Perfect Pitch: Mike Wieckowski, Kevin Hammer, Andrew Casperson

Updated: Jul 28

Founders, Piano/Guitar, Trombone/Trumpet, Trumpet/Voice

Mike Wieckowski

Current City: Chareston, SC

Current Job and Entrepreneurial Focus:

CEO, Founder, LUMIQ Inc. Lumiq designs and manufactures beautifully printed artwork that displays real time information aboutthe world around you.

Notable Prior Jobs:

CTO Heatworks Technologies

When I Started Performing: 7 years old

Performing Arts Background:

I've been playing piano from a young age, focused primarily on jazz and blues. This included competitions, master classes, school performances, and the like. In high school I joined and jazz band and also performed for school functions and in regional competitions. In college, I picked up the guitar and began focusing on composition and some music history at the Eastman School. This lead to my obsession with sound track composition and scores for film / music videos.

How did your performing arts background supercharge your entrepreneurship?

I have found that my music and performance background has shaped my success as an entrepreneur in two ways. The first is the unique requirement that musical performance imposes upon us to operate in a group without direct communication. I think this ability to pick up on subtle queues, to listen and observe intently, and to modulate one's activity in synchrony with other performers is highly relevant to working in a startup environment, especially in smaller teams. The second relates to composition, and the truly humbling process of allowing a melody or musical theme to reveal itself in one's mind. Such is also the experience of inventing and problem solving in a new venture. The best answers often come from unexpected places, and music has often been the conduit for these discoveries.

Favorite Performer: Oscar Peterson

Kevin Hammer

Current City: Chareston, SC

Current Job and Entrepreneurial Focus:

COO, Founder, LUMIQ Inc.

Notable Prior Jobs:

Senior Electrical Engineer, Heatworks Technologies

When I Started Performing: 4th grade at Tobyhanna Elementary School

Performing Arts Background:

Trombone 30 years/Trumpet 15 years/Tuba 11 years/Piano 5 years(novice)

1st Trombone - Orchestra/Jazz Band/Marching Band - 8 years

1st Trumpet - Jazz Band - 2 years

Trombone Instructor 5 years for elementary and middle school students

How did your performing arts background supercharge your entrepreneurship?

Discipline and leadership - I remember as a kid not really having the support of my parents to play an instrument and, living in a small house, the trombone wasn't necessarily the quietest or most pleasing sounding instrument. I knew that if I wanted my parents support, I had to be good and so I practiced just about every day.

It didnt take long for me to be the best in my school and by 7th grade I was asked to play in the HS Jazz band and marching band. That energized me to play even more. By High School the habit of playing daily just became part of me and I soon was in charge of the entire brass section. Later I lead a small group that played at nursing homes and elementary schools. I even started a small business in HS giving music instruction to young kids for $20 a lesson.

That discipline and leadership I learned very young really taught me the value of hard work and consistency. As an adult Ive applied that to everything from fitness to hobbies and my work.

The thought of leaving a good paying job and becoming an entrepreneur is not for everyone and I think in many ways, for me, it was lead by those lessons I learned all those years ago. Take a big goal and chip away a little at a time and you will eventually get there.

Favorite Performer: Christian Lindberg - My first trombone had his signature on it.

Andrew Casperson

Current City: Chareston, SC

Current Job and Entrepreneurial Focus:

Co-founder of an Electrical Engineering Consulting firm and Display Company. We create beautiful display's using LED's under fixed graphics. These are used to inform people of various information like traffic and weather while also being attractive enough to hang in a living room.

Notable Prior Jobs:

Worked in Defense Contracting for 5 years developing antenna systems for the military. Developed novel ground penetrating radar systems for more efficient utility finding. Worked for 4 years creating novel designs for biomedical instruments for testing injectable drugs for toxins.

When I Started Performing: 5 years old

Performing Arts Background:

Piano as a child from about 5 years old. Trumpet from 9 years old, in high school performed with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Portland Oregon. Choir and chorus from 10 years old on. I still dabble on the instruments, and signing and dancing is not stop in our household.

How did your performing arts background supercharge your entrepreneurship?

I think my musical background has had a significant influence on my professional career. Being in musical groups taught me to work well as a team. Learning an instrument is also not easy, so it built my drive to be the best I could be at the task at hand. I also think a skill that I have always excelled at is problem solving. I can also look at a problem in multiple different ways to find the best answer, and I believe being musically creative certainly helped me excel at this.

Favorite Performer: Wynton Marsalis