I’ve seen a lot of people asking about motivation lately. All from different sources — Twitter, Facebook groups/posts, private messages with friends. People are struggling with motivation, and that doesn’t surprise me entirely considering everything we’ve been through in the last year. The world seems to be in a constant flux of energy and direction… Continue reading Where Do I Find Motivation?
Author: Aaron Rhoades
Music: What Deep Listening Means to Me
I recently found my old mp3 player back from when I was about 14. It’s a Sansa/SanDisk m230, and according to wikipedia was released in 2006. Mine was filled to the brim with music. Was it downloaded legally? Well, that’s another story. It was mostly music retrieved from friends. Listening through, I still remember who… Continue reading Music: What Deep Listening Means to Me
Sufjan Stevens: Chicago — a guided listen and musical analysis
Deep listening is something I used to do a lot, and I’ve recently found some time to dig into music again the way I used to. Deep listening is one of my favorite things to do when I find a good song or album that affects me in a peculiar way. This week I figured… Continue reading Sufjan Stevens: Chicago — a guided listen and musical analysis
The (Music) Artist Mentality
Artists paint, artists draw, artists sculpt, artists make music. What is this “artist” thing and why is everybody chasing it? Art makes us feel fulfilled, art makes us feel alive. Art helps us become who we are meant to be. When I say “artist” here, I’m mostly talking about music artists. Because that’s primarily how… Continue reading The (Music) Artist Mentality
You Don’t Have to Have It All Together Before You Start
There is definitely a period of time where you should be working behind the scenes. But at some point, you have to decide that it’s okay to just start. The pieces will come together over the course of time. Follow your instinct, and do something that gives back to you. Find ways to be energized… Continue reading You Don’t Have to Have It All Together Before You Start
Creativity and Innovation
As a creative person, it can often feel difficult to maintain specific concepts, sounds, or themes over long periods of time. My creative mind wants to innovate and reinvent things, so I think that’s why it becomes difficult to finish out specific projects on occasion (either that or some form of ADD/ADHD). Plenty of artists change their… Continue reading Creativity and Innovation
How the Stranger Things Soundtrack Inspired Me to Write an EP
[Note: this is an older post that had been sitting around in my drafts. But, it shows one part of what I was thinking while writing my debut EP “Rebirth” before it became what it was.] A lot of my friends have been talking about the Stranger Things soundtrack after season 1 released. Honestly, I… Continue reading How the Stranger Things Soundtrack Inspired Me to Write an EP
I’ve Been Married for Over 5 Years Now… Here’s Where We’re At
My wife and I met in 2009. She saw me playing with my band on stage, and that very night she told her friends she was going to marry me. We got married in 2012, and Here we are – 5 years into our marriage and going strong! It’s been an amazing journey. But it’s… Continue reading I’ve Been Married for Over 5 Years Now… Here’s Where We’re At
I’m Writing This From Los Angeles, California
Took a plane to LA from my hometown in Upstate New York. I’m staying with my friend Matt, who moved here from NY recently. So far, I love this place. There is a heavy creative atmosphere here. Everyone is making something, or working on making something. Everyone is making connections, finding their own way. It’s… Continue reading I’m Writing This From Los Angeles, California
Writing Music When You Don’t Feel Like It
Writing music when you don’t feel like it can be a difficult task. But it’s important to realize that writing music doesn’t have to be “all feels, all the time”. In fact, if it is “all feels all the time“ then I find it to be quite unproductive. Not that music itself is about productivity… Continue reading Writing Music When You Don’t Feel Like It