The Rubin Brothers: Radical Self-Trust, Vaudeville, and Building the Career With No Set Career Ladder

Episode note: This episode includes a brief reference to sexual assault (~18:00). A content note is included in the audio.What happens when two brothers from Portland, Oregon decide to build a vaudeville career in the 21st century with no roadmap, no safety net, and "well-meaning" people telling them it won't work?AJ and Colescott Rubin, known as The Rubin Brothers, are Berklee College of Music alumni, circus musicians, and vaudeville entertainers who juggle, unicycle, and perform acrobatics while playing trumpet and upright bass. They've appeared on American Idol, shared the stage with John Legend, played 24 shows in 19 days in Thailand with one gig booked, and recorded an album on pre-1926 acoustic equipment at one of only two such studios still operating in the world! In fact, Colescott's great-grandfather played with Louis Armstrong in New Orleans on that same technology, 100 years ago.In this episode, Dani Raschel Chou and co-host Nicolle Ketcham sit down with AJ (23) and Colescott (nearly 30) for one of the most honest conversations With Hat and Cattle has recorded. And through it all, they discuss how to build something real when there's no career ladder to climb, what it looks like when the path breaks down, and how joy can be a discipline rather than a destination.What you'll take away from this episode:On radical self-trust: AJ describes the practice of trusting yourself when the path has no map: "It's radical self-trust, and that is a lesson and is a practice as well."On the long way being the short way: Colescott shares a Wayne Shorter quote he's lived by since he was 14: "The long way is the short way." Every time they've doubted their direction, this has been the reset.On the hardest chapter: Colescott details the tendonitis that cost him 9–12 months of playing while on a Berklee scholarship, and how being forced to stop led him to tap dance, improv comedy, songwriting, and the front of the stage for the first time. "I had to be just Colescott rather than Colescott the bassist. And it turns out there was a lot more to me than I thought."On building a career with no set of directions or blueprints and deciding what's important: AJ shares the Quincy Jones rule they live by: Follow the goosebumps. When Quincy was asked how he chose projects when he had more offers than days in the year, his answer was simple: Trust your intuition.On being a fish out of water: "If you feel like you don't fit into your industry, that's not a weakness. That's your leverage. That's your opportunity to bring something that isn't there otherwise." —ColescottOn nurturing the partnership: They hold monthly communication improvement meetings, and they don't discuss the act. They're discussing the partnership itself. "Make sure you leave time to talk about the partnership, not just what you're doing." This one habit, they say, is what makes collaboration sustainable.The episode closes with a question Dani and Nicolle crafted for the arc of the show: 100 years from now, when another pair of siblings decides to revive a lost art form, what do you hope they're borrowing from the Rubin Brothers? Colescott's answer says it all. Have you been told that your path doesn't make sense? Or making you're taking the safe path and wondering if there's more? Give this a listen today.─── GUEST LINKS ───The Rubin Brothers on Instagram: @rubinbrothersPatreon: patreon.com/rubinbrothers ─── WITH HAT AND CATTLE ───Hosted by Dani Raschel ChouCo-hosted this episode by Nicolle KetchamThat's the With Hat and Cattle promise: Bringing you stories from people who walk the walk and leave you better off for listening.Connect with Dani Raschel Chou on Instagram @withhatandcattle or via email at [email protected]. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more conversations that leave you better off for listening: With Hat and Cattle I Hosted by Dani Raschel Chou - YouTube! Go to www.withhatandcattle.com to sign up for our mailing list so you don't miss weekly insights. Be sure to check out our affiliate links!