Sometimes it can be taxing to understand what you’re really meant to do. Part of me always wanted to show irreverence to the universe or whatever higher power people talked about having in my “path”; why was I predestined to live an existence of ignorance, unaware of my ability to do whatever I wanted? Being a musician seemed counter to anything my parents or grandparents wanted me to do. Honestly, my grandparents for the most part just didn’t want me to go broke and end up doing drugs except for a particular relative who had certain reservations without sway towards music; my uncle already tried and failed at the profession for reasons that still remain murky. For me, there was simply nothing else that truly held me by the throat the way music does to this day. I wake up simply craving it. If not for my fiancé asleep in the next room, I’d be practicing and recording somewhat loudly first thing after my coffee and eggs. There are a number of things I could have been. But would I have been truly happy doing any of those things for the foreseeable future? Perhaps not, but music remains constant. The look of joy, or even relief on an audience or the satisfaction of a colleague in the writing room is the most gratifying and invigorating experience.
I’m still finding my way. Carving a niche in the triangle of North Carolina is one of the most difficult paths you could pick as someone out to make a real figure with music. But who wants easy? And when I say easy, I don’t mean to say being a doctor is easy or being a programmer is easy in the sense of duty. But I do mean that there’s a definitive vehicle for those areas. As someone in the arts community, you are your own brand the moment of your inception. In a way, it’s an industry that harkens back to the very essence of entrepreneur. Whatever you do, if you’ve got something that sends a bolt of lightning down your spine when you do it and you could MAYBE make some money doing it, drop your things and get to work. There’s plenty to do.
-M