An Interview With Stanley Bronstein
Know who you are. It’s important to know who you are so that you have something to market to your fans. This way, you know what they like and why they’re there. Too many people grasp at trends and just want an audience but don’t have anything to offer them. Knowing who you are gives you a personality, and a lot of people, even if they don’t like what you’re selling, will vibe with you off that alone.
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Klowniac.
Klown themed artist, Klowniac, is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, internet personality, and performer. The self-described “committer of audio atrocities” creates its ear-worm sounds from scratch. Writing it’s own sinister lyrics while making the hypnotizing beats to go along with them. While it’s hard to pinpoint one specific genre, Klowniac has been known to combine elements of different types of music, comedy, and horror in addition to its controversial clown-like aesthetics to challenge the perception of its audience; showing viewers and listeners alike that you can’t judge anything just by how it looks.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
Honestly, it’s something I’ve always done. Music has fascinated me since I can remember; it has the ability to evoke, change, manipulate, and enhance emotions. It’s a sort of superpower to not only be able to create sound but to have that sound resonate with individuals and bring them joy, or make them cringe, get hyped, or feel sadness. Music exists in many different forms and genres, and I’ve always liked playing with that. Only recently did I realize maybe I should start sharing these experimental, genre-bending, emotion-manipulating sounds with others. And here we are. Very shortly after sharing that part of myself with people I realized I can also do that via means other than music; that’s when I started dabbling in content creation and branching out into being an internet personality as well as a musician. I guess people love a multifaceted clown.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh, definitely one of my biggest mistakes was in marketing myself. I made every one of my songs a different vibe and an entirely different genre, so nothing I have is the same. That way, when my music catches on, people can’t be like, “Oh wow, Klowniac changed” or “they sold out” or “their music is different now” when it was never really consistent to begin with. Unfortunately, the algorithmic gods don’t like versatility, as it makes it incredibly difficult to classify you or put you on algorithmic playlists. So, I kind of had to learn that the hard way. I will say, however, that does put me in the position to have a very close, obscure KlwnKvlt of people that absolutely enjoy that chaos, so that’s pretty cool. I’ve learned that doing your own thing makes things so much more difficult but that same difficulty makes it so much more worthwhile when you do finally succeed.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
First, I would let them know there will be many hardships to face on the road to success. Not a lot of people talk about the bad parts so it’s easy to get blindsided when things aren’t going according to plan. Secondly I’d tell them that just like in videogames, encountering enemies is how you know you’re headed in the right direction. The same thing can be said for success. Haters and copycats, although really discouraging, are actually proof that you’re on the right path. If no one cares what you’re doing then you might have an issue; but if haters feel the need to try to stop you, it’s because you’re doing something they can’t and that bothers them so much they feel the need to try to dull your shine. Don’t let them. Don’t even engage with them. Let your success speak for you! The best thing you can do to the people that doubt you is to succeed in spite of them.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
I don’t think there’s any one person that made a profound impact on my life but rather a culmination of experiences with several amazing people I had the privilege of encountering that helped make what I’m doing now possible. Teachers, parents, friends, random strangers, the good and bad parts of humanity all played their part in shaping who and what I am today. I would personally like to thank my haters though. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today or have even gotten the chance to do this interview. If it wasn’t for all the comments they post, which actually bumps my reach and increases my engagement so more people can see it, or sharing it to cringe groups and telling their friends, I wouldn’t have nearly the amount of eyes and ears on my content I have currently. So, because of them I’d definitely say they’ve had a profound impact on my life.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
Absolutely! The way I’m using my success to bring goodness to the world is by being a living breathing example of exactly what I preach. It’s showing that success isn’t one size fits all and that you can’t judge things just by how they look. Most of what I do is encouraging people and letting them know they don’t have to be afraid to be themselves no matter what that may look like; how so long as they’re not hurting themselves or anyone else or impeding on anyone else’s freedoms that they’re free to do whatever they want on their own life and that how you look holds no bearing on your ability to do or create good in the world. My purpose is to advocate for individuality and show that success is still possible even if you’re not just like everyone else or what is perceived as “normal” or “Neuro typical.” It’s to be a beacon of hope for those that feel alone in this world because they are different. That’s my purpose. That’s what I’m here for and that’s the message I push with both my music and my content as well.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
We live in a society dealing with damaged people. We have a tendency to feel as though they have ill intent when in reality, some people simply resent you because they were told to abandon the things they love in order to “grow up” or “be more adult”. In reality, you can do that and still enjoy life. A lot of what I do by existing as a freak is being a living, breathing example that those things a lot of people were told were lies. You don’t have to remove the things that make you happy or unique or be just like everyone else to be successful; and that you’re perfectly capable of being successful despite how you may appear. Humans have a tendency to obsess with appearing normal even to the point of jeopardizing their mental and physical health and I do what I do to show them there is another way. If I can do it looking like this then they can do it existing as themselves. Their whole selves, as weird, cringe and different as they may be. Proudly letting our freak flag fly to inspire others not to be complicated in misery brought on by others and breaking that cycle.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
Personally I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I’ve been an inspiring influence in their lives and have even been told how my content has saved lives in some cases; however, I think that it would be more impactful to have those people tell you their stories in the comments to this article because it’s their stories to tell.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
I think more people showing up authentically would make all the difference in the world. Whether that be for themselves or those they care about. Humans want to feel connected more than anything. This planet is such a diverse place full of different people, cultures, identities, and lifestyles. Unfortunately, mainstream media has only portrayed specific types of people for so long that it has become the “default”, and anything else making an appearance is seen as a threat or as an agenda to spread, rather than just showing the huge variety of other things that exist. I think it’s important to represent other cultures, races, beliefs, and kinds of people because it shows how the world really is: diverse, beautiful, and full of so many different wonderful things. Once we can see and recognize others, we can learn to connect to them and grow and learn together as people as a whole and that all starts with showing up authentically for ourselves. I want individuality, creativity, and weird, artsy, unconventional people to flourish. I want the streets flooded with the imagination the system has beaten out of us. I want the world to know that growing up doesn’t mean becoming boring, basic, and complacent. You’re free to love, learn, and grow. You’re free to look however you want. You can do whatever it is that makes you happy (so long as you’re not hurting yourself or other people). It’s your life, and you should start living it for you! (responsibly, of course)
Why do you think music in particular has the power to create social change and create a positive impact on humanity?
Simply put, music is magick and magick is in everything. We live in a vibrational universe. Everything that ever was or will be is made of energy and that energy is in constant motion and vibrating. Because music is vibration, it has the ability to impact and resonate with people on a quantum level; and that resonance impacts change whether it’s intentional or not. This is why some sounds are irritating, or why some sounds can trigger memories or emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Music is a catalyst for change and that’s exactly how I use mine.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”?
1 . Know who you are. It’s important to know who you are so that you have something to market to your fans. This way, you know what they like and why they’re there. Too many people grasp at trends and just want an audience but don’t have anything to offer them. Knowing who you are gives you a personality, and a lot of people, even if they don’t like what you’re selling, will vibe with you off that alone.
2 . Let the haters work for you, not against you. Just like in video games, enemies are how you know you’re headed in the right direction. Plus, even the bad comments bump your posts and increase your reach. Leave them to their own devices; they’re not worth your energy.
3 . Once you’re comfortable with who you are, no one can take that from you. This is a lesson a lot of humans don’t learn until very late in their life. They’re stuck focusing on what other people think of them and let that impact their ability to genuinely enjoy their life. At the end of the day, you’re the one living your life, so you should be living it how you see fit (as long as you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else or impeding on their freedoms).
4 . Whether you’re “good enough” doesn’t really matter. This is the biggest industry secret ever exposed. Most people in the music industry have entire teams of people behind them: beatmakers, lyricists, songwriters, stylists, sound engineers, mixers, masters, and more. Even if you can’t do something, there’s a whole team dedicated to making it seem like you can, or that can put you in the position to “make it big”. Really, it’s just a matter of how far you’re willing to go or what you’re willing to do to make it happen.
5 . Never give up! A lot of artists aren’t discovered for years after they start making music. It’s an oversaturated market, and every single day thousands of new artists emerge. What they don’t tell you is that thousands of artists quit every day too. The thing that sets you apart from them is how driven you are. How committed to your craft you are. If you’re dedicated to something, you will achieve it sooner or later. The only way that success stops being a possibility is if you give up.
You’re 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’m already doing that with my KlwnKvlt. It’s not so much an organization as it is a way of life. A promise to yourself to show up authentically and as genuinely as you can be; no matter what others might say or think. To let your freak flag fly. To inspire others to be comfortable with themselves as you are with yours. To accept yourself even through cringe phases of discovering who you are and what you like as an individual; and knowing that those things are subject to change as you grow and experience all the amazing and varied things life throws at you.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
“Live and let live”. It’s about accepting others’ lifestyles, beliefs, and behaviors, even if different from their own, as long as those actions do not harm others. It promotes openness, cooperation, and non-interference, encouraging individuals to live as they choose and allow others the same freedom without judgment or control. I feel like that’s extremely important because we are all on our own separate journeys through life. What may work for one person may not work for others and vice versa. We each have different experiences and points of view and were subject to different circumstances that shaped who we are. Existence is hard enough without people imposing their reality onto others. Life becomes so much easier when you simply acknowledge everyone is on their own journey through it and that doesn’t have to work for you because you have your own journey to experience.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I’m a humble klown. I’m down to have a meal with anyone that feels it would be beneficial to shoot ideas back and forth with in order to help the world become a better place.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Stanley Bronstein is an attorney, CPA, and author of more than 20 books. However, he doesn’t consider any of those his greatest achievement. His most significant accomplishment was permanently losing 225 pounds and developing the personal growth system that made it possible — The Way of Excellence. As a catalyst for change, he has dedicated his life to helping others maximize their potential, transform their lives, and achieve optimal health. To learn more, you can download a free PDF copy of his latest book, The Way of Excellence Journal, at HYPERLINK “https://thewayofexcellence.com/”https://TheWayOfExcellence.com.
Music Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Klowniac Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.