Meet Christopher Still | Trumpet at Los Angeles Philharmonic and Founder Honesty Pill Coaching

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

Hi Christopher, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The Beginning

With six years of university and two degrees under my belt, I was excited to start my career. After receiving a Master’s degree in orchestral performance, I noticed that I had not been automatically offered a full-time trumpet position with a major symphony orchestra. Go gure. And I didn’t have any audition committees begging for my resume either.

The one thing I did have was a bone-chilling amount of student loan debt. So despite having multiple music degrees, I wound up with a job in a shoe store (to be fair, it was one of those fancy running shoe stores where we analyzed runners’ gaits—totally my style!).

When I wasn’t selling running shoes, I played brass quintet gigs in front of Dunkin’ Donuts, weddings, Chinese funerals, and I taught trumpet lessons. I even played fanfares at a local Renaissance fair dressed in an embarrassing costume. My desire for a full-time orchestra gig was the only thing that kept me motivated.

I was taking auditions, but not having much success. When I asked committees why they didn’t advance me, I didn’t like their answers. So I stopped asking.

I was certain that any negative opinions about my playing were biased, and I rationalized my failures with excuses. I ignored suggestions and dismissed my critics as clueless, convinced that they simply didn’t understand what I was trying to do artistically.

Every month, those massive student loan payments were due. Panic set in as I considered my financial situation. I realized that if I kept paying at the same rate, I wouldn’t be done until I was in my mid-fifties. I freaked out.

The “Honesty”

I had been clinging to a specific style of trumpet playing for years because it was how my idols played. That style was related to the criticisms I’d been hearing. I had made the style a big part of my musical identity and I told myself that people who didn’t like it were just wrong. I never considered the issue objectively.

I realized I had two choices: keep blaming the listeners for their poor taste or figure out what they were talking about. I saw that if I wanted to get a job doing what I loved, I might have to take the critics seriously.

The “Pill”

My first step was to buy a decent recording device. I then rearranged my schedule to include regular practice sessions. Midnight until 3am was the only time I was free, so I also had to find a place to practice that wasn’t my apartment building. Finally, I found a practice buddy who shared similar goals.

I wasn’t sure how to reevaluate my entire way of playing without a teacher, but I wound up creating a great plan–I bought a recording of orchestral excerpts played by Phil Smith (former Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic). It included brilliant commentary and stellar examples of all the audition repertoire I had been struggling with. More importantly, it represented a style that was widely accepted as the industry standard.

I gave myself the following challenge: I would record myself playing every excerpt on the album until I matched Phil Smith. I would emulate Phil Smith in every way. If it didn’t match, I had to gure out why and record it again. This was not an easy goal, and I worked towards it for years.

I can’t say I’m Phil Smith’s trumpet double, but if I had never done this, or something like this, I would never have won a job in an orchestra. It was the beginning of a long and dicult, yet rewarding, process.

Not everyone has to take the long route to success like I did, but almost everyone will need to look at themselves critically at some point. To play at your true potential, you’ll probably have to break through a barrier of some kind. At some point, you’ll have to take an Honesty Pill of your own.

What should our readers know about your business?
Your career shouldn’t be limited to the teaching studio or the concert hall. I teach musicians and creatives to identify their “superpowers” and to turn these abilities into engines for artistic and financial growth.

Today, I’m a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and I run a great coaching practice. But I spent a decade in career gridlock, sensing there was a better way to work, yet not knowing what to change.

Eventually, I swallowed an “honesty pill” and realized I was looking at my career all wrong.

Now, I spend my time helping others get honest about what they really want. Working with groups and individuals, I walk my clients through the actual steps they need to create a fulfilling, profitable, creative life on their own terms.

Honesty Pill is an online resource that helps creatives improve their lives.

I chose the name “Honesty Pill” in reaction to a common issue with performers and artists—people are afraid to take a close look at what they’re doing wrong, even if they desperately want to succeed. My mission is to help people to address their issues so they can achieve their goals.

I like to call my approach “swallowing the Honesty Pill.”

I offer practical courses, informative articles, and activities to help you ditch your excuses and finally improve.

Come visit me at www.honestypill.com to learn more!

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?
Summer Concert: I would absolutely take you to see the John Williams LA Phil concert at the Hollywood Bowl. It is one of the most iconic venues in the world, and there is no one more fun to see conduct his music than the original Maestro of the Movies himself.

DTLA Concert: Of course, we would have to hit the Walt Disney Concert Hall and see world renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel (also happens to be my boss) conduct Mahler or Beethoven.

After Concert Drinks: We would head over to my favorite LA speakeasy, The Varnish (118 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA) and have any of their famous secret cocktails. My personal favorite: The Penicillin, a Sam Ross inspired twist on the classic whiskey sour.

To Clear Our Heads: Wrapping up a week in LA requires a trail run or hike in the majestic San Gabriel Mountains. Maybe head up to Echo Mountain or the Mt. Lowe Railroad for a stunning view of downtown. People think LA is a concrete jungle…nope. You can be in the middle of nowhere just 30 minutes from DTLA, and the Cobb Estate trailhead is literally 2 minutes walk from my front door.

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?
If there is one book I would shoutout to musicians and creatives everywhere, it would be, “Golf is Not a Game of Perfect” by Dr. Bob Rotella.

Rotella talks about the mental game of self improvement through the lens of the game of golf. Every anecdote is 100% applicable to musicians, especially those who want to become better at winning auditions, dealing with performance anxiety, and just being happier, more creative people.

I have probably recommended this book more than any other to my clients.

If you’d like to get a PDF copy of my “Reading List for Musicians” head over to my website and I’ll send you a free copy straight to your inbox.

Thank you again Dr. Bob!

Website: www.honestypill.com

Instagram: @honestypill

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@honestypillcoaching