When I was 3 years old, my mom discovered that I have ‘Perfect Pitch’, which is an extremely rare genetic anomaly that gives me the ability to instantly identify the pitch of any sound. Because of this, I’ve always felt like I was, in a way, destined to be a musician…”
Moses Lin, Musician
Before becoming a guitarist, Moses Lin’s musical journey began with the piano; he started learning classical piano at the age of only three and won his first competition in Chicago at the tender age of six. It was not until he reached high school that Moses picked up an acoustic guitar and began teaching himself how to play; this was when he began blending his classical guitar style with other techniques he discovered online. The culmination of these efforts has resulted in a unique style of fingerstyle guitar, which, over the years, has become his signature, leading to invitations for Moses to perform for audiences around the world, both large and small. Moses was recently named as one of the CITY & BEACH LIFESTYLE ‘PEOPLE OF THE YEAR 2024’ due to the inspiring nature of his story; here he discusses how he began in music, his style and accolades over the years since…
After high school, I enlisted in the US Marine Corps and managed to join the prestigious U.S. Marine Corps Band; I spent my enlistment performing all over the country at various military events and finally settled in Orange County, California…”
Moses Lin, Musician
C&B: “Moses, you started to play music when you were very young, no doubt giving you an advantage over others! Once you’d left school, how did you go about getting your first paid gigs – is it a story of instant success?”
ML: “Not really! In fact, in 2016, I had my very first live performance as a solo fingerstyle guitarist at a local coffee shop. I performed for three hours and walked away with only $3 in tips and a free coffee from the café. I drove home feeling crushed and questioned whether I was throwing away my life by trying to pursue music. I wanted to give it all up that day; however, instead, I doubled down and began posting YouTube videos of my musical style. My perseverance paid off, as just shortly after, I received a cold call from Disneyland, which led to my first big break. One of their executives had happened to view one of my videos, noticed that I lived in Orange County, and invited me to audition to perform at Disneyland!”
I fell in love with Fingerstyle Guitar, which is an incredibly difficult style of music where I play a song’s melody, chords, bass line and percussion simultaneously…”
Moses Lin, Musician
C&B: “What an incredible stroke of luck… what special measures did take to ensure you got the job?”
ML: “Without hesitation, I spent my entire life savings on a sound system, guitar pedals, and various audio equipment so that I could adequately prepare for the audition. Thankfully, they were thrilled with my unique style of music, and I soon became Disneyland’s premier solo guitarist. This opportunity led to other performance engagements around town and ultimately resulted in a friend asking me to perform at their wedding. I quickly realised how much I loved the special energy associated with weddings and decided that I wanted to specialise as a wedding musician…”
C&B: “What were the steps you took from performing on stage at various events to being more of a ‘roaming musician’?”
ML: “For the first few years of my career, I performed at weddings while sitting on a stool, restricted by all my plugged-in cables. I would watch guests dancing and singing along to my music, often thinking to myself, ‘If only I could join in!’ I knew I could create an even more memorable experience at these special occasions if I were closer to the main action. Therefore, in 2019, I decided to invest in a wireless system, a decision that has completely changed the trajectory of my career. Since then, I have become known for my wireless performances, roaming around cocktail hours and wedding receptions to serenade guests up close…”
In a poetic sense, I was made for my career in music. Over the course of my life, I’ve practiced tens of thousands of hours to hone my skills and develop my own fingerstyle guitar techniques, sometimes practicing 8-10 hours a day. But despite the confidence I have in my talent, it’s the feeling of fate that ties me to the guitar and pulls me into this career…”
Moses Lin, Musician
C&B: “Since you started out you’ve received many prestigious industry awards; can you discuss their significance and how they’ve impacted your career and artistic vision?”
ML: “I still can’t believe how far I’ve come with just a guitar and a dream. I honestly never expected to find so much success in a music career. When I dropped out of college to pursue music, I was making a combined $1250/month from teaching guitar lessons and YouTube ad revenue, and I was genuinely content to live a simple life dedicating all of my energy towards doing something I love. My first significant award was in 2022, when I was awarded ‘Best Live Music in Los Angeles’ at the annual California Wedding Day awards gala, which is the result of thousands of votes from wedding industry professionals in California. I went on to win the same award again in 2023, and finally ‘Best Entertainment Statewide’ at their 2024 gala. Most recently, I was awarded ‘Favorite Entertainment in North America & the Caribbeans’ at the annual RSVP Club awards gala. RSVP is a luxury wedding industry organisation with hundreds of members all around the world who vote each year for these awards. It is such an honour to be recognised by my peers and fellow industry pioneers. Receiving these awards encourages me that I’m on the right path and I hope my story helps to inspire others…”
C&B: “How do you approach the creative process when it comes to performing – is it complicated?”
ML: “I’ve always believed that the most impressive part of what I do isn’t the actual performing skill, but in how I arrange songs. Every song I perform is an instrumental version that I’ve created myself, where I’m playing the melody, chords, bass line, and percussion simultaneously, without looping or backing tracks. It’s a bit like a sudoku puzzle, taking what should essentially be an arrangement for a 4-piece band, and finding a way to perform it all at the same time. The process is arduous, sometimes taking over 40 hours to create a single song. Because of this, a simple wedding cocktail hour performance is the result of thousands of hours of arranging and memorizing. There are quite a few guitarists in the world more skilled than me, but I genuinely believe that I am one of the best fingerstyle guitar arrangers in the world…”
C&B: “Being picked up by Disney was a significant achievement; however, were there challenges in your event performing career, and how have you overcome them to achieve success in the competitive music industry?”
ML: “The biggest challenge I had was actually when I first started as there was no market for what I did. Clients and planners told me they wanted singer/songwriters, harpists or string quartets, and on the rare occasion they wanted guitar, it was always classical or jazz guitar. Overcoming this mindset and their decision-making process took a lot of time, networking and me creating many more music videos, but I eventually flipped the script. Before, people didn’t want me because no one had ever seen my style of music before – now people want me because no one has ever seen my style of music before!”
C&B: “Yes, that’s ironic! Now that everyone knows about you and loves what you do, how do you engage with your audience during live performances, and what do you believe makes your performance truly memorable?”
ML: “I believe a truly memorable performance needs three things: wonder, connection, and a bit of nostalgia. With my style of music and complex arrangements, guests constantly tell me they’re unable to believe that the things they are hearing are coming from just one guitar. With unique music and a bit of novelty, I create a sense of child-like wonder where you simply can’t believe your eyes. By walking around, I achieve a sense of connection with guests as well. Instead of having my face buried in sheet music while sitting on a stool in the corner, I’m able to walk up to and engage with guests, making them feel like they are a VIP and that I was hired just to serenade them. Lastly, a bit of nostalgia with song choices goes a long way. I watch how guests react to each song and choose the next song accordingly. The goal is to pick a song that guests will instantly recognize and know. This opens up opportunities for guests to engage further by singing along or dancing, which happens at almost every wedding…”
The secret to guest engagement is being an empath; I’m constantly scanning the room and reading the vibe of each guest, deciphering what they want from me and how they want to be engaged. Some guests want a drunken karaoke dance party with me, some want to watch me from a distance, and some just want to chat me up mid-song…”
Moses Lin, Musician
C&B: “How has the ever-increasing evolution of technology and social media influenced your approach to promoting your music and connecting with wedding planners and event organisers?”
ML: “Social media has become the foundation of my business, with over 60% of my performance bookings coming directly from brides themselves via Instagram and as the market shifts more towards social media and video content, I’m doubling down even more on Instagram reels. My strategy is simple – document incredible moments from real weddings and show couples what their wedding could feel like; I want them to see my videos and be able to imagine themselves in it. I want them to imagine their parents slow dancing as I serenade them, or their best friend dancing at cocktail hour, or a table of their college friends screaming the lyrics to ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’!”
C&B: “Yes, Instagram and YouTube have become libraries of fabulous planners and vendors – much like our online magazine! Would you say that there’s a lot of competition when it comes to the wedding business – which is a massive industry in itself?”
ML: “My belief is that you’re either an imitator or an innovator. Imitators constantly watch and copy their competition while innovators ignore their competition and focus all their attention on creating and growing. I have found so much success by simply having tunnel vision on my personal growth trajectory and by having no time for the comparison game. I’ve coached musicians all over the world and they find a lot of success in adopting my strategies, but my hope for them is that they’ll one day find their own unique path and become an innovator. ‘Find the thing that sets you apart and double down on it’ is my motto!”
C&B: “You’ve come a long way, Moses, and still have a long and fabulous career in music ahead of you – what projects or collaborations are you currently pursuing, and what can your clients look forward to in the coming year?”
ML: “I have a few exciting projects coming up and also be releasing my 5th album on Spotify in mid-2025. Keep in touch via Instagram!”
CONTACT: http://www.moseslinmusic.com
