small minutia of things that people overlook. I pay attention to those things. I’m willing to dig deeper into things than most people are willing to – and for no other reason, than my own satisfaction. Does praise feel good? – Absolutely. To be recognized always feels great, but it is not vital or necessary for me to want to be a better version of me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.philsilverberg.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phil_silverberg/
- Twitter: https://x.com/phil_silverberg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phil.silverberg/
Image Credits
Images by Tanner Roman, Kaiser Cunningham, and Matt Leddo
