Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Buss.
Hi Liz, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started playing music when I was very young at 6 years old. I started with piano lessons and immediately knew this was something I was good at and really understood. When I started band class at 9 years old, I began with clarinet, and eventually, the teacher saw potential in any natural musical talents I had and started me on oboe- which isn’t an easy instrument to play and trusted me with a lot in learning it. However, I did pick that up easily too and oboe became another staple instrument in my life. These musical factors in my life almost became like a safe haven for me. I grew up as the youngest and only girl with five older brothers, very close in age, so I was constantly going between feeling like I could never be alone and being the loneliest person in the world. Music was the thing that helped me out of some pretty dark times. As I got better at my craft and continued to play in concerts and talent shows, I went to high school ready for the next chapter of my musical journey. I would become drum major of the high school marching band leading them into a state competition. I played in jazz, concert, marching band and also joined in the pit for musical theater shows. I immersed myself in as many after-school activities as I could to avoid going home and having that feeling of loneliness I grew up with. My parents were supportive in every step of the way of this musical journey and encouraged me to go to college to pursue more music. I ended up getting my degree in music education, although an entire year I first dedicated it to piano performance. I take what I know from growing up surrounded by music and pass that on to my piano students. I also play for my social media pages and try to make a small difference in the world that way. I accompany those who need a pianist but also play for weddings, churches, choirs, and even just for friends. Music truly saved me. I started immersing myself in it as an escape and haven’t stopped since.
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?
The only obstacles I ran into came from myself. To become a musician you have to practice, practice, practice. There’s nothing but you and wanting to not practice getting in the way of practicing and making first chair in All-State. Or practicing and becoming drum major. Practicing and getting Superiors in band competitions. There isn’t an obstacle I couldn’t overcome if I just put my mind to work. It wasn’t easy all the time, because my mental health wasn’t at its best a lot of the time. As the only girl amongst five brothers, I grew up differently from other girls. Being a major tomboy and an outsider to normal girly trends, not understanding a lot of what other girls listen to or talk about, I was constantly feeling left out and alone. Practicing my instruments gave me a chance to feel like I was connecting with something, giving me a purpose. The only obstacle I face is between me and my own mind, and I still struggle with that to this day. But every day it gets a little easier.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My career took a turn into becoming a piano instructor for a music studio. As much as I enjoy teaching music and piano, I am a professional pianist first and I love to play as often as I can. Starting my social media pages truly gave me a fresh outlook on why I play piano. It’s such a joy sharing songs I love or songs requested from followers that I might not know as well. I’ve even gotten better at playing piano which is very cool to see myself continue to grow as a musician this many years later. I’m most proud of myself when I get to accompany others on piano. Being able to bring music into others’ lives when needed is so fulfilling. I believe that sets me apart from others because I’m not just another pianist. My knack for sight-reading music and being able to not just play but listen to others while accompanying takes the experience and elevates it to a whole other level. That’s a passion I don’t think I will ever lose.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I start to define success for myself if I can answer “Yes” to “Am I still enjoying the process?” Growing up riding that fine line of mental health, continuing to go through depression and anxiety and overcoming childhood traumas brought me to a point where I can only succeed and move forward if I’m enjoying the process. If there’s no joy and fun in life, in creating things, to me that’s not bringing myself to feeling successful. Of course, there are difficult projects or challenging situations to overcome, but if I can take control of my depression and anxiety and turn it into a passion project and see the work I create come to fruition, that to me is all the success I need.
Contact Info:
- Website: lizbuss.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/liz.buss.piano
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizbusspiano
Image Credits
Hannah Smentkowski
