Conversations with Leslie Simon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Simon. 

Hi Leslie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Growing up, I gravitated toward acting. As an only child, theatre gave me the opportunity to express myself and find like-minded friends. I also started playing guitar and getting into photography at 14, so when I went to the University of Texas at Austin, it was only natural for me to get an acting degree and minor in Music Theory. I got the performance degree and not one where I could teach, so once I graduated, I moved to Los Angeles to “make it.” 

Unfortunately, I was not emotionally mature enough to be so far from home, and being rejected hurt me so much that I began drinking regularly. So much that after a year, I went back home to Texas with my tail between my legs, gave up on the arts, and got a job at a law firm. It was a terrible fit though, and thanks to the lawyer I was working for, Mr. Tom Ajamie, I was able to get an internship at the Texas Film Commission back in Austin where I tried my hand at working behind the camera instead. Of course, this was 2007 and there was a writer’s union strike, so with no good film work going on, I ended back up at a law firm. 

When I wasn’t working, I was watching live music; I had a vision of myself, writing music reviews and doing concert photography. Being told I’d never do it by a former flame fueled my fire even more. A chance meeting with my future husband turned into me moving to Denver, where my drinking caught up to me and I knew I had to stop if I was going to get anywhere. Scared of what to do with my hands at a concert without a drink in them, I picked up a camera instead. 

This is where I ran into the conundrum – how am I supposed to get better at photography if I can’t get any photo passes to practice shooting shows? After getting told no about a dozen times, I saw a chance with an upcoming Mickey Hart Band show. I wrote to them as a Deadhead, asking “If the Grateful Dead can’t help me, who can?” With that plea, I got my first photo pass. 

I was at SXSW 2013 when a man asked me what I did. “I want to be a concert photographer and start a blog” “Well, what are you waiting for?” Indeed. That night at my hotel I created Leslieloudspeaker.com, and after that, I started hearing “yes” instead of “no.” A life-changing moment came at the end of the summer when a friend asked me if I wanted to review the upcoming Phish concerts at Dick’s Sporting Goods for Westword. One of my high school dreams had been to write for the Village Voice, and I grabbed this opportunity to write for them and things took off. 

Eventually, though, my anxiety took over, and I started having panic attacks when my articles started doing well. Here I was, reaching the dream of making everyone read my opinions on music, and suddenly I didn’t want anyone to read. I had a hard time not taking internet troll comments personally and began to pull away from such a public-facing role, working freelance and staying at home more. 

In 2018, I went to the Phish Curveball festival in upstate New York to get my head on straight and figure out my next steps. Unfortunately, as we were sitting at our campsite, the festival was canceled due to water contamination (I had just taken a shower. Ew.) Total curveball. As I sat there watching the stage being taken down, I decided “that’s it. No more freelance. I need a full-time job.” Back home a friend sent me a job listing for a Content and Grant Writer position at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, a big arts center right down the street that I dreamt of working for. Since I had never written a grant though, I thought there was no way that I would get the job. But I did, and almost three years later I am in the dream job that I had always imagined myself in. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing has come smoothly for me, and while I thought that quitting drinking would solve all my problems, it only showed me that I had been self-medicating some serious mental health issues that were suddenly overflowing out of me. By trading drinking for yoga, meditation, journaling, playing music, photography, and hiking, I have finally come to a point where I can consider myself “happy.” I just had my tenth anniversary of no alcohol on August 18. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a writer and photographer. While I started my career writing about music, I have now expanded into the world of grants and marketing copy. I am not what you call a critic – I’m a cheerleader. I try to use any position I have as a way to uplift artists, get their name out there and sell some tickets. I’m a natural marketer who likes to share with people what the new hot thing is. I’m known for having my finger on the pulse of what is up and coming in music, fashion, and pop culture in general. What I’m most proud of is staying free from alcohol for over ten years in industries where drugs and alcohol and general debauchery are the norms. While I was scared of not fitting in at first, I have found that having my wits together at shows makes me feel like a superhero, and it is always a good feeling to be able to drive your loved one’s home safely at night. I think this is what sets me apart – having a clear head under psychedelic circumstances. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Apply for the dream job even if you think you aren’t qualified. You just never know! 

Contact Info:

• Email: leslieloudspeaker@gmail.com
• Website: https://leslieloudspeaker.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslieloudspeaker
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.simon.14
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lloudspeaker