Rising Music Star Peter Hollens: “If we are going to defeat this virus we need to come together and act as one; I hope that one act can teach us something”
…if I could be a part of a movement it would be based on love and bringing us all together. I’m scared about how divisive this world is and how much hatred is based on misinformation, miscommunication or misunderstandings. If I could be a part of a movement it would be to help people listen to one another. I know that sounds idealistic but I think that is more necessary now more than ever before.
I do truly hope we learn from this pandemic. I hope it reminds us that we are all human, it doesn’t matter the country we’re from, our race or the language we speak. If we are going to defeat this virus we need to come together and act as one. I hope that one act can teach us something.
The human voice is one of the most powerful things in the world. We are all given it, we all have the ability to use it, whether it’s a song, a speech, an essay or poem, even a tweet, we can use it for good. I would love to create a movement that could bring everyone together through music.
As a part of our series about Stars Making a Social Impact, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Peter Hollens.
Peter Hollens is an American entrepreneur, educator, and is best known as a classically trained vocal artist specializing in a cappella music on Youtube and Facebook. With over 5 million followers and subscribers on his content and over a billion total views since 2011. Hollens has collaborated and performed with many outstanding artists including David Archuleta, Brian Wilson, Jason Mraz, Hunter Hayes, Gladys Knight, Lindsey Stirling, George Watsky, Jackie Evancho, and ThePianoGuys.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about your personal background. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Ashland, Oregon with my parents and younger sister. Music was always a part of my life. I saved up from my first job as a paperboy to buy my first piano.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? Can you share the story with us?
My mom heard me singing in the shower and forced me into the choir as a freshman in high school and she changed my life. I found myself and my voice. It got me into the University of Oregon with a full ride and I ended up getting a degree in voice performance. I fell in love with the recording studio is a recording engineer. I loved the human voice so much that I started an a capella group in college, which led to me being on The Sing-Off. That led me to start my career on YouTube. I saw other people doing it, and I had already been recording other people so I thought, I can do this, I can record myself. I had taught myself audio so I knew I could teach myself video and that started my YouTube channel.
I never assumed it was going to be a career. It just sort of became one because I followed my heart. The story is as simple as I followed the thing that gave me fire and passion and made me feel alive and now I get to do it for a living.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
My biggest mistake was signing with a major record label. I learned that I’m not someone that can just be told what to do. I’m someone that needs to figure it out by myself and make my own mistakes.
In my work, I focus on how one can thrive in three areas, body, mind, and heart. I’d like to flesh this out with you. You are a very busy leader with a demanding schedule. Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Kindly share a story or an example for each.
The most important change I’ve made is in my separation of work and home. When I’m at home I am a father and a husband and that is all. When I’m at work that’s what I focus on. When I separated those two things and stopped working from home that made the biggest difference. Obviously that’s much harder now with the pandemic and working from home with my family.
I do my best to live in the moment when I’m with my family and that has been one of the hardest things to learn because I’ve been addicted to screens my entire life. So teaching myself that has been the biggest and best thing I’ve learned, and am still learning.
Ok super. Let’s now move to the main part of our discussion. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you are working on right now?
I focus on everything I create to be inspirational, emotional, to move humans to make them feel and try to bring people together no matter the language barrier or what they believe in this incredibly divisive world right now.
I try to create love and goodness that’s why I had to create something to help right now. I had to be part of the answer and not the problem. I’m anxious, it’s a very scary time and this is something I had to do, not only for myself but for my team, to focus on creating good. That is why we created this video and why I’m already working on Part Two focusing on Social Distancing and Self Quarantine.
The best, most meaningful project I’m working on right now is this series. We’re donating 100% of proceeds from people streaming the song to the Global Relief Fund. I hope and pray I can get other influencers involved to add their voice to this in the next few days/weeks so this isn’t just about me, it needs to be about the cause. The more of us that stand together, the louder the and farther it will reach.
Can you share with us the story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
I chose this cause because it’s what’s affecting the entire world right now. It’s the only thing anyone can think about or talk about so I wanted to offer something educational but fun and bring awareness to proactive things we can all do to stay healthy and protect our family, neighbors and global community.
What are your 5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
There’s only one thing I wish I could’ve told myself when I first started. Be myself from the beginning, my authentic, genuine, dorky, nerdy Peter Hollens self and stop pretending and wearing a mask of masculinity, confidence, or ego or whatever society forces on you to believe you are supposed to be. The more I could unmask and be more vulnerable, sincere and authentic to the sensitive kid I am then the more successful and happy I am and the better I can and will do.
I’ve spent my entire life trying to find what I was supposed to do and the moment I found my voice I realized that’s what brought me happiness. As soon as I started creating I knew that’s what I could do to give happiness to others. When I stripped down the fake self that I thought I had to be because society teaches boys to be something they aren’t, that’s when I found success. The more I’m authentic, the more I can connect with people.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I don’t feel like I’m someone that has enormous influence. I do know my music reaches people. But, I think I am seen as a product first and a person second, although I wish I was seen as a person first so that I could have a more positive influence and do more good. I think musicians have a tough time with that because people see us as ‘just the singer’. I hear very often the sentiment of “I don’t want to hear what you think, just sing”.
So, if I could be a part of a movement it would be based on love and bringing us all together. I’m scared about how divisive this world is and how much hatred is based on misinformation, miscommunication or misunderstandings. If I could be a part of a movement it would be to help people listen to one another. I know that sounds idealistic but I think that is more necessary now more than ever before.
I do truly hope we learn from this pandemic. I hope it reminds us that we are all human, it doesn’t matter the country we’re from, our race or the language we speak. If we are going to defeat this virus we need to come together and act as one. I hope that one act can teach us something.
The human voice is one of the most powerful things in the world. We are all given it, we all have the ability to use it, whether it’s a song, a speech, an essay or poem, even a tweet, we can use it for good. I would love to create a movement that could bring everyone together through music.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
The more you can be your true self to the world, the happier your life will be. I think I put up a wall to hide my insecurities and be what I thought society wanted me to be my entire life and the more I strip it down the happier I am, the more I find myself and the more I connect with people.
What are the best ways our readers can follow you online? Links below.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
