Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Kirkegaard.
Hi Matt, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I moved to Nashville in 2007 after testing out of the music program at a university in LA, and deciding to head to New York to pursue music. I drove through Nashville, fell in love with the city, lived in my car for 6 weeks, and have been here since. I am a pianist/composer and I own a real estate company as well. I worked in the music industry as a pianist/band leader/music director on several tours and in several recording sessions. In 2014, a financial crisis pushed me to get my real estate license, which quickly became a huge source of provision for my family as we navigated building multiple businesses, adoption/parenthood, as well as a large crisis or two. We truly feel like we have lived multiple full lives just in the 12 years we’ve been married.
I have numerous insane pieces of my story, but we can save some of those for the inevitable future documentary.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A smooth road is not at all a how I would describe my journey. I am a wild risk taker and a VERY high capacity person. I describe my life as a peaks and valleys life. Lots of highs. Lots of lows. My wife and I were homeless our first year and a half of marriage because a family member dropped a huge debt on us and we lost our home. We have found ourselves in pivotal positions in massive exciting undertakings, as well as pivotal positions in heartbreaking loss and impossible decisions. We have three kids, two of whom are adopted from India. We have lived all over the world, and are currently working on building an artist/writers retreat in Italy with several properties we own there.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I began playing piano at the age of six, professionally at age 9. I have toured extensively and had some amazing opportunities in several capacities. I have always said that music is my first language and English is my second. I think that is what sets me apart as a musician actually — I am a deep feeler and a deep communicator, and the piano is easily my best communication medium. I think the thing I am most proud of has also been the hardest piece of my career to navigate. The industry chews up artists/musicians and spits them out. Often, artists have to change everything that makes them unique to give into a wild list of demands, often unethical, in order to make it or get past the gatekeepers. I’ve had numerous opportunities to find myself in that coveted space, but I have never been willing to sacrifice the integrity of my art nor the integrity of myself. While this has kept me outside the circle most of the time, I can sleep at night and still feel like I have agency over myself and my art.
Beyond being an artist, I have been in a few situations that have given me a VERY high level crash course on being a business leader. I have been the spearhead for gigantic projects with TV show potential, owned massive shows in the dreaming phase, and championed community and income spaces across the globe. However, the vast majority of my business experience has come through navigating building a top producing real estate team in Nashville. I own Movement Property Group and have been in the very upper echelon of agents nationally for a decade. I’ve learned a lot about business leadership, vision casting, and scaling, and I’ve made plenty of mistakes which have only added to my education and expertise.
While my music career and business career are both things I’m happy with, the aspect of my life I’m most proud of is my family. As cliche and typical “dad” as that sounds, it is abundantly true. My oldest and youngest are adopted from India and have both literally done the impossible, and my biological son in the middle has grown up with so much more clarity, global empathy, and confidence than I did. They are truly the piece of my life that anchors me. And my wife is my ride or die… and while there have been so many moments in our marriage that have felt like the “die” part of that equation, she is without a doubt the human I trust and respect most in this world. 12 years of marriage, in Kirkegaard years, is 17 lifetimes… so I am abundantly proud of that too.
What makes you happy?
Great question. My kids make me happy. People make me happy — I’m a CLINICAL extrovert. I love people. Art and watching people bring beautiful things and put them into the world makes me happy. Travel makes me happy. The ocean makes me happy. I find happiness outside of routine and being able to find beauty and creativity in both my surroundings and how I am living my life.
Pricing:
- I can offer a 10% discount on commission to your readers for any buy/sell/investment moves they make!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://movementpropertygroup.com/ and https://mattkirkmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattkirkegaard/
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/mattkirkegaard
- Other: https://linktr.ee/mattkirkmusic
