Meet Timothy Hoffelt

We had the good fortune of connecting with Timothy Hoffelt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Timothy, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
From the technical side, it might be emotionally the opposite which I strive for on the artistic side. As an idea scales in scope & size, there has to be a willingness to step back, rein in, and pull the plug on the figurative machine. That often has to do with the implications of continuing with an idea beyond a point which it would ever offer something back to a project.

When I contrast how that absolute willingness to unwind applies to a functional business need, compared to when it comes to something artistic or creative, a user now has the ability to program & simulate, note-by-note, technique-by-technique, an orchestra, or five orchestras, or ten orchestras, producing something completely new. The limitation in the size of the idea from conception is not as constrained in ways that it used to be, providing a modern creative’s imagination the opportunity to start somewhere in the production of an idea, in a manner of any size, beyond what a figure like Beethoven or Mozart might have ever perceived would be available.

Knowing how to balance creating something minuscule, where there is now opportunities for ideas to become so big, especially when creatives have such a broader, technical landscape from which to draw inspiration, makes for an incredibly interesting time to see more expansive creative ideas come to fruition, but gauging when to rein in an idea for a project to one thing, or thousands, is a unending lesson unto itself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I had the great fortune of seeing my arts background open doors to opportunities in developing technology early in my career, namely in navigation systems, which has then led to other unique opportunities integrating technology between businesses. The easiest parts were saying yes when that element of chance occurred to be involved, however, in approaching the challenges, I am often reminded of a learning experience during college studies, where an instructor was wisely comparing the classroom topic at hand, writing music for film, as an art form structured upon the underlying composer’s ability to learn how to learn about something along the way.

Between the creative or technology projects I have been involved, in the journey of achieving something, they all contained a similar experience of learning along the way, and with each project I finish, I am continually reminded that there was something to be learned and improved upon for next time. Working in areas such as music composition and product development, the symmetry in creative composition and project execution is something close in spirit, and through the experiences I have had crossing both, there were many reassurances that artistic thinking can help make beautiful decisions beyond just the paintbrush, song, or page.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely put together a list of dining options to visit as many neighborhoods as possible, as one of my favorite things about LA is the food experience and how it is so positively diverse across the city. I now live in Central LA, and there are so many great places along Beverly, 3rd Street, and at the Grove, but I would bring close friends to the valley for tacos, Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Baked Potato would be on the itinerary for evening music, Getty and LACMA for afternoons.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Beyond family, teachers I was fortunate to study with over the years, and students I was so lucky to share any time & knowledge I had to offer during my own stints as a music lessons teacher. Of all things from teaching, seeing a reflection of my own emotional enjoyment for the arts through others learning is something I will always carry with me as the most positive aspects in being involved in the arts.

A rather influential figure in my own studies, my high school jazz instructor, coincidentally now lives in the same building as my parents back in the Midwest. Whenever visiting family, I make a point to find time to walk across the hall, knock on the instructor’s door, and relive some of those positively emotional memories a great educator can have, to share with them where that experience led me, and where it might yet lead.

Website: https://www.hoffelt.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoffeltdotcom/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thoffelt/

Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Jeremiah Hammerling