Well, I can’t believe it has been six months since my EP Small Town Runaround was first released. Sometimes I forget it even happened, and other days it feels like such a huge part of my life. Truth is, the hours spent in the studio were some of the most incredible and stressful hours of my entire life. Well…probably not; but because this was such an important moment in my life, it is so vivid for me. The stress of being there and having to perform. Having to hear it. Having to make decisions about it. Exposing all of my music to hours upon hours of scrutiny by the same guys that have recorded artist like Kanye and B.O.B….well…that was life changing. Hearing myself pump through million dollar sound equipment and watch my producer get excited as it came together….well…that was even more life changing.
There are some very important messages that I took away from recording my first EP. 1) Live in the moment. I waited so long for this to happen and while I was there I had to keep reminding myself that for every minute of focus and blind determination, I also needed a minute to hear myself. To experience it all. To soak it all in. 2) No matter what, it will never be perfect. That actually is something that REALLY hit home during my time in the studio. I imagined before going through this process that I would hear myself and make changes, edit, and master to perfection, but the truth of the matter is – that is not the case. To this day I cringe at certain parts of my own songs when the rest of my friends are singing along. It is not perfect. I am not perfect; but odds are, everyone else is too concerned with their own imperfections to care. 3) Whatever it is, however important it is, it will eventually lose meaning. Don’t make it more than it is. This can be applied to high school, college, a relationship, a new car, a bad month. It is all SO SO important when it is happening….but a week later, a year later, 6 months later…..it’s meaning has changed. Enjoy every minute of the good and be strong through every minute of the bad because however important it feels now, is how unimportant it will be later.
All said and done I loved making my album. I am so excited and hope to get a chance to do it again one day! However…I learned from it, I grew from it, and I have some amazing memories to last a lifetime. Whatever it is that you are thinking of doing or however you are thinking of putting yourself out there, just do it! Good or bad, you will learn, you will live, you will grow.
Check out this video from the first time I ever heard myself in the studio!
(Producer: Jon Bonus Studio: SIDE 3)
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All About This Life 