Music YouTuber discusses career in CU Boulder talk

YouTube creator “Sideways,” known for breaking down the music of popular films, paid a visit to the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Music on Tuesday night to talk to students, staff and fans about his career.

The YouTuber, who did not want his real name or photos of him included to preserve his online anonymity, was invited as a guest speaker for the college’s Career Launchpad series through the Entrepreneurship Center for Music. Meant to help music students network and explore career options, the series has hosted a variety of speakers, from composers to performers to producers.

Holding a music degree from Colorado State University, Sideways is currently affiliated with the College of Music at CU. His channel blends his musical expertise with his love for musicals, movies and video games, with the most popular videos on the site amassing millions of views. His subscriber count is closing in on one million, as well.

“The music conservatory doesn’t do enough to teach students about pop culture or how music is used in today’s world,” said ECM director Jeffrey Nytch. “We need to do more of that … (so) I think this is incredibly beneficial.”

In his presentation Tuesday, Sideways reminisced on seeing one of his videos go viral for the first time, his own journey through YouTube popularity and his decision to pursue a career in music.

“I had a really rough childhood, and watching musical movies really got me through it, in a lot of ways,” he said. “And I told myself that … I want to work on these movies, and score them, so that maybe I can help some other kid growing up.”

Sideways has recently been on somewhat of a YouTube hiatus — he hasn’t posted a video on his channel since April 2021. Online, he’s cited frustration over copyright claims and plagiarism as reasons for taking a break. On Tuesday, the YouTuber elaborated on these frustrations, blaming his busy schedule for the hiatus even though he said he has “gigs of videos” he wants to upload.

“I’m fascinated with how music works,” he said. “The research aspect is very much a passion for me, and the video editing part is the labor.”

For over an hour, the roughly 15 guests asked Sideways technical questions about his online fame, like how he navigates search engine optimization, alongside more lighthearted inquiries about his favorite composers and musicals.

Several listeners were also eager to share the impact Sideways and his videos have had on their lives.

“You influenced the way I listen to music, and I think that’s very cool,” Tryggvi Holt, a music technology major at CU, told the YouTuber. “You’re one of my biggest music inspirations.”

When asked for guidance on starting out in the industry, Sideways had one main piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to experiment.

“You have to experiment as much as you can,” he said. “If you want to grow, you can’t just do the same thing over and over again. You have to say, ‘What are people into, and what is something I can do to contribute to the conversation?’”