Why I’m solving cyber (Brian)

After a decade of deliberate efforts, I was a capable classical, jazz, and world percussionist with ~40 instruments under my belt in the percussion family. But I lost my “why”.

My first “why” was points playing “drums” on Rockband. As a teen, it was girls. After a couple fumbles, angsty songwriting. Then once I was living on my own, I gained a sudden intense interest in things like food, water, shelter… but I got the points, lost the girls, wrote the songs, paid the bills. 

In standard Brian fashion, I pivoted tenaciously. “I’ll be a singer-songwriter, learn guitar, teach drums on the side, focus on learning more instruments, dive into marketing, project planning, sound engineering.” But every time, I hit the bottom of the well.

So at 23, I mapped my future. Struggle at parenting + relocate to a better area + scrape together a living, or do well in music + forfeit things like spouse, kids, house, my aspirations outside music. 

That’s when I finally phoned mom. 

B:

“I’d like to have both my life and my music but it looks like I can only have one. I keep mapping ways to have both but I’d never sleep. Or I’d have no money. Or I’d have money but no time for a wife. Do I need to look outside music?”

M:
“Well, Brian, it sounds like music is your origin story, but now you need to move on to something that’s a better fit for the rest of your life.”

B:
“You mean like white-collar work? But that seems so dry. Any ideas?”

M:
“Your dad’s friend Hayden works in Cybersecurity, why not start with that?”

…

B:

“Hey Hayden, hope all is well in England!

I’d like to move into a more realistic career and my Mom recommended I look into cybersecurity. It seems like something that could suit me, but I’ve only ever been a musician so I really don’t know where to start.

Would you mind helping me find my footing a bit?”

H:

“The education bit is easy. The understanding it will be the hard part… I can teach you cyber-security. But I can't understand cyber-security for you.” 

Undeterred, I changed my whole life around this new fangled thing called “cybersecurity” that promised not-dry white-ish collar work, but every day I was hit in the feels, reminded of who I was.

“But you’ve made such an impact in our child’s life as a teacher” 

“But you’ve only just begun, you’ve got so much farther to go” 

Nearly anyone who knew me thought I’d gone mad, wasting 10+ years of dedication and throwing away a career where I was successful and had value. Sifting through the grief of losing this social and professional identity, I found that the only way through was to create manageable goals and maintain steadfast efforts. Luckily, Hayden thought on the same lines. 

I was given monthly briefings via email. They included a high-level question, weekly assignments, and a few tips. I visited the library 4-8 hours/day while using a Sec+ study guide, Professor Messer, and Tryhackme to get a grip on the new territory. 

Prior to Jan 2026, I taught when kids were out of school and gigged when adults were at bars. Add in projects and we’re looking at music from Mon-Sat 10-9 and/or 3-2. All for $40k/yr and a promising future in music.

By Jan 2026, I had reforged my lifestyle around a new project: my new life in cyber.

Operationally, I was forward-moving, but the sustainability was lacking, so I concocted a simple “why” that I could sit with:

“Think of how today leads to tomorrow”

I thought of that talk with my Mom. While year 1-3 in cyber might be 3rd shift, it’s not for life. As a musician, odd-hours are regular hours and compensation barely places you on Maslow’s hierarchy– and that is for life. 

The months went by begrudgingly as I crammed studies while living through my music vs cyber dual identity. Finally came the ides of June, when I left my music career completely. 

June 11 was my last gig as a Clevelander

June 12 I sold my last instrument

June 14 was my last student recital. 

Now in July, I’m working with one professional identity: Cybersecurity practitioner. This means steady job search, quality time with my homelab, and a little cert prep on the side.

While fighting my dual identity Jan-June, I was able to obtain 2 certification-level credentials, 3 certificate level credentials, an entry professional’s LinkedIn, ~100 tryhackme room completions, and more “why” than I ever had as a musician.

But as many of us are realizing, the market is currently going a bit haywire. While my efforts could score a gig in 2018-2022, 2023’s GenAI explosion has caused so much ruckus that there’s no straight and narrow toward landing a cyber gig in 2026. I’m competing with folks who have many years’ IT experience that are just trying to scrape a living together. 

Am I giving up? 

No. 

This page is called “SolvingCyber”

not 

“CyberIsReallyHardSoLet’sTrySomethingEasierInstead”. 

Tl;dr – why Brian is solving cyber 

I’m showcasing the soft skills of a musician from the lens of a cybersecurity professional. Past the personal goals, I’m in it because cybersecurity has proven to be the new backbone of our society– and who doesn’t want to live in a better world? That’s why I’m solving cyber. 

In my new life plans v2.1, my north star is CISO ~2046. But for now, I’m fine continuing to put honest effort into landing my first position and seeing where it goes.

Hayden and I are on polar opposite sides of our career, him as a senior executive and myself as an entry candidate. The mission is to use both perspectives to allow a functional middleground to appear between the “here’s 10 things you need to know about cyber” and “AI will take all our jobs, just give up” perspectives of cyber media. 

Stay tuned to SolvingCyber as we dig into topics of learning, development, career, technical perspective, and process in the days to come.

Best of luck,

- Brian