174 – The Power of Steady Creativity: Growing a Second Income Stream Through Self-Publishing with James Michael Stevens

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Summary

If you’ve ever wondered whether the music you compose or arrange for your students could become more than a creative outlet—maybe even a second income stream—this episode is for you.

My guest, James Michael Stevens, is a composer and college music dean who has steadily built something quite remarkable: a catalog of thousands of piano and organ pieces, all self-published online, that reaches players around the world. What I love most about his story isn’t just the scale of what he’s created—it’s how he’s done it. His process is simple, consistent, and completely self-driven, and it offers a model for any creative teacher who wants to turn small, steady efforts into something substantial.

In our conversation, James shares how he got started, what keeps him motivated, and the systems he uses to sustain that level of creative output year after year.

Whether you write music, design resources, or just have an idea you’ve been meaning to follow through on, this episode is full of practical wisdom for anyone building something one step at a time.

Here’s my conversation with James.