Dear Friends + Family

Hi! I think the hardest part of this newsletter is going to be getting started: So I’m going to do just that. Some sort of format will present itself as I continue to write these, I’m sure of it! 😁 

ANYWAYS: My name is Jack, and I work professionally as a Grant Writer for Below Sea Level Aid, a non-profit in the New Orleans metro area focused on caring for the unhoused. We specialize in Re-Entry Assistance, HIV Prevention, and Supply Runs for the local community. It has been an incredible opportunity so far, and I’m so happy to be part of the team. I’m learning about important topics and writing persuasive arguments for the first time since college, and this time there’s an opportunity to make some money with it! I never even thought about the gap left there after I graduated, but now that is has been filled, I can’t imagine it ever being empty again. Part of the reason I’m now sitting here, writing for fun on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (and Monday… editing didn’t go as planned).

Discerning Free Time

But what is more important than my work, as it is for everyone, is how I spend my life during the other hours of the day. I was thinking about it, how people spend their free time. For a few years, I really struggled with my own routines: The shows I thought I wanted to watch weren’t entertaining enough, the games I thought I wanted to play got old quick, and I couldn’t keep the focus to read anything for pleasure. Until just a few weeks ago, I never really understood why. It hit me, though: I don’t like to consume. And it became that simple. If I’m not creating, I just kinda get sad lol. Of course, I like a TV show occasionally and adore movies: But things like that can’t be my default.

It was only through that realization that I rediscovered my love for music making after two years of writers-block, and let me tell you: It has been reformative. Beyond the fact that it’s simply just exciting to create art again, taking back my power as a creator and artist gave me access to this really nice feeling of self-generated joy. This isn’t the kind of joy that comes through digital dopamine hits or the release of an album that I’ve waited months for, it’s deeper than that. It’s the satisfaction of being able to have something I did sitting in front of me after hours of work. The delayed gratification truly does hit different. And uhh… I think there’s absolutely something to be said about feeling like I have control over some part of my world while American politics get more chaotic by the day. I’m certainly out of practice, a few years cold-turkey will do that; but watching myself improve as I continue to work brings a feeling of fulfillment that outweighs all of the frustration of imperfection and regret of years spent without art.

Nowadays, if I’m not working, there’s a high chance I’m either teaching myself how to play the piano, touching up on music theory, learning composing techniques, or just fucking around making small little projects in Logic (the DAW, or digital audio workstation, that I use to produce songs and make mashups). Been bouncing around a few games, too. And of course: I’m getting plenty of time in the sun!😁 

Some exciting news: Just yesterday, I got my first DJ controller in the mail: So look forward to updates there, too! So much music to make and share 🙂 I’ve already started practicing, and I’m just imagining how sick it’d be to play at parties and clubs once I’m good. (there’s def a learning curve!)

Art and Self

This time around, as opposed to when I was working on music back in college, I’m realizing I’ve severely underestimated my own creative abilities. Or… some life experience has given me the tools to express myself in a way I wasn’t capable of prior. I realized I have this pretty bad pattern of not allowing my best qualities to shine for others… stems back to high school, but I’ll save you from the overshare. But wow I really internalized it, because I even hid the fact that I am good at what I do to myself! At the age of 23, or any age for that matter, I probably don’t need to be scared of people judging me for my talents and interests, so I’m choosing to let that belief go.

Instead, I’m jumping into the depths of myself and allowing myself to put all that I am and love into my creativity. One thing I’m currently working through is my relationship to video game music: For some reason, there’s a part of me that is kinda embarrassed to love gaming and know as much as I do about the musical genre it encompasses. And it fucking bugs me, man! I want to wear the things I love on my sleeve. So Instead of avoiding it like the plague, like I did back in college, I’m actively engaging with it. I’ve found that I really like making mashups of Pop/Rap songs and tracks from games. I think they’re a great way for me to study video game music and how it compares to genres I’m more familiar with as a composer and producer. I learn more about both genres, and the end result gives me the ability to listen to my favorites songs and favorite game tracks at the same time. I mainly make these fully for own amusement: In the past, I’d keep them on my laptop. This time? I’m posting them, despite so many hesitations.

Breaking a pattern doesn’t happen over night, but let me just say it’s freeing not to limit myself for stupid reasons.

Start of a Longgggggg Journey

After starting to deconstruct the limiting beliefs about my capabilities I held myself down with, it’s quickly becoming clearer and clearer just how important music is to me. And with that, a deep desire to share it with others is screaming from within. So I kind of came to terms with myself and decided that I really need to start taking this seriously. I’m still learning and am early enough in my career that I don’t need to make any binding decisions; but I do need to begin to develop a framework for myself.

Like I mentioned earlier, I recently bought a DJ Controller. I’ve tried so hard with my music here at home, using the internet to find community; but let me tell you: Some days I want to slam my head into a wall. Marketing yourself on the internet is just not something I have the energy to do in the world of algorithms, late-stage capitalist copyright enforcement, and TikTok virality. And I won’t apologize for that. Soundcloud shouldn’t be taking down my remixes: That’s literally what SoundCloud is for! 🙃 Greedy piggies, aren’t they? 🐽 However, that means that the only way I can realistically share my music and find some sort of musical community is in person. It’s going to take a hell of a lot of time and practice, but I’m really excited to use the mashups and remixes I’ve made throughout my musical journey thus far in my work as a DJ and play for others!

I’m not completely giving up on the power of the internet, though. I’ve also thought that it’d be so nice to write music for a video game, to the extent that it’s been a fantasy of mine since i was a kid 😮‍💨 So I’m going to try and do just that. I’m working on a small project right now, writing something called a “Game Pack.” Essentially, I take a game that already exists and write original music that sounds like it would fit in said game. Then, I can market and sell the collection to independent game developers so that they can quickly get a soundtrack up and running for their project. My first go around is Mario Kart, so wish me the best of luck and feel free to leave me some feedback! I’m having a ton of fun: Because Mario Kart tracks cover such a large set of different biomes, themes, and moods, I’m getting the chance to write pieces that I’ve never even thought about before. It’s a lot of fun having a prompt like “make it sound like the jungle.” Anyways: These are some of my first cracks at composing melodies completely from scratch EVER, and what I’ve included here is VERY WIP, so please been kind to that 🙂 

Here’s my take on a desert track. These have always been my favorite levels, so I had a lot of fun here and i think that comes through. Learned all about the Phrygian Dominant scale while making this!

Every Mario Kart has a beach level! I really love the sound of the Steel Drum, so I used it for the chord structure here. And if you have a good ear and a similar taste in music to me, you might hear that it’s actually the same chord progression as Lorde’s “Solar Power.” It reminds me of this quote: “If you steal from one person, it’s plagiarism. If you steal from 6 people, you’re an artist.” I don't know who said it but I like to keep it in mind….. this song didn’t fall out of a coconut tree!

I also wanted to include an underwater level in my pack. I did some research and found that nearly every underwater level in the Mario series is written as a waltz, so here’s my first ever attempt writing in 3/4! I tried really hard to emphasize the “one two three, one two three” motion.

I tried to make this one sound reflective and crisp. All sorts of ambient sounds, no sort of strong melody, and a moving but minimalist beat. Might explore using arpeggios with a synth to make some sort of sparkly sound. We’ll see!

This one, to me, feels the least like Mario Kart. I think I have to do some work with the drums, and perhaps make the horns feel more “solid.” However, I think I wrote a great little saxophone line and I’m just very proud of it haha!

Finally, here’s the Bowser Castle-style piece. I was really stressed the other day, sat down at my computer, and this is what came out. It was a great realization that channeling a negative emotion like stress into my art can be extremely powerful. And it certainly worked in helping me feel better, too, because I kind of sat in shock afterwards being like: how upset was I that THAT came out?

Going Forward: My Beef with “Personal Branding”

But through this all, the one wall I keep hitting is my artistic identity at large. I feel like I keep running into this wall, where I know it’ll be easier to succeed once I have a clear vision of who i am as a musician and can actively work towards it; especially in the pursuit of finding community with music. But to get there, I have to develop a personal brand. I really promise I am not trying to come across as vain when I say this, but I feel like I encompass way more than what can fit into an artist title, stage name, and short bio. And I don’t know why this is something I struggle with so strongly: I studied marketing! I guess I should’ve taken an elective on product development…

I want to have a cool aesthetic, I want a signature sound, but I don’t know what is me, yaknow? Something that encompasses my knowledge of/dedication to the genre of electronic pop, my engagement with lgbtq+ culture and nightlife, and my love for gaming: While also coming across as cunty??? It’s an uphill battle for sure. But I have confidence in myself and can’t wait for the day where I make my love for gaming into something undeniably cool. I figure that’s all going to come with experience the exploration of self that comes with making art. If anyone’s going through this themselves, or has gone through it, I would absolutely love to have a conversation.

Thank You!

Anyways: That’s where I want to leave things for today. I’ve had a good time writing this and am really excited for even more in the future. Hopefully you enjoyed it too. I don’t think that I will write as much next time around, so thanks for sticking around and reading it all today 🙂 There’s just so much to introduce! These last few weeks have been a total whirlwind in my musical and career journey, but as I continue to practice and gain a clearer vision, I’m sure things will fall into a nice rythm. However it goes, though, y’all are along for the ride!

Right now, I’m aiming to release every Sunday. However, if you ever respond, I will always try my best continue the conversation. I’m trying to build community through this, and I want to follow through with my end there. Let me know your thoughts on the tracks I previewed, or the format of the Newsletter. And please please please encourage a friend to subscribe to the newsletter. It takes 10 seconds, I promise. The worst thing I can do is send you a link to my music, and I truly am too lazy to spam ya 😉 This platform allows us to work without algorithms and crappy social media rules, and ensures that you see everything I want you to!

Hope you all have a wonderful week: I’m looking to work on a few grants, find a beginner’s DJ class, help with my family’s move, and spend some time out in the woods. Lemme know if you’re up to anything interested, and catch you next Sunday!

-Jack