Austin Shariff has a passion for music, and he wants to share it with his community. On Sunday mornings, the St. Louis-area native can be found leading worship at Manchester United Methodist Church. And during other times, he’s out and about at local venues solo and with his band, saint chuck.
As director of Modern Worship Arts at his church, Austin calls it a privilege and opportunity to lead people in song. “This work fills my cup every single day that I get to do it,” he says. “It leaves me feeling rejuvenated and fulfilled. Being able to lead people to a deeper faith through music is super, super important to me.”
He also hopes his solo and saint chuck gigs allow people to sit back, relax and enjoy their weekends. “We’re hoping people can forget about some of the other things going on in their lives, and in that moment enjoy some good music and let everything go.”
Austin knows that a music career can be filled with uncertainties about when the next opportunity may come along, so gaining confidence around his finances has been important to him.
“I was not taught about money growing up, and money wasn't something that my parents, friends or family talked about a lot,” he says. Yet at 23, he is ahead of many of his peers when it comes to managing his finances, including being free of debt.
In part, it’s thanks to financial and emotional support from his grandma’s best friend, a retired banker with a “big heart for knowing that money management can lead to a happier life in other settings,” Austin says. But it’s also from the support of a college friend, Thrivent Financial Advisor Jack Bedtke.
Austin recognizes that not a lot of young people talk about money. He wants to change that narrative for his friends, and also in his personal life, especially with his fiancée, Samantha.
“Financial organization doesn't have to be something I'm in fear about,” he says. “It’s helped me have confidence in my next steps as I go about figuring out what music is for me. It could be a journey that's short after college, but having resources and education has given me a lot more confidence,” he says.
Read on for more thoughts from Austin about his life.
How did you get involved in music?
A lot of credit goes to my parents, but music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started singing in a choir as a child. From there, I found myself singing in talent shows and such, realizing that singing onstage is something I really enjoy. As I got into college, I saw some of my friends picking up instruments. I thought it would be awesome to do that myself. I sing, and I play guitar and piano.
What led you to work in the church?
I’ve always been a choir kid. Someone asked me if I had ever thought about leading worship. It was not a career I had thought to enter into, but now it’s the most exciting thing I could ask for. Singing in church has been the easiest place that I perform in. Worship music allows me to express myself in a way that I think is best and allows me to continue to make the most of
my abilities.
How did you start working with Thrivent?
After graduating college, I had a lot more resources in front of me, and I needed to quickly decide how responsible I was going to be in managing them. My grandma’s best friend suggested I talk with a financial advisor. That brought me to Jack, who I met at Lindenwood University in a fraternity. He was a senior and I was a freshman, so we didn’t have much time together, but even in just that year, we made a connection.
What challenges do you face working in music?
It’s just knowing what’s next—when that next gig will be or when that next project will come about. Compared to some of my friends, they know what their to-do list every day is when they show up to the office. And even just in my practicing and my rehearsing, it’s a very personal thing, especially with singing. My instrument is within me and not outside of me, so it's a very personal thing to work on myself and to hand over to other people, hopefully for their enjoyment.
What advice do you have for young adults?
Just ask the questions. There are people who want to share their knowledge and share their answers. Without asking, you might not be able to know those things that you have in your heart.
