Trouble Maker Interview Series: Marelle Cerven - “My advice to anyone stuck in a rut, is to talk it out with people. You really never know what someone is going to tell you that could change your entire perspective on something”

I was both happy and nervous when Bennet told me he was quitting his job to move to Europe and pursue music. Growing up, music was a huge part of our lives. Since a young age, Bennet and I spent countless hours a week at private lessons, orchestra rehearsals and the occasional weekend competitions. As Bennet got older and started college, he played his violin less and less. But with the stress of a demanding Wall Street job, his music was the thing he turned to as a creative outlet and stress reliever. As someone who works in the finance industry myself, I know how hard it is to work a job that doesn’t typically allow you to color outside the lines. Bennet is one of the smartest people I know, and he no doubt in my mind would’ve been extremely successful on Wall Street. However, I know what a talented musician he is and how he moves people when his bow strikes a string. He wasn’t happy or passionate about the work he was doing in finance, so I was happy that he decided to make a change. It made me nervous that he was deciding to leave stability for an unknown, but I trusted his judgement and his ability to realize his dreams.

A TROUBLE ADVENTURE

In my adventures with The Trouble Notes, it never ceases to amaze me how drawn people are to their music. I’ve been in multiple cities and countries with them and people are enamored no matter where they are. That for me is the beautiful thing about their music. Unlike a lot of artists today, the Trouble Notes have a diverse following of people from all walks of life. Since there are no lyrics, the journey Bennet, Flo, and Ollie take you on during each song is completely different for everyone. You can see how touched people are in the way they dance, the comments the make on social media, and the way they selflessly want to help the guys out in any way they can. Their fans/audiences are proof that music can bond us better than words.

A TURNING POINT

The Lose Your Ties theme resonates with me, because I’m currently at a point in my young life where I’m trying to figure out how to reach my goals. I’ve always been a methodical, planner, but I’m finding that chasing my passions in life doesn’t come with a clear roadmap. I’m learning to break away from what people tell me I should be doing and starting to trust in my own ability to make the “right” decisions for myself.

TALK IT OUT

My advice to anyone stuck in a rut, is to talk it out with people. Whether that be your parents, your best friend, or even a life coach, I find it important to tell other people what you’re going through. You may not agree with what they tell you or the advice they give you, but outside perspective is important when you’re stuck in your own world. You really never know what someone is going to tell you that could change your entire perspective on something.
ACHIEVING MILESTONES

I define success as achieving milestones you set for yourself, both big and small. This could be anything from running a marathon to saving up enough money to take that trip you always wanted. Success is very important to me. I find that it’s more attainable when I set small achievements for myself.

We meet you in every city that we travel to, magicians – likeminded souls that we want to portrait as The Troublemakers. Our mission is to give each one of you a voice. Life is about exchange and sharing a picture. We believe all of you have a unique and individual connection to The Trouble Notes and therefore we want to digitally bring you a bit closer together. Even though you all are spread around the world. We believe we can grow together. This project is the brainchild of our manager Stefanie Tendler (@lalalopoberlin), who is responsible for connecting our troubled universe.