MY LAPTOP FULLY ENGAGED IN BEAT MODE: MANY USB PORTS AND ALWAYS ON THE CHARGE.

I’ve been grinding and trying to fine tune the craft. Much like everything in life, nothing comes easy. Some are born with natural talent, others work quite hard towards their goal. Even if you are the most naturally talented person in your field, you are still going to have to pay your dues. This is what separates good from great. From average to excellent. You get the point. To get good at something, it’s going to take some time. And in all my experience, most learning curves only get harder and harder. To really achieve the goal you have in your head, it’s going to get harder and harder. As you excel, it becomes more of a perfectionist mindset and little errors can cripple your hardest work.

I’ve had these types of evolutions happen right in front of me. The easiest example that would explain it would be looking at my surfing journey. As a grom and even through college, I was overloaded with froth for just about any session. I was constantly learning and was pretty much stoked on every session. Fast forward and sometimes it’s pretty hard to get myself out there. Some probably will read that and laugh, because I typically find myself jonesing for a paddle out when the waves are awful. I still love to get wet but I know that I either need to try pretty hard to forge a good wave out of terrible conditions or just take the L and know I’ll just be going straight and doing floaters for an hour or two. I try and stay positive unless something negative has happened, but if you know me you know not to poke me after a shit surf. That can damper any good mood I was previously in. But like I said above, even just getting in the water is better than not going at all. Even sometimes driving to check it and not paddling out makes me feel a little better. Some of it’s FOMO, some of it’s laziness during the work week. But most would agree that it only gets harder to score a fun session as you progress your surfing. 

Most of my recent posts have been going down this similar path of me ranting, and at this point you are probably asking yourself “where is he taking this.” Like in the last post (nowadays I almost always refer to something in a recent post), I have picked up new hobbies to take space in my life. And most of them I really have taken a liking too. This one might be a little bit surprising to some, but this article is revolving around my career as a music producer. Take this statement lightly, as I do not plan on terminating my current career or even trying to make a single cent off making beats. 

Yes, get the laughs out of the way. I am a Soundcloud producer (different from a rapper). Here’s the long story short: my brother used to make music (electronic) and I always thought that was pretty cool.This was when I was younger and just entering the void of music. Throughout the years I have learned to love many genres and carve out playlists that really make me happy. I’ve also became friends with a handful people who make really great tunes. If you also know me you know I am a music fiend. Infatuated with new releases, current trends, and just an overall sound hound. I hear weird shit in songs, even before I started playing around with one-shots. While most know me as a hip-hop head, I like to think I have a wide pallet for tune taste. On a drive with some friends from Palm Springs we went from DJ Snake to Migos to Thin Lizzy to A$AP Rocky to Red Hot Chilli Peppers to The Weeknd. I always have loved music, and I figured I’d give it a stab during quarantine. 

In 2020, music is easier to make than ever. Sure, effort is required. My first 20 beats were trash. Some were bearable, but none were very complex and featured too dumbed down of samples and drum patterns. But in the moment, I always would have the biggest shit-eating grin as I was blasting them for my roommates or whoever happened to be over the house on that day. I am nowhere near as musically talented as others who have tried to make sounds. But if you try for long enough, something will start to click. Now I think I make halfway decent beats.

It is a new and different way to practice artistry for me. And has been taking over previous time I would use for writing. Channeling how you are feeling into a piece of art that someone can listen to and feel something completely different is an exciting and new feeling. Sure with writing, you can interpret words, sentences, and structure in different ways. But overall, the meaning and make-up is concrete. This is a whole new way to complete something and look back on it and smile. I will always continue to write and express my thoughts from pen to paper or keys to keyboard. But I honestly can say I might also continue the beat making even after quarantine. Music has always held a soft spot in my heart, and now I can not only associate songs with certain times/feelings, but also the sounds I made in those same periods. 

Hey. It’s been a little while. I’ve missed youuuuuuu. And by you I am speaking to a (very) small, select group of people that might find themselves on this site more than once. How’s it going? OK, so I know the next post was supposed to expand around a project in the works. It is very much still in the works. I have gotten the bare bones of it dialed, but it still needs some work. Well it still needs a lot of work. I want it to be pleasing to the eye and expertly (lol) done, This is just a quick interjection to hold you over. I accomplished my goal of posting once a week and then went cruise control. I knew I’d write again (obviously) but I honestly started a lot of side projects at once. And didn’t know what I wanted to write about. The inspo was waning. 

Blame it on fishing. Obviously I am not going to blame my lack of motivation all on becoming a semi-avid angler, but the problem does reside in this partially. Basically, with quarantine still hanging around and having plenty of time on my hands, I have taken up many new activities and re-kindled old habits during my free time. Don’t worry, the habits are not bad habits. Things like working diligently during my work hours, unwinding with some reading, and making sure to eat good and drink plenty of water (and coffee) are daily activities I’ve been grinding. So already, reading will take about 30mins to an hour out of my day. The waves have been fun, so pre work sessions have been on the menu as well as typically a workout after work. Time is running out.

After I’ve done all these, we get into the “free time” in which I give myself the reins on what I will do. Lately, my roommate and I will go fish for a couple hours. It’s a nice way to unwind and just take in the outdoors. After fishing, dinner gets made and then it’s already nine o clock. We watch a TV show as a house and then it’s 10/10:15, in which I crawl back to bed for the early wakeup to score some waves. If I choose not to fish, I might go for a skate or bike ride. I might make music. There are plenty of options on how to burn an hour or two. And lately writing has been at the bottom of the list. 

But there are things on the horizon. Summer is around the corner, days are getting longer, and the inspiration is slowly getting funneled into my brain for future writings and endeavors. Lots of outside ideas are slowly trickling in, and my mind has constantly been turning. Everything is a hard WIP, but you have to start somewhere. Taking on a lot of things at once can split up the attention and dedication a little bit, but when you start to get closer to the end of all of them at once, you feel an intense shimmer of pride. I want to keep this one short, as there is time needed for a more thoughtful post next week and other things to check off the list.