A glimpse into the whirlwind mind of an independent musician - Elskavon - Spring (Piano Day 2018)
Can I give you a quick glimpse into the whirlwind mind of an independent musician?
It’s all about seasons. Last summer and into the fall, I was furiously writing a new Elskavon album, not to mention new Bora York songs with my wife, and Hi-Fi Cali collaborations and singles… For every album I release, which is typically around 9-10 songs, I end up with sometimes more than 50 demos and half-written songs. So there was a lot of writing happening. The ideas kept coming and the inspiration was heavy.
In September, I decided to set a release date for the new album, Skylight - this gives myself a deadline to actually call things done, and to get prepped for a release. From late fall on, leading up to that date (January 26), I was finishing songs, mixing and mastering the audio, working on artwork, studio and promo videos, show prep, social media content, reaching out for press and playlist possibilities, and more. There’s a lot of things on the independent release checklist.
In the midst of all this, I was about to step into a part-time freelance role, something my wife and I had been preparing for about a year. We’re very hopeful and excited about this season of our journey, which just started a few weeks ago.
There has been a lot of things happening, and I’m grateful every step of the way. But I’m human and I get burnt out, as well. Last week it was tough to find any sort of inspiration whatsoever. And there was a definite setback regarding the new album - something I had been getting used to slipped away. It’s part of the process, and something I was fully aware could be a possibility. But it was still a bit of a punch in the gut.
I do my best to not let my emotions control me when it comes to career pursuits - I grit my teeth and I keep moving forward, but still, last week was tough.
Here’s where this new single comes in. I made a decision, opposite from what I felt emotionally, to write, record, and release a new song in a matter of days. Piano Day is a new worldwide celebration of the piano, and I wasn’t initially planning on participating. But this felt like an opportunity to get up, and move forward.
I couldn’t think of a more appropriate title, either.
Spring.
Not only is spring almost here season-wise, but I was reminded of a few other uses of the word spring when I looked it up:
To move or jump suddenly or rapidly forward
Originate or arise from
A resilient device
Amazing. Even though I didn’t feel like it, I’m making the choice to move forward, and to write, which is, I believe, one of my purposes in life. Who knows, maybe this choice will help me to jump suddenly or move rapidly forward to a new, beautiful season in my creativity. Even though I didn’t feel like it, I’m making the choice to write something new, something fresh - to originate, to arise from. And even though I don’t feel like it, I’m choosing to be resilient.
That’s where Spring comes from.
And no matter what you do, or feel, or create, and no matter what kind of season you’re in - whether you’re flourishing or hurting - I hope you choose to keep moving forward. I hope you choose to be resilient.
I hope you choose spring.