Sean Gaiser: Changing the World with Talent and Hustle

Sean Gaiser is enormously talented.  Watching him perform or listening to one of his albums is musical nirvana.  But talent alone does not dictate success.  The world is littered with gifted people (musicians, actors, writers, entrepreneurs) who never reach their potential.  Sharing our talent and influencing our communities takes perseverance and persistence.  But more than anything it takes hustle.  And Sean Gaiser has positively impacted thousands of lives and changed his corner of the world with his remarkable hustle.

Racing to Success

At a young age, Sean’s father sat him down and taught him how to play the guitar.  It was a great bonding experience and a natural fit.  Sean loved the emotion of the music and the feeling of creating something from nothing.

But early in his life, music was not the primary driver of his success.  Sean was also a talented swimmer.  By the age of 11, he had become a young phenom at his summer pool, Cedarbrook.  He then trained year-round through the Rockville Municipal Swim Club (RMSC).

At times, he was swimming 9 practices a week and logging nearly 20 hours of training in the pool.  It was the first manifestation of his hustle.  And it set him on a trajectory for major success.

Two Paths Lead to One Destiny

Sean Gaiser’s talent and hustle in the pool reached legendary status by the time he enrolled in high school at Georgetown Prep.  Along with Flori Fischetti and Adrian Maholchic, Sean helped usher in the golden era of swimming under coaches Kirby Weldon and Matt Mongelli.  By the time his high school career was over, Sean had set multiple individual and relay records in freestyle and butterfly.  His star was rising.

At the same time, Sean’s passion for music was rekindled through his high school music teacher, Gary Daum.  Daum would provide the spark for Sean’s future accomplishments.  In addition, his religion teacher, Dan Napolitano, started the Oasis Music Club, an informal gathering of students who loved music and wanted to explore their creative side.  This brought Sean back to the days of playing with his dad and changed him forever.

Swimming was his talent.  Music was his passion.  His worlds were colliding.  And at some point, everyone must choose a path.

Music Wins Out in the End

Sean Gaiser leveraged his swimming talent to attend Duke University.  He was a key member of the Varsity swim team for two years.  But as hard as he worked in the pool, he could not deny his passion.  In the summer of his sophomore year, Sean quit the swim team and channeled all of his hustle into his love for music.  A new dream was born.

Shortly thereafter, he formed his first band, Kenin.  They recorded six original songs in Durham, NC and then toured back in the Washington, DC for the summer.  Kenin gained some measure of local fame playing at Le Petit Chou in Georgetown.  This allowed them to earn a little money and sharpen their musical chops.  The plan was coming together.

Over the next four years, Kenin performed at venues both large and small.  Sean Gaiser was living his dream of performing live music.   When he wasn’t touring, he would carve out every Monday to Thursday from 3:30pm to 8:30pm to teach private music lessons.  Along the way, this side hustle was becoming his source of greatest joy.

But in 2006, Kenin suffered the fate of many independent bands.  Creative differences, competing priorities, and lack of financial success ultimately lead to their demise.   Sean’s dream for Kenin had died but his most important accomplishments were yet to come!

Influencing A New Generation of Musicians

Instead of sulking over his lost dream, Sean poured everything he had into providing lessons for young musicians of all talent levels.  In September of 2006, Sean opened his own studio, G.I.G.S., (Gaiser Insider Guitar Studio) in Kensington, MD. Within the first month, G.I.G.S  had over forty students eager to learn from their patient and passionate teacher.

As demand grew, Sean hired local musicians to help develop the young talent.  These instructors were still performing professionally, but teaching as a side hustle.  It all contributed to an authentic vibe and a transformational musical experience.

Eventually, G.I.G.S. would expand to encompass three full floors of musical space.  Sean would hire 10 musicians/instructors to help guide and mentor over 240 children a week.  The business was booming.  But Sean Gaiser couldn’t stop there.

It’s All About the Side Hustle

Sean Gaiser never stopped pushing. He had an abundance of energy and wanted to offer even more education for young musicians.

In 2008, Chris Abell, then President of Mater Dei School, identified a need.  The younger students were missing out on exposure to the arts. Sean would be the perfect teacher to open up their eyes to new possibilities.  Since then, every Wednesday Sean puts his business on hold and teaches 1st through 4th-graders the finer points of musical appreciation.

That same year, Georgetown Prep opened up a brand new student center complete with a music studio.  Who could they recruit to help students appreciate and leverage this wonderful new space?  Who else?  Now, Sean also works four days a week at his alma mater, producing shows and teaching high school music.

Finally, when serial restaurateur Bo Blair opened up The Bullpen (now The Fairgrounds) right next to the new Nationals Park, he wanted to attract additional patrons with live music.  Sean Gaiser was the logical choice to make that happen!  Bo  trusted Sean with booking the talent, loading up the sound system, and producing all the shows.  Sean Gaiser now runs event production for over 500 shows a year for thousands of people across the Washington, DC area.

Now THAT is hustle!

What Does the Future Hold?

Over the last eleven years, Sean Gaiser has taught over 5,000 students through his life-changing G.I.G.S studio.  If you have a son or daughter interested in music n the Washington, DC area, they have most likely been taught by Sean.  In addition, he has mentored and provided guidance to hundreds of established musicians and teachers.  All the while producing shows and teaching elementary and high school students.

During that time, he married his longtime girlfriend, Ruthie, and they now have three beautiful children, Charlotte, Britton and Dolly.  He is truly living the dream.

So what does the future hold?  As always, it is anybody’s guess.  But Sean still wants to write one album a year.  He still wants to “jam” with his dad.  He still wants to produce shows for the public and for his students at Georgetown Prep. He still wants to teach at Mater Dei.  He still wants to spend time with his wife and family.  And most importantly, he still wants to influence a new generation of students and create an atmosphere for musical talent to blossom.

How will he do it?  It’s all about hustle!

What Does It Mean for Us?

So many of us start off with a dream.  We need some talent to make this a reality.  But talent alone will not carry us.   There will always obstacles in our path.  There will always be forces working against us.  It will take a positive attitude.  It will take perseverance.  But most importantly, it will take hustle!

Hustle instills us with the grit to power our difficult moments.  Hustle separates us from our competition and accentuates our talent.  And most importantly, hustle provides us an opportunity to discover new dreams beyond our original goals.

Sean Gaiser had a dream to perform music for a living.  That ended.  And that is where it ends for most people.  But his incredible talent and hustle propelled him to forever change his corner of the world and accomplish feats far greater than his original dream.

And that is what hustle can do for all of us!

Until next week, keep smiling!