Lee McKinney, the talented guitarist and songwriter of the American metal band Born of Osiris recounts his journey from being a seventeen-year-old professional musician to overcoming substance addiction that led to a coma. He offers insightful discussion on developing unique artistic voice, the significance of discipline, parallels between martial arts and music, and the value of quality over quantity in social media. Underscoring the importance of authenticity, perseverance, and maintaining an influential circle of peers, he touches on his signature Kiesel guitar line and encourages others to cultivate their experiences into art.

Episode Highlights:

35:02 Navigating Life Changes and Finding Stability in Music

37:55 The Evolution of a Musician's Career and the Impact of Technology

50:18 The Balance Between Artistic Integrity and Audience Expectations

52:56 The Role of Adversity in Shaping a Musician's Career

01:10:41 Rediscovering the Warrior Ethos

01:11:43 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Fear

01:13:53 The Influence of Martial Arts on Music

01:15:18 The Inspiration from Musashi and Martial Arts

01:17:45 The Intersection of Martial Arts and Music

01:20:37 The Impact of Adversity on Personal Growth

Lee McKinney is best known as the guitarist and composer of the progressive metal band Born of Osiris. He produces, records, and engineers out of Osiris Studios. Born Lee Patrick McKinney on April 24, 1989, he grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Lee picked up the guitar at age 10 and knew immediately that music was his passion. To that end, he began practicing up to 6-10 hours a day in effort to become the most he could be at his instrument. Some of his early influences include Randy Rhoads, Eric Johnson, Dimebag Darrell, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani, and more.

You can hear more from Lee on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/c/leemckinney

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.