SXSW Pop: How do you stay inspired and motivated throughout your creative journey?

My motivation provides the creative inspiration because it’s not a belabored effort for me to find the path of least creative resistance.  I don’t fight it; I let the creativity tell me the direction and location for the realization of its being.

SXSW Pop: Can you share some insights into your creative process when it comes to producing and arranging your music?

Music production for me consists of a melody, rhythm, word/phrase, sound or noun (person, place, thing) that prompts the identity of and for lyrics, music or both; but it starts from the point of song/music, not the listener/consumer.  I’d rather take the listener for a ride to a new place than trying to ride trend of what the listener likes.  Greatness is about defying the odds, not playing to the odds.

Simplicity is start where I like to find creativity and it’s from simplicity which allows me to architecturally arrange sounds into structures represented as songs.  The placing of sound frequencies like chemistry compounding, because use sounds to change sounds more than I use plugins to change sounds.

Tracking isn’t about plugins because it’s like a chef using spices to accentuate, not cover or becoming the lead flavor.  The essence is what I want to conquer, so between mouth/instrument and tape, I use minimal input(s) to take away from the identity markers of the singer/instrument; unless intentionally done so for the song.

SXSW Pop: How do you collaborate with other artists or producers, and what do you look for in a collaborative partnership?

In an artist I look for talent and feelings; are you moved by music or it is a pursuit for other reasons?  Are you ready to be a lead vocalist of a church choir and band with a song that fits your vocal range and style?  Thus, I’d invite the artist to the church where my music director does musical arranging for singer, band and choir.

Today’s producers I like the simplicity of using a note or phrase and the computer turning it into a song.  The producer(s) I work with are band/live sound knowledgeable because I’m and think original sounding instruments aren’t ever going out of style. Technology has yet to make a trumpet better and can’t sound better than the trumpet.

SXSW Pop: How do you handle the business side of the music industry, such as contracts, royalties, and marketing?

The music industry is a business and business is about the generation of revenue and since art predates business,  my approach is to be true to the art and hopefully there are enough listeners who are devolved enough to allow for influences outside of what they’ve been told to listen to.

Without firsthand knowledge and or experience about contracts, royalties and or marketing, my perspective is based upon historical books, movies, articles about the industry’s operational structures of and for self-enrichment at the expense of the artist(s).  

Royalties and other financial driven data sourcing is still mostly trust driven in an industry known for its untrustworthiness. So from by business law studies and in compliance with the Uniform Commercial Code, I say, “Caveat emptor;” or buyer beware.

SXSW Pop: How do you balance your personal life with your music career, and what self-care practices do you employ to maintain your mental and emotional well-being?

Music is personal to me and the ability to share in the personal with the public provides opportunity, misunderstanding and untruths and so from this negativity from a love requires a level of understanding that not everyone liked Mother Theresa or Jesus; so who am to expect otherwise.  Mental wellbeing is about not losing self from the benefits and rewards or the negativity and neglect.  

SXSW Pop: Can you tell us about a challenging moment in your career and how you overcame it? 

Like the duality of all things; just as you can’t have a single sided coin, you can’t have a single sided challenge.  Placing focus on the negative is not my protocol, coming from my military experience the pursuit of solution is a better one.  My challenge is challenging the industry and overcoming that requires personal and music introductions to find the segment of music listeners open to something new and different.  Can beat them, join them, so I created a video to see if images can inspire one to listen (see attached).  

SXSW Pop: How do you incorporate your personal experiences and emotions into your music, and what themes or messages do you often explore in your lyrics?

Educationally my lyrics explore everything from physics to trees, water, you name it, but for cultural purposes, I stick with humor, love and what’s happening now, seeking to be relevant.  Messages are meant to make you think, laugh, cry or curse and are based upon the themes of driving dance, singing, listening or partying.  

SXSW Pop: How do you stay current with trends and developments in the music industry, and how do you adapt your work accordingly?

I like to say, success is the ability to adapt, but I don’t adapt because everyone adapts.  If I think otherwise I’ll do and present it for comparative analysis.  If everyone jumps off the bridge, are you?  When you play where everyone else is playing, you’re playing to be noticed; when you’re playing where few play you’re playing for the lead.  Look at this, this is new that’s being shown to the few.  Because the money on the many, it’s not a contest about being like, looking like, sounding like and that’s a ground I realize I not my best in, so I adapt to show, not to be.  Music instruments are still the same as a hundred years ago and if technology can’t improve the instrument, so it’s the other developments related to the business model that has undergone the most drastic developmental changes.  

SXSW Pop: How do you handle criticism and negative reviews, and what role does constructive feedback play in your growth as an artist?

Negativity sells and that’s just the business model of our media outlets and constructive criticism is a positive for those open to it.  Personally, I’m an expert at my life’s experiences, so the idea of criticism has merit but comes with that caveat.   

SXSW Pop: What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting their journey in the music industry?

First and foremost, make sure music is your love, not a fame driven passion.  To the aspiring musicians I’d say, learn and practice your craft as much as possible and become in as many aspects of music production as possible  so that when the time comes you can provide the necessary input to others to carry out your musical vision.