We had the good fortune of connecting with Will Flash and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Will, how do you think about risk?
Personally I feel like the word ‘risk’ comes with a negative connotation. Usually people associate risk with loss like “oh, I’m willing to risk this for that”. When you look at the bigger picture, ‘risk’s’ are really Faith moves. Im doing something because I believe in a better outcome and when it comes to making faith based decisions, I know that they are a necessity, especially when you’re an artist . Living in comfort is what keeps us dormant, when you’re in a space that you are extremely familiar with its easy to become complacent and settle for what you know will be there when you need it. But how much more will you grow when you remove yourself from that complacency, that familiarity. This is what drove me to move down here to the 404. I followed God here to Atlanta and in the short time I’ve lived here, I have experienced so much. I was able to network with musicians who play for people like ‘Tems’ and ‘Usher’. I’ve worked on set as a background actor with Jamie Foxx, Latto, Kevin Hart, Ludacris, Cameron Diaz and more. I made some connections with the folks down at Katz Cafe and if you ever want to time travel to the 70’s and 80’s, head down there on thursday nights! None of this would have been possible if I stayed back home in Boston. Though these are small steps and though I’m coming up on only 5 months of living here, im excited to see what else the Lord has in store for me.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For those that don’t know me, I am a musician and aspiring actor. I specialize in the drums, keyboards, producing, arranging and programming for live performance. I have videos on my social media with arrangements to music from artists like Young Thug, Ari Lenox, Don Toliver and more. On the acting side I’ve been apart of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, “Love and Hip-Hop”, “Reasonable Doubt” and a bunch of other unreleased films and tv shows as a background actor. Okay so now lets address the questions. It’s hard to separate yourself in todays artist climate. Being in a city like atlanta has shown me that you need to do more than just hustle in order to get to where you’re tryna go. There’s always gonna be someone who’s more knowledgable and more talented than you are. I feel that knowing yourself and being extremely humble are two things that are always on my heart when I approach creative situations. These two mindsets have gotten me as far as I have been and I know that they will take me further. Humility can sustain relationships that talent may be able to get you in, and when you know yourself, you understand that there can only be one you. I am Will Flash Gordon and I am the only Will Flash Gordon that this world will ever know. Now, of course coming to these realizations have been a direct result of trial and error. I spent a lot of time allowing ‘comparison’ to steal my joy and passion for my art forms and I had to take several steps back to re-evaluate my thought patterns and change the trajectory of my mindset. This included a lot of praying, a lot of walks and a lot of going to my roots to rediscover my love for what I do best. As for my brand, I’m still in the early stages but this year, my spirit knows that I will take an exponential leap. I want everyone to know that God brought me here and Im ready for everything thats coming my way.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Im no ATLien just yet but I know that I gotta take my friends to little five points to go shopping. Georgia has some of the best Goodwills in the country so were going to the one over Lindbergh way. We have to go to Cascade to hit the rink for a little bit. The Illusion Museum in Atlantic Station. TenAtl on Monday night, Backstage on Wednesday night and Katz Cafe on Thursday night to hit up some jam sessions. Some of my personal favorite things to see are are the Olympic Cauldron Tower on Hank Aaron Drive. I love to go to the pool in Piedmont park to look at some water ( even though being from Boston and living next to the Atlantic Ocean it doesn’t feel the same ) The view of the city from the Mt.Harmony cemetery is a top spot. when it comes to food im taking them to JJ’s, Jr. Crickets,American Deli and CookOut. Up north we don’t have any of these spots and I’m really trying to watch my weight since moving down here. Atlanta is a unique place and there isn’t anywhere on earth like it.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I want to give glory to Jesus for helping me to live in freedom. Now, since being here, I’ve met some incredible people. Brien Andrews, Kurt Mitchell and Al Smith a.k.a the house band at Katz Cafe. These are veterans in the game of music, they each have subtly guided me towards being a more well rounded musician. They’ve encouraged me to relax, play with intention and above all else make sure the music feels good. I want to say thank you to Amanda Ellenburg, one of my acting friends. She has made my transition into the acting world seamless. I remember her coaching me on controlling my facial muscles and locking into character mindset while filming as background actors on set a couple of weeks ago. Lastly, I wanna shoutout my crew, Cardell Smart, Funder and Keira Smith. All of these individuals are amazing artists who have music out on all streaming platforms but most importantly, they’ve been my family away from Beantown and have definitely helped me to feel less lonely in this new city.
Website: https://willflashgordon.wixsite.com/my-site-2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willflashgordon/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@willflashgordon
Image Credits
@_iamkeira._ @upsonreflections @maps_nyc