It takes a certain degree of courage in order to pioneer something new. The reason being is that pioneering is hard, for it can be slow work, and doesn't come without it's challenges, disappointments, and occasional setbacks.
I remember when I was 18 years old I was fresh out of high school and all I really wanted to do was to play drums, and go to recording school to learn music production. With a little research I found a local studio nearby in Fort Myers, called "Unity Gain" that also functioned as a recording school. I didn't have much cash, so I decided to ask my parents for some money, in order to pay for tuition.
I managed to scrape enough dough together to enroll at the studio, and I spent the first 6 months soaking it all in. It was amazing. I was learning so much, and I remembering walking back into the control room for the first time, to listen to tracks we had recorded. Wow! I was hooked! It was then I had realized I had been bit by the "studio bug" and that I knew one day that I wanted be producer and make records.
But then reality happened. One day while driving my best friend Wade to college, I accidentally slammed into the back of the car in front of me, and wrecked my white 1985 Chevy Blazer. Fortunately no one was severely hurt in the accident. As far as my ride was concerned, it was smashed up good, and considering the age and mileage on the vehicle, there wasn't much I could do to fix it, so I paid to have it junked.
After the accident, I tried to get a new car, but being a broke college student, I couldn't see a way forward. So I tried carpooling for a few weeks to get to class, but my classmate was unreliable so after some deliberation I sadly decided to drop out of recording school. I was devastated. All I wanted to do was play music and learn how to record and produce, but it felt like my dreams had been shattered.
Fast forward ten years later to 2011 and I was living and working as a prep cook in Boone, North Carolina. For those who know, working in a restaurant can be extremely stressful. I was burnt out with work, and I spent most of my time daydreaming about recording music and being behind a recording console. In that season of my life, I felt like I was just working to survive, and my heart just felt dislocated. Day after day I would daydream of doing music, and I knew I had to change my life and return to my passion.
But one day things changed.
I got a call from my friend Jonathan, and learned he moved to Arizona and then told me about C.R.A.S. ( the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences.) I checked it out online, and it looked great and offered a lot in terms of curriculum and being able to learn hands with industry level equipment. It looked great and I decided to make the plunge and enroll at CRAS. After filling out forms I had a short phone interview, and learned my application was accepted! I then applied for some student loans, and once everything was good to go, I found an apartment in Mesa, Arizona, and signed a lease for one year with a roommate.
Here I was at age 29, finally pursuing my dream and going back to school. Ten years had past, since graduating from high school, but finally I got so fed up, and realized I had to change my life for the better. The choice was clear, If I wanted to work on music professionally, I would first have to finish my degree in audio engineering, in order to gain experience in order to get my foot in the door in the industry.
Looking back now ten years later, and I do not regret my decision to finish school and do music as my career. I only wish that during those years in between I hadn't wasted so much time indulging in my own leisure and bad habits rather than focusing on my own goals. What I have learned through this pain is you can either make excuses in life or you can faith it and pursue your calling.
So what are you waiting for? Are you still procrastinating with your goal or feeling like your still stuck on pause? Want some advice? Go forward! Give yourself the green light! What you do today determines your future, so go forth today for a greener tommorow.
Selah.