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Folk U Productions is a DIY mobile recording studio that seeks to travel the country to help emerging Artists create their first demo and break into their local music scene. In addition to the creation of their first demo, we also provide guidance on: setting up social media presence, local/regional booking, putting together a press kit, creating your own merch table, how to start networking, how to travel/tour on a tight budget, how to start a simple DIY studio, and much much more.

Folk U Productions operates under the strong belief that music and art is essential to our very health and well-being; physically, mentally, spiritually. We also believe that humanity is in a constant state of Evolution, ever waking up, and music strongly assists us in that necessary evolutionary process.  Every Artist has the potential to affect the world with their art, in powerful ways. We need more music, more passionate Artists to get their music out there. Humanity needs musicians to say the things we don’t have words for, we need to give our original Artists the space to be heard and encouragement to share – it is because of these beliefs we hold so dear that we strive for everything this studio provides to Artists to be FREE OF CHARGE.

How can we do this? First of all, we are a 2-person operation – 2 people that have lived very comfortably as wanderers. Our lifestyle is simple: thrift store clothes on our backs, simple foods in our bellies, a super cheap phone bill…our “personal” expenses are very low because of that simple lifestyle. Between the two of us, we’re a musician and a skilled jack-of-all-trades – so we are able to make money on the road that covers our simple lifestyle, without charging for our studio. We also take in donations from folks who believe in what we’re doing and want to contribute to the needs of the studio itself (bus repair, maintenance, studio gear, merch materials, etc).  If we find ourselves in a dire situation and we need to take money in exchange for recording, we use the pay-what-you-want approach; and we would still want to offer all of our other support tools for free.

For someone who is just starting out, those “firsts” are so vital. That first cd, that is so incredibly important…that first merch table…that first round of web presence…that first time on video…that first time in print…that first time an original song was played on the radio…so many firsts that are so magical, and so often essential to light that fire. For someone who is just starting out, acquiring these things can feel very intimidating, especially when money is involved. More often than not, lack of money will stop (or heavily delay) an Artist from recording. When we work with musicians, we want to help alleviate as many roadblocks as we can, and show them there’s nothing in their way if they embrace their Creativity and the DIY spirit.

Simply put: if we’re at an open mic and we see a musician that moves us, someone passionate, someone whose music needs to be heard, someone who gets inside and makes us feel things…and they don’t have a recording?! Nonsense, we gotta fix that! We don’t care if they can’t pay us, we need to make sure that music is getting heard, for the good of all humanity! They gotta have something to at least get the ball rolling! The world needs this music. WE need this music; and if we have the means to help light a fire under an Artist and encourage them to share their art, then it’s our responsibility to do so.

That’s what Folk U Productions does. And I believe in it. Even if it takes another year to get the bus the rest of what it needs – in my eyes it’s so completely worth it.

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Although there wasn’t a big music scene there, I feel fortunate to have gotten my start in Macomb, IL. At the “height” of it in Macomb, I was playing as a duo with my good friend Jill, whom I often credit for musically raising me. We played regularly at the Wednesday night open mics, often drawing a crowd of at least 20 or more. When we played the 3 hour Friday night shows, our crowd would often dominate the bar.

Whether it was a show or an open mic, we were an event. We had a big crowd almost every time we played. There was no “Jill & Dana” facebook page or bandcamp site, no email list, no “promotion” beyond a few occasional flyers. We didn’t even start recording until the last year we were together. And yet, every Wednesday open mic or Friday night show, we had a great big crowd of friends all singing along to damn-near our whole setlist. Not only did we have “draw”, but our Friday night shows always brought in at least $300-$600 from the door.

Sometimes I miss that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely in LOVE with Madison and the music scene here. But even after over 6 years in Madison, the only time my tunes have that kind of a crowd is if it’s an album release or a big event with a lot of awesome people on the bill. In a scene where there is just SO much awesome music happening, I do feel like my music has a crowd and has a home here. But even still, I can’t help but wonder: how the hell did we have such a big crowd of people going to our shows and knowing all the words to the songs, with virtually NO internet presence, NO recordings, and nothing more than a few occasional show posters?!

 

 

I think there were several factors involved. First of all, Macomb is a much smaller town, with limited choices for live music venues. The Cafe is the best, and usually sees a pretty great crowd. Even still, the crowd that came to see us often took over, so how did we get that crowd?

The “crowd” was simply a big collection of our friends, and friends of those friends. We lived together with others in a big party house, and every time it was party time, Jill and I had our guitars out. It was party time several nights a week of course, especially on a night we played the Cafe. We pre-gamed for a few hours, warming up at the house while people gathered. Then we went to the bar, often as a big group, either for a show or for open mic. We played and partied, then we partied some more at the house afterward, jamming until our fingers bled and my voice died. And so it went, for several years. Anytime there was a gathering at our house or another friend’s house, we brought our guitars, ’cause that’s just what you did. And when we played a show, it was just moving the party over to the bar and doing it on stage. Then back to the house until we’re too pooped to play and everyone passes out wherever they land.

So how did we get such a big “draw”? We literally called and texted our friends, told them we were playing, told them to bring their friends and come party with us. That’s pretty much it. By the time we actually started recording, lots of people who came to our shows already know most of the words to my songs because they seen us play so many times. That’s just…that’s beautiful.

 

 

I think as “working” musicians that are trying to get their music “out there”, there can sometime be a disconnect between the Artist and the Listener. I think sometimes when musicians “promote” to their “audience”, it feels as if the “audience” is just this giant floating sea of heads we’re supposed to try and manipulate into coming to our shows or supporting our music. It feels like this as a musician who promotes, as well as a Listener and follower of musicians who promote. Maybe we need to get back to real things, real connections. The “audience”…it’s made up of people, individuals, many of which are likely your friends and family. Maybe instead of “promoting” your show, get in touch with your friends and personally tell them about it, old school style. Try and pretend it’s that magical time before Facebook and social media and alla that jazz.

As a musician, I like using Facebook and other online platforms to share what’s going on with as many people as I can at once. I also like it as a Listener, because I can see what my favorite musicians are up to and what shows are happening. But it’s not always accurate as far as what shows are happening; and as a musician, simply making a facebook event isn’t enough. It feels so impersonal, I feel like my “draw” is better when I personally invite my friends to my shows. Lately I’ve been sitting down and thinking who do I want to see at the show next weekend? If you receive an invite to a show, it’s because I genuinely would love for you to come hang out with me. And I know that as a Listener myself: if you call me or text me or send me a private message about your show, I’m way more likely to go to it. It tells me you want me there, not just a “draw”, ya know?

I want to work on bringing back the real, pretend social media isn’t a thing sometimes, pretend I don’t know shit about shit, don’t know how to work a computer, and just go old school. So you may start hearing from me outside of your Facebook feed. Could be email, private message, phone call, text, postcard, carrier pigeon…who knows, shit might get weird, just go with it, shh.

 

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This was a song I had written about my experiences with Girls/Ladies Rock Camp… or so I thought…

It’s rare when I write about something other than my own self-evolution. Funny thing tho: even when you think you’re talking to someone else, you’re truthfully just talking to yourself. Everyone and everything in your “reality” is a fucking carnival fun-house mirror.

Fast-forward to a few years after this song was written. I was alone in a room I had rented just a couple of blocks from the capitol building, in the busyness of Madison. I had my laptop open, playing my entire stash of music at random, blankly staring at a dirty window.

To spare the epic novel of hows and whys, I’ll simply say: it was a rough time for me mentally/emotionally. This particular day was extra symptomatic – a heavy weighted sadness in my chest, anxiety that nothing really matters, tears and clenching anger, suicidal daydreams, mourning of my losses, a dark infinite dank empty hole where my stomach usually is, the feeling that I am utterly alone in the world and we’re all gonna die anyway so what does it matter and everything is fake and it’s all just a fucking tv show…I had an extra hard time accepting my reality that day. What am I supposed to be doing here?! Why am I Here at all? Why does everything hurt so goddamned much and why do I have to sit here and just take it? If I’m totally alone and everyone dies and nothing matters, what is the fucking point of all of this suffering?! The desire for my non-existence was strong that day…

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As I sat and looked around my room in a tear-filled, I-give-up kinda way, the things in the room started to look…different. As I let my “alone”ness sink in, every item and piece of furniture in the room seemed extra manufactured. The table, the chair, my mini fridge, the shelf, my clothes thrown about…everything looked fake and shiny and made of a rubbery foam and plastic, like they were all props for the set of a movie or tv show. As I looked around at the absurdity of it all, my own song came up in the shuffle. My own shit…really? Right now? The song playing was a weird soundtrack to this weird dimensional shift…I had a feeling of confusion, a weird feeling like I was being shown something, but I didn’t really understand exactly what I was supposed to see. I said to The Big Everything without words: ok…so let’s say it looks this way because yes, everything IS just a big tv show…that still makes me feel alone and anxious and like nothing matters and I’m unsure of what I supposed to be doing here!! It’s even creepier, and I’m kinda scared now…What do I DO with this, do I just give up?!

And then, the lyrics to the song came forward, like a rush of heavy thunder through my chest.

“…show me how you rock and roll, just be a child, let yourself run wild…”

The song then consumed me, completely took over. As I looked around my room, and Listened (yes, with a capital L), and let my senses get involved and let go of everything, actually embrace that Nothing is actually Everywhere, and I’m just this mass of Awareness hurling through a vast ocean of space and Nothing…the voice I heard through the speakers was all of a sudden not my own anymore. It sounded foreign, the voice of an ancient thing, wise and motherly yet with a warrior essence…

The feeling that I was alone in a world that was nothing more than a movie set filled with people playing characters wasn’t so dark anymore. I mean, still absurd, but I was starting to think maybe it wasn’t such a “bad” thing. As these feelings started to wash over me, I was in complete disbelief that the voice I heard singing to me was not my own, I kept trying to shake it loose and couldn’t…and then I became aware of the fact that the song was for me, from The Big Everything. The voice I heard was this “unknown” presence, singing to me, using my song, using the recording. It sounded insane, but the more I questioned it, the more I felt her confirm to me that She had the answers; and that She was using my voice and my lyrics to convey them to me:

“…it’s all you, you’re in control. And you know you got it, now let me hear you rock it. Let it all go, ’cause you’re beautiful. Just keep playing your song…”

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At this point I felt this incredible sense of ease come over me, like this warrior-woman was there with me, inside me, holding me, rocking me, telling me yes, it’s all just a great big Story – and you Dana are the Writer, the Pen, the Paper, the Reader, and you’re doing it all at the same time. Yes, that’s all it is, no more, no less – you’re here to tell Dana’s Story, all of it, to play her songs, and you’re doing it perfectly…

As the music and this presence consumed me, I shook and cried. I tried so hard to call bullshit on all of it, tried hard to recognize the voice coming out of my laptop as my own, tell myself it’s all in my head…then She came through even more persistent than before, wrapped her arms around me from within me, held onto me while She used my recording to talk to me:

“…and then I met a woman, she’d been around the sun now 30 times or so, lifetimes more to go…”

Oh no…this can’t be happening…

“…it was clear she was here to rediscover what she thought she misplaced somewhere in time and space…”

Is this fucking happening? It this for real?!

“…and I wear a smile when I see her wear her worried look, ’cause her song has got a wicked hook…”

Feeling nauseous…

“…she said ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to play’, and yet unconsciously she strums her story perfectly…”

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At this point I’ve collapsed into a pile of tears. Holy shit, has this song been about me this whole time?! Was it just sitting there in disguise, waiting for the right moment, waiting until the day comes when it’s needed as a tool for The Source to communicate with me during a shitty time? As the song came into another chorus and a bridge, I sat there collapsed in a pile of tears. The motherly warrior woman held me as I cried and listened, and continued to sing to me using my song, giving me the strength and fire I needed:

“…I said show me how you rock-n-roll. Just be a child, let yourself run wild. It’s all you, you’re in control. And you know you got it. Now let me hear you rock it! Let it all go, ’cause you’re beautiful. Just keep playing your song…

“…we are strong. And you know, we’ve had it all along. Play your song, and everyone will play along. Why not here? Why not now? Right Here…right Now…”

I feel incredibly fortunate to have had this experience. It will forever stick out as one of the times the divinity of music truly revealed itself to me; and as one of the many times I felt my Journey and purpose as a musician was confirmed.

“Play Your Song” can be found at https://musicbydana.bandcamp.com/track/play-your-song

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Since late August, I’ve been living in a bus.  It’s a 1993 Ford E350 passenger vehicle.  First it was used as a shuttle bus, then I believe it was used as a mobile party vehicle.

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Now in 2018, it’s in the final developmental stages of becoming a mobile home/studio.  The seats have been ripped out, and home comforts have been added.  After some more mechanics get done, it’ll be road worthy once again, and ready to travel the country.

It’s a work in progress of course.  At this point we have the necessary comforts – my comfy bed and chair, all of my music gear (and a padlocked storage unit to keep it in), a small DIY kitchen area complete with running water, a super cool futon that converts into 2 seeping cots, power converter, heat, food, etc.  Our recording gear is modest at this point, we hope to grow in that area as we go along.  Once we get it “officially” licensed as a motor home, it’ll be ready for the long Journey ahead.

Over the course of the next year or two, the Folk U Productions mobile studio will travel the country, providing DIY recordings for Artists that are just starting out.  Of course, I will be sprinkling my own tunes across the land as well.  My music has found a home in Madison; and while it does feel a little scary to leave the comforts of such a loving community, it’s that same Love from my community that makes me feel supported on this Journey.  This is my home now – even if I travel for months at a time, I will be coming home to Madison ❤

Like any grand DIY endeavor, the bus has had us on quite the adventure.  First and foremost, there is major lifestyle change.  Between my partner and I, our possessions are simplified, completely stripped down to just what we need to be comfortable and productive.  Many people don’t realize how little a person actually needs: food, water, bed, clothes, bathroom supplies, communication device…and…yeah, that’s pretty much it.  Everything else is a luxury – hell, even half that list is a luxury.  Beyond the basic necessities, everything else we have on the bus is for Folk U Productions play and creation: guitars, sound gear, laptop with recording software, interface and mics, a shitload of art supplies for merch making… I’d say over 2/3 of the shit on the bus is for Folk U endeavors.

We also make sure to try and take good care of ourselves in little ways; like getting good sleep, always having fresh coffee in the morning, remembering to stretch our bodies and breathe deeply, have Creative stimulus around, keep the space clean and free-flowing, etc.  There are other small lifestyle adjustments to get used to: keeping up maintenance on our water system, self-contained chem toilet, bus mechanics, making these things part of our regular routine.  Luckily we’ve lived this kind of lifestyle before, and are pretty well-suited for the adjustment.

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I’d say the most challenging part so far has been money, unfortunately.  To get a 25-year-old shuttle bus in good enough condition to travel across the country takes a fair amount of mechanical work, which is far more expensive than anything we’ve done to the inside.  The engine work, front/rear end stuff, tires, alternator, a handful of other stuff I don’t understand because I don’t speak mechanic…the cost for getting it road-ready is almost equal to the cost paid for the bus itself.  And ya know, shit happens along the way: ya thought it was gonna cost this much, turned out to be that much, thought it was gonna be ready this day, but it’s not ready til that day, thought you only needed this thing, but turns out you need that other thing first before you can get this thing…there are tests of one’s perseverance and conviction, for sure.

Thankfully, we’ve come too far to turn back now!   Even though our launch date has been pushed back a few times due to the financial snags, we’re pushing forward as hard as we can.  Today we pick up the bus from the latest run of repairs.  We still need 2 front tires and an alignment, and then if all looks good, it should be road-worthy.  The next goal after that is to get it licensed as a motor home and get it insured.  At that point, we’ll gather our gas money and off we go!

I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m looking forward to taking my music on this Adventure ❤ocean

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You know, it’s fun being a performing musician. I’ve gotten to play on big stages with killer sound and lights, looking out at a patchwork quilt of faces looking up at me, feeling the electric pounding pulses from my head to my feet. It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience, as is being an audience member at a show like that – getting to see my favorite Artists bathed in lights and smoke and electricity, blowing out my ear drums with sheer awesomeness. However…

…there is nothing like the Experience of being able to sit directly across from a spine-tingling musician, actively doing their thing, completely unplugged. No sound gear, no electric frequencies between you. No elevated stage to separate you. No spotlights. No “performance”: just the Artist and the Listener, sitting together around a coffee table, making music and sharing stories. Raw. Organic. Natural. Real.

I like being a Listener in those scenarios, as well as an Artist. As a Listener, I get to Experience some truly amazing music, right in front of me, so raw and full of Here and Now that I could almost taste the sweet sweet melodies. And as an Artist, there’s something about sharing my music in that manner that makes me feel more…Connected…

I feel that both Artists and Listeners can benefit from Experiencing music in this way, and that’s why I wanted to start “Sunday Sofa Sessions“. It’s a monthly gathering of Artists and Listeners, where we take over the cozy couch areas of various local coffee shops and venues to make music, raw and unplugged. The Artists will play songs, share stories, jam on each other’s tunes; and the Listeners kick back and take in some killer good sounds. It’s an opportunity to cultivate real connections with your music, your Artists, your Listeners. I wanna feel all of that gooey good stuff we love about music, unplugged. Unfiltered. Organic. Just raw music you can taste. ❤

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Over the course of my 4 1/2 years living in Madison, I have learned this place is stuffed to the brim with truly great music makers.  The creative community here seems, for the most part, much like Madison itself: very grassroots, DIY, locally-sourced, organic-fair-trade kind of vibe, etc.

When I’m hanging out with my music friends, I often talk about how great it would be to be a thousandaire as a musician.  How great would it be if, after all the rent and bills are paid, I had $1000 in my bank – and all I’m doing is making music?!  Shit!  Why the hell are we all shooting for the fame-n-fortune thing, when we could easily be thousandaires?!  And anyway, most of us know that being in the big mainstream fame-n-fortune world means becoming a product and sacrificing a lot of creative control.  So my heart says, “Fuck the fame-n-fortune thing.  I’d rather make my music raw and unfiltered, maintain total creative control of my Art and all things related to it, sustain a simple lifestyle just making my music.”

This is a legitimate, tangible, attainable goal.  A REAL possibility.

For my part as the Artist, it takes focus and determination and love for my craft; it takes a lot of time and energy and resources, a certain degree of self love and care, and a building of an internal support system within myself to carry me through to an “I GOT THIS” mentality.  As a self-supported, self-managed, DIY Artist; it’s up to me to not only be always be on the path of ever-evolving my Art, but it’s also my responsibility to make sure the music as a whole is getting the support that is needed; that the music is hitting the ears of folks that dig it, and hitting the ears well, getting out there as much as it can, finding the flow and the people who are in it.

But what can we do as Listeners of local music to really support our local DIY Artists?  In truth: A FUCKLOAD.

There is SO much we can do to support not only local musicians, but the local scene itself.  If you come across a local Artist that you really love and you want to support them, there are so many simple-yet-powerful things you can do to help provide a support system:

GO TO THEIR SHOWS – Just do it, get some live music in your life, it’s soooo good for you.  Madison is fucking awesome for live music happenings, there’s something here for everyone.  And you’d be surprised at how much you can find for free (even if there is a cover, it’s usually only $5-7 on average).  If there is an Artist you really love that is playing a show, and you are free for the evening and can spare the $5, just GO.  They will be so grateful you did, trust me.  Your attendance is everything, you are the Listener: you walk into the place and you give your $5 monetary support, you get your drink at the bar which supports the venue, you place your body in front of a kick-ass band, giving them your eyes and your face, giving them someone to tell stories to and make noises at and practice on.  And you in turn get exposure to great live music.  Go to shows, it’s just good for everyone.  Bring friends.

BUY THEIR STUFF – I realize this one is tough sometimes, especially if it was challenging enough to pay the cover and buy the drink.  I am both a local music Artist and a local music Listener, and I don’t often have the money I need to support MY music, often leaving me with little to go back into the music community.  However…it’s really not that much.  You definitely don’t have to drop $25 on a t-shirt if you don’t have it; but most local Artist’s cds are around $10, some are $5, stickers are often free (and sticking em on your car shows your love for this band is mobile!), and even just tossing a few bucks in a tip jar for them can make a difference.  If it’s an Artist I truly love and support and I’ve got the few bucks to spare, I’m at least giving money in the tip jar and telling them how much I love and appreciate what they do.  There have been plenty of times when I’ve had to pass by a musician’s merch table because I felt I really couldn’t afford the $10 for their cd that night – but, there have also been several times when I’ve seen an Artist that moved me so much,  I have happily given my LAST $10 to get to take that music home with me (even borrowed the money from friends a few times).

“LIKE” THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF – Simple as that.  Make sure you not only “like” their facebook page, but share it.  Use the “share” button on the page, don’t just copy the link, because under that “share” button there are options: select the option to share it to your page, AND select the option to “invite friends”.  This is so simple yet powerful, and takes such little time and effort on the part of the local music supporter.  You have reach in and outside of Madison – your connections and reach will strengthen the local crowd for the bands and Artists you love, but you also become a gateway for establishing connections outside of Madison.  By connecting and sharing, you essentially help expose them to a national audience, instantly.

LISTEN TO THEIR CD – Sounds kinda weird, right?  Trust me, there are times I have bought a local band’s album to show them support, and then literally never took it out of the packaging.  I think this happens with a lot of us, for whatever reasons.  But take the time to actually play the album.  If you end up not diggin’ it as much as you thought you would, think about who in your life might really dig it, and then gift it to them.  ALSO, if you’re a local show-goer, you know how rare it is to actually understand the lyrics clearly in a loud bar with a loud band with semi-shitty sound gear.  Listening to the album gives a chance to really take in the stories of the songs, to curl up and Discover on your own time, in your own environment.  It’s an opportunity to really fall in love with the music, not just the band.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people talk about really listening to my lyrics only after they brought the album home, it’s pretty normal in fact.

SPREAD THE WORD – Tell your friends and family about it.  Share their music with others.  Share their shows on your facebook page and encourage people to go, even if you yourself can’t make it that night.  Help the Artists make flyers and pass them around.  Have Listening Parties and let them play shows in your living room.  Do what you can, anything you can think of, to spread the word that there is some great music being made.

 

Many of the musicians I know aren’t seeking to be “discovered” or to become rock stars; they simply want to make their music and share it with others, and hopefully sustain a reasonably comfortable lifestyle while doing so.  Don’t get me wrong, fame-n-fortune-seeking musicians definitely exist here in Madison, but I don’t know too many who are actively trying to “get discovered.”  It seems like less and less people give a shit about trying to attain that impossible mega-star status, because many of us realize that the average mainstream multi-millionaire rock star is a product – made and manufactured and sold to us, the consumers (look for a new piece of writing coming soon, called “Kill The Rock Star”).  Most DIY local/touring musicians I know are too close to our Art, too in love with our music, to ever give up control of it to a major record label or “talent” agency.  Many of us don’t want to become a product to be sold.  Like many other creative grassroots communities, there are a lot of people here making REAL art, REAL poetry.  Our music has REAL things to say, and we want to be able to say it raw, and unfiltered.

In a nutshell: we don’t give a flying fuck about being rock stars.  But we CAN be thousandaires, it IS possible to sustain a perfectly cozy lifestyle by making music.  There is truly great Art being made here.  With love and support and encouragement, we can only flourish ❤

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One morning during the tunes-n-coffee ritual, I was reflecting on how much Gratitude I have for being a musician.  There truly is no greater Gift.  I felt my heart open as I thought of all of my noise-making brothers and sisters, from right here in Madison to the other side of the planet.  I drifted into fun little daydreams of some massive world-wide event happening that would require all of us to play at once to thwart a major planetary threat.

As I thought about the Truth of what music really is, and the sheer impact it has on us, and what it could be like if we came together as Artists, this piece of writing came out (a song is brewing as result of it, I’m kickin’ some chords and lyrics around the office):

 

Calling all Musicians:
This is not a drill. Your time has come. The world needs you. Humanity needs you. It’s time to stand up and ROCK THE FUCK OUT!

The type of music you make does not matter, nor does it matter how “good” or “bad” you think you are. Stop comparing yourself to other musicians anyway. Stop wondering if you’re better or worse than, more or less deserving of this or that. It doesn’t matter if you’re “professional”, or if your biggest show was at home in your underwear for an audience of posters on your wall – we are all on the same team, with the same mission: to ROCK. THE FUCK. OUT.

Because know this: you are not the “likes” on your fucking facebook page. You are not your album cover. You are not a number of downloads, or the amount of merch you sell at your shows. You’re not what time you play in the lineup, how many people you can “draw”, how much money you have, and you sure as hell are not your fucking “image”. In fact, you aren’t even your music…you are merely a vessel for Music to pass through. You are a POWERFUL FUCKING FORCE.

Music is a language of the Universe – the ONE SONG. Open yourself up and let the music radiate from your very cells, throw yourself into another dimension of colorful Expression – lose yourself. That’s your job: to just ROCK. THE FUCK. OUT.
Play your songs. Make your music. Do it with PURPOSE, with INTENTION, with a FORCE. Don’t stop, no matter what happens around you. FOLLOW your music, listen to what it tells you and obey. Play as often as you can, everywhere you can.

Be open and vulnerable in your emotions while you are playing; in fact, you must strive for this every time. Don’t be afraid, the Listeners around you want this. We need our music to move us through our core, we want it to DO things to us, to help us throughput and express our emotions. All of the best music does this, no matter what “genre” it is, no matter what the Story is. That’s why it doesn’t matter what you play or how “good” you are – let your music MOVE, and it will MOVE. Just ROCK. THE FUCK. OUT.

When we express ourselves – our thoughts, our emotions, our minds, our feelings- we’re helping ourselves to process the story of our lives, and the story of the world around us. If you are a musician (or an Artist of any kind), you have the ability and nurtured skills to EXPRESS, which is necessary to process shit. We ALL have the power to express ourselves in artistic ways, but it is the Artist that has nurtured Divine tools of Expression like music. It is the Artist that can really say it better; sometimes SO much so, that it feels like they’ve captured how YOU feel, as if they were in deep in your soul somehow, ripping out your insides and showing them to you.

Our insides are being shown to us more and more these days.  We’re ever discovering what we are, and what we most certainly are not. There is so much happening right now, we have SO MUCH to process, and too many of us don’t know how.  Sometimes shit just happens that is way too fucking overwhelming and we don’t know what to do with all of the feelings it causes, we don’t know where to direct any of our anger/fear/sadness/etc.  We need to get it out, to allow it to pass through somehow, to channel it.  Some people turn to such shocking means of channeling their emotions – sometimes quite harmful and damaging to themselves and those around them. I truly feel music is the best, most powerful tool we have to channel and process our bullshit – it has REAL power, to bring us into the Here and Now, to face ourselves and give whatever is needed within that Holy Moment.  Music has TRUE potential to save us and unite us all, because it is a gateway to inner Contentment.  And to me, real world peace means a world of Individuals with inner peace…

We need to scream and yell and have a good long cry, and then laugh through all of our tears and snot, and not be afraid to wipe it on the shirt of a stranger, and to offer your shirt for their snot in return. We need this to ACTUALLY happen – in real life, not just on facebook. If you’re angry, you can go ahead and use all the capital letters and angry-face emojis you want, or even little hugs-n-kisses emojis when you’re happy; but NOTHING feels as good as actual yelling, and real hugs-n-kisses. We need to make real life happen again, take control and open ourselves up to one another, be exactly what you are and let others be what they are. We need to love HARD, and maybe if we could process our own individual bullshit a little bit better, we can make it easier to let go and love a little harder.

Let’s DO this, my fellow music makers and Listeners. Let’s flood the whole fucking place with music, let it completely take over, use this Weapon of Mass Expression to de-clog some of our shit-caked pipes. Let’s play hard out there! Sing loud and fierce, all primal and shit – like our very existence depends on it, because it fucking does.  Do it all at once, until it rattles the Earth to her core and shakes off her old dead skin to make way for something more alive.  It’s our time now, we are being Called. It’s time to come together and ROCK. THE FUCK. OUT.