Founder, Software Engineer, Pianist
Current City: San Francisco, CA.
Current Job and Entrepreneurial Focus: Founder of Burton Algorithms, a software development agency, and NFBeats, a startup for music NFTs.
Notable Prior Jobs: Software Engineer at Meta, Pianist at Gaylord Hotels, Associate at Providence Investment Management.
When I Started Performing: 12.
Performing Arts Background: I started playing the piano when I was 12. I met my teacher, Ricardo Matheu, in a music store. I told him I knew nothing about music, and he sat down and played a melody on the piano. When he was finished, I was able to play the same song. I discovered that I could watch the hands of someone playing a song, memorize the keys they press, and then play back the melody. Ricardo saw I had potential, and decided to train me to be a performer. I later found out he was a concert pianist and had played in Liberace's orchestra, and Ricardo taught me everything he knew about performance, rhythm, and technique. As I got older, I began performing for events. I started playing for fundraisers, galas, and restaurants, and became the pianist for the Gaylord Texan Resort when I was 16. That same year, I started recording albums. I made my first CD, Legacy 22, as a tribute to my late grandfather; it was a collection of 22 of my best songs. Last year, I made a Christmas album called Noel, which featured several rising artists. I also became the director of a gospel youth choir.
How did your performing arts background supercharge your entrepreneurship? I believe that performing arts and entrepreneurship are two sides of the same coin. Performing arts, especially music, is fueled by creativity. When you improvise, produce a song, or write lyrics, you are tapping into the innovative component of your brain; you are synergizing words and notes to form melodies and music that are able to bring people from any culture or background together and uplift them in harmony. This is the same thing that happens with entrepreneurship. When you create a business, you are using your talents and unique skill sets to build a product or market a service that is able to uplift your target audience and positively impact their lives. With a product, you have to constantly iterate, just as how you would do a song. You have to combine technology, marketing, and leverage the power of people to build, invest, or promote your product, just as you would if you're releasing an album: recording the melody and producing the beat, marketing your music on Spotify, or collaborating with other musicians to elevate your song. I'm seeing this happen within my own music startup, NFBeats. Working with musicians in the past has given me a unique skill set to be able to work and negotiate with people in any industry, from independent artists and record labels to programmers and venture capitalists. I think being a musician is one of the greatest advantages any entrepreneur can have, as it gives you the creative and collaborative fuel to accelerate your brands and businesses.
Favorite Performer: Michael Jackson.
Follow this Performer:
Website - music.burtonscott.com
Instagram - @theromanscott
LinkedIn - /in/roman-scott
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