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This morning, I've been talking to a lot of my fellow music makers on IG about community. I really think that being active in an inclusive, supportive, and caring musical community is the best way to find growth and fulfillment as a musician.
Here is maybe a thread???
Here is maybe a thread???
I'm one of those people that deeply loathes the myth of the lone creative genius. It sucks because a.) it's not true and b.) it's just a weird form of collective gatekeeping. It's like the Santa Claus myth. You get old enough to realize "Oh music is just hard work and dumb luck."
And the funny thing is that music makers focus so much on individual practice, development, and hustle as a way of achieving growth but imo it's actually the *most* inefficient way to get results. We don't talk enough about how community is the most powerful tool for growth.
My own career would be lightyears behind where it is now if it wasn't for other people. I can trace most of my students directly back to the fact that @kuraine retweeted my teaching announcement. Most gigs last year came directly from friends like @Slide20XX recommending me.
I think it was @Haakondavidsen who mentioned to me once the idea that "We're colleagues, not competition" and that sticks with me on a daily basis. We have a personal obligation to our fellow music makers. "If you have some power, empower somebody else." Toni Morrison is right.
Lots of us got (more) involved in online communities this past year because of this pandemic. I know I did. I've connected with so many wonderful people in game audio and I feel personally invested in the success of each and every one of them.
It started with the incredible people at @SeattleIndies and @BeatsToGameTo and has just expanded out from there in a million directions. I'm thankful to be friends with each of them and they all deserve heaps of praise for the work that they do.
Like, seriously, the game audio community is wonderful and very friendly and I am so thankful to be a part of it. This boy from a small, Central Illinois farm town never thought that I would one day have the peers that I do.
So here is the insanely long shout out list to all the people I have connected with in ways small and large this past year:
@Kylydian @EdmistenSound @laryssaokada @DaleNorth @avyaryofficial @gabrpulcinelli @aivisura @TonyManfredonia @RyanAndBreezy @Troisnyx @gisulamusic
@Kylydian @EdmistenSound @laryssaokada @DaleNorth @avyaryofficial @gabrpulcinelli @aivisura @TonyManfredonia @RyanAndBreezy @Troisnyx @gisulamusic
@mire_tyler @musictylercline @JDWasabi @BenElliottSound @DisOmikronCJ @failpositiv @ChelWongAudio @MWGewehr @JamesLandino @BitByBitSound @Cepookie @DorrellEttienne @chasebethea @jbuaudio @WilbertRoget @thesteveblu @williampalmer27 @composerFA @DAnthoniWooten @SoundCirclet
@GarrettARose @Fog_FM @GrantSmithAudio @MaizeWallin @perennialcoop @jdcviolin @jmcmillenmusic @A_C_Emusic @KrisenaComposes @leissMusic @SmolQuiche @MHoffmann_S @modalmodule @MasonLieberman @DevlonSamuels
and literally so many other people (terrified of forgetting!).
and literally so many other people (terrified of forgetting!).
This thread sort of transformed into a gush about a bunch of cool people that deserve heaps of praise but I think that's sort of the point of community. It's something special to be able to lift others up that you really admire. Everybody wins that way. Working together is cool.
Okay, that's all I got. It's lunch time.
