WEBVTT 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.000 Hi, everybody, and welcome to the Messenger Mic'd 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:17.039 Up. My name is Jennifer Smith, and I am a student 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:19.820 here at Johnson County Community College, and 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:22.500 I am thrilled to welcome you to our very first 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:27.120 episode of Student Stories. Joining me in the 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:31.250 studio today is a student musician. And we're 00:00:31.250 --> 00:00:33.390 so excited to have him here. Friend, would you 00:00:33.390 --> 00:00:34.969 like to introduce yourself to our listeners? 00:00:35.310 --> 00:00:37.329 Well, hello, Jen. Thanks. Thanks for having me. 00:00:37.350 --> 00:00:40.270 First of all, my name is Robert Freeman. I perform 00:00:40.270 --> 00:00:42.189 under Stance and that's kind of how everybody 00:00:42.189 --> 00:00:45.549 knows me on campus. So if you go between Robert 00:00:45.549 --> 00:00:49.549 and Stance, I don't mind. So tell us a little 00:00:49.549 --> 00:00:53.320 bit about you, Stance. Hmm, well, I grew up in 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.579 Olathe, so Kansas City, born and bred. I guess 00:00:57.579 --> 00:00:59.380 a lot of people wouldn't agree with that because 00:00:59.380 --> 00:01:03.560 it's the suburbs. Sorry, y 'all. But, you know, 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:05.879 graduated from Olathe North, basically went into 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:09.739 the Marine Corps right after high school, did 00:01:09.739 --> 00:01:12.180 my four years and out, had one tour to Afghanistan 00:01:12.180 --> 00:01:17.040 as an aviation supply Marine. My main duty station 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:20.560 was out in San Diego, MCAS Miramore. I was stationed 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:23.879 with the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11, 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:27.659 and we supported fixed -wing aircraft like F 00:01:27.659 --> 00:01:29.980 -18s, and then we also had a squadron of C -130s 00:01:29.980 --> 00:01:33.000 to support. Very, very cool. Very, very cool. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.219 What are you studying here at JCCC? I am in the 00:01:37.219 --> 00:01:41.239 Recording Arts Program. Big surprise! I mean, 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:43.260 I've been making music for a while, but I felt 00:01:43.260 --> 00:01:45.500 like it was time to come back to school, kind 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:47.560 of hone my craft. you know once i'm out of here 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:49.180 feel a little bit more official a little bit 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:51.739 more confident that's a perfect segue into my 00:01:51.739 --> 00:01:55.040 next question is what made you choose jccc and 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:59.640 and why here well um i mean i hope i don't like 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:02.659 step on other questions by saying this but after 00:02:02.659 --> 00:02:06.040 the marine corps i was in a music program at 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:08.340 university of california san diego and due to 00:02:08.340 --> 00:02:10.860 some mental health trouble i ended up dropping 00:02:10.860 --> 00:02:13.020 out and i've taken the last few years to kind 00:02:13.020 --> 00:02:15.780 of get my mind right And when I first came home 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:19.080 from California back in 2018, I actually toured 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:21.219 the recording arts program here at Johnson County 00:02:21.219 --> 00:02:23.840 Community College. And it was crazy because from 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:26.219 what I was told, even though Mr. Moreland might 00:02:26.219 --> 00:02:29.759 say differently, I was told at that time that 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:31.520 the program was only in its like second year. 00:02:31.780 --> 00:02:34.800 You know, like the studio upstairs, third floor 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.460 OCB, that's where most of the classes went. And 00:02:37.460 --> 00:02:39.939 then the studio first floor OCB wasn't even finished 00:02:39.939 --> 00:02:43.610 yet. It was crazy. Like they just had that blanket 00:02:43.610 --> 00:02:45.569 up. I don't know if you've been in there. There's 00:02:45.569 --> 00:02:47.469 a blanket for sound dampening and you have to 00:02:47.469 --> 00:02:48.969 close the sliding doors. The sliding doors are 00:02:48.969 --> 00:02:51.629 pretty new. Blankets always been in there swapped 00:02:51.629 --> 00:02:54.789 out or, you know, there was no like real definition 00:02:54.789 --> 00:02:56.909 between the control room and the recording room. 00:02:57.789 --> 00:03:00.030 They've come a long ways. So that definitely 00:03:00.030 --> 00:03:02.090 brought me back. It's a really cool room. And 00:03:02.090 --> 00:03:04.370 how cool that you, you know, you came here on 00:03:04.370 --> 00:03:06.409 a tour, probably never thinking in a million 00:03:06.409 --> 00:03:08.729 years that you would be a student here. So how 00:03:08.729 --> 00:03:11.569 cool to see that come full circle for you. When 00:03:11.569 --> 00:03:13.289 we were off the air, Stance and I were talking 00:03:13.289 --> 00:03:16.210 about both being music students here and both 00:03:16.210 --> 00:03:18.810 loving music and both having taken many music 00:03:18.810 --> 00:03:21.009 composition, although we took it with different 00:03:21.009 --> 00:03:23.650 professors. I'm in with Dr. Olvera right now. 00:03:23.770 --> 00:03:26.090 But shout out Mr. Moreland. Yeah, Mr. Moreland, 00:03:26.150 --> 00:03:27.530 you want to talk a little bit about? your class 00:03:27.530 --> 00:03:30.509 with MIDI music? Yeah um because I took it in 00:03:30.509 --> 00:03:32.110 conjunction with a couple other music classes 00:03:32.110 --> 00:03:34.150 so MIDI music composition kind of tied it all 00:03:34.150 --> 00:03:36.370 together so like I was in music theory as well 00:03:36.370 --> 00:03:38.849 piano class so MIDI music composition was kind 00:03:38.849 --> 00:03:41.270 of my practice to figure out like chord progressions 00:03:41.270 --> 00:03:43.710 and Mr. Moreland kind of focused on like the 00:03:43.710 --> 00:03:46.379 final product. Like, you know, you start with 00:03:46.379 --> 00:03:48.520 one chord progression, then you got to differentiate 00:03:48.520 --> 00:03:50.939 between another chord progression for a chorus 00:03:50.939 --> 00:03:52.840 or a hook. So you have a verse chord progression 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:54.879 and you have a hook chord progression. You might 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.159 want to even throw in a bridge there. So it was 00:03:57.159 --> 00:03:59.939 more, I mean, it's in the title of Class Midi 00:03:59.939 --> 00:04:02.080 Music Composition, but he definitely gives you... 00:04:02.189 --> 00:04:04.789 a very, very good foundation for how you should 00:04:04.789 --> 00:04:07.030 arrange your compositions. There's a good emphasis 00:04:07.030 --> 00:04:09.990 in that. Yeah, we're coming to that part of music 00:04:09.990 --> 00:04:13.110 right now. And it's really enjoyable. Did you 00:04:13.110 --> 00:04:16.069 guys use Pro Tools? Yes. Oh, you did. I didn't 00:04:16.069 --> 00:04:18.069 know if you used Ableton or if you used Pro Tools. 00:04:18.529 --> 00:04:22.000 That's what we're using as well. What would you 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.779 say your favorite class has been here at JCCC 00:04:24.779 --> 00:04:27.000 and why? I know that's a hard one, right? That 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:29.839 is very hard. You can say more than one. It's 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:34.889 fine. No, because honestly... If Dr. Heinlein 00:04:34.889 --> 00:04:37.910 listens to this, he might have my throat during 00:04:37.910 --> 00:04:40.610 one of our rehearsals. But I absolutely hated 00:04:40.610 --> 00:04:43.870 jazz band at first. Wow. Because I had no jazz 00:04:43.870 --> 00:04:46.170 drumming experience coming into it. And Mr. Moreland 00:04:46.170 --> 00:04:47.589 sent me down for the tryout. He said, hey, you're 00:04:47.589 --> 00:04:49.189 a drummer, right? Doesn't matter the experience. 00:04:49.350 --> 00:04:51.730 Go down there and try out. So I did. Dr. Heinlein 00:04:51.730 --> 00:04:55.509 gave me the part. And I just like feeling at 00:04:55.509 --> 00:04:57.230 least a little bit confident going into something. 00:04:57.490 --> 00:05:00.170 I didn't really have that going into jazz. You 00:05:00.170 --> 00:05:03.300 had to have, again. Props to Dr. Heinlein, but 00:05:03.300 --> 00:05:06.360 don't murder me for saying this. Saying what 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:08.620 I've said so far, but props to Dr. Heinlein because 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:12.399 he is very, very patient. He is so patient. And 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:14.000 that's kind of what gave me the confidence to 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:19.259 start actually studying jazz, I guess jazz drumming. 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:23.920 What's the word? Genres, I guess. Because you 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.040 got Brazilian bossa, you got blues. There's a 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:27.879 whole bunch of different sub -genres. And I ended 00:05:27.879 --> 00:05:30.180 up exploring that on my own outside of class. 00:05:30.810 --> 00:05:33.189 And so now, like coming into this semester, I 00:05:33.189 --> 00:05:35.689 think jazz is the jazz band is my favorite class. 00:05:35.829 --> 00:05:38.149 That's amazing. Sometimes you have to be pushed 00:05:38.149 --> 00:05:40.230 off a diving board, I think, you know, to see 00:05:40.230 --> 00:05:42.649 if you can really swim. And it's really cool 00:05:42.649 --> 00:05:45.089 to be surrounded by faculty and friends and other 00:05:45.089 --> 00:05:47.490 students who see potential in you that you might 00:05:47.490 --> 00:05:50.589 not see in yourself. Right. Right. And then you 00:05:50.589 --> 00:05:52.470 take a chance on something you might never have 00:05:52.470 --> 00:05:54.129 tried and then boom, you're in love with it. 00:05:54.209 --> 00:05:56.689 So that's really wonderful that you've had that 00:05:56.689 --> 00:05:59.790 experience here. We were also talking a little 00:05:59.790 --> 00:06:02.660 bit. before we came into the studio, just about 00:06:02.660 --> 00:06:07.620 how kind JCCC is and welcoming as it is of students 00:06:07.620 --> 00:06:09.660 that are non -traditional, that might not be 00:06:09.660 --> 00:06:13.079 18, 19, 20 years old. And so I was really heartened 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:14.860 to hear that you had a very similar experience 00:06:14.860 --> 00:06:17.420 and in the music department, which is my department 00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:22.860 as well. We have had some really great conversations 00:06:22.860 --> 00:06:25.720 over the last four or five weeks, just getting 00:06:25.720 --> 00:06:27.480 to know each other. And again, thank you for 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:30.439 being our first guest here on the show today. 00:06:31.899 --> 00:06:34.100 So with my notes, I had that you were a veteran 00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:36.740 and thank you for sharing that story with us. 00:06:36.759 --> 00:06:38.600 And thank you for your service. Again, offline, 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:40.819 we were talking about the fact that I come from 00:06:40.819 --> 00:06:43.819 a military family as well. My father was in the 00:06:43.819 --> 00:06:46.620 Army, but I spent the first 15 years of my career 00:06:46.620 --> 00:06:49.459 working with the Marine Corps. So I started. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:51.620 army girl, and I'm still an army girl, but I 00:06:51.620 --> 00:06:55.040 love Misa Marie. So thank you again for your 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:58.939 service. Proudly served. It's definitely a community 00:06:58.939 --> 00:07:02.180 that's a wonderful group to be a part of. Just 00:07:02.180 --> 00:07:04.060 love and appreciation for those, Harry. Absolutely. 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:06.180 Love and appreciation. We appreciate that. Absolutely. 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:10.480 So we've spoken today and then you and I multiple 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:13.019 times about our shared love of music, about your 00:07:13.019 --> 00:07:15.300 work as a performer. You've also shared a little 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:18.259 bit with me offline about your work as a producer. 00:07:18.889 --> 00:07:21.449 Can you talk a little bit about instrumentaling? 00:07:22.029 --> 00:07:24.290 Instrumentaling, that's not a word. Being an 00:07:24.290 --> 00:07:26.970 instrumentalist versus being a producer, what 00:07:26.970 --> 00:07:29.250 you love about both of them? Is there one that 00:07:29.250 --> 00:07:31.629 kind of shines more brightly than the other? 00:07:33.209 --> 00:07:35.470 Definitely my producing as of right now shines 00:07:35.470 --> 00:07:37.430 brighter than the other. I mean, unless you want 00:07:37.430 --> 00:07:40.689 to count my voice as an instrument, I'm not sure. 00:07:40.850 --> 00:07:44.029 Because I can rap and sing, but as far as playing 00:07:44.029 --> 00:07:46.509 instruments goes, I mean, I'm a drummer, like 00:07:46.509 --> 00:07:49.110 I said. I play a little bit of bass guitar. I 00:07:49.110 --> 00:07:51.129 mean, so for the most part, especially not having 00:07:51.129 --> 00:07:53.790 quick access to musicians you absolutely need, 00:07:53.930 --> 00:07:55.970 you know, I work with a lot of samples, whether 00:07:55.970 --> 00:07:58.269 I drop them straight in, I might manipulate them 00:07:58.269 --> 00:08:01.029 a little bit, but I can always create a production 00:08:01.029 --> 00:08:03.810 that I feel sounds unique because I can do some 00:08:03.810 --> 00:08:05.850 sample matching. You know, I'm not pulling all 00:08:05.850 --> 00:08:08.709 the samples from one sample folder per se. You 00:08:08.709 --> 00:08:10.230 know, I'll pull from different folders and I'll 00:08:10.230 --> 00:08:13.110 have to key match, I'll have to beat match, and 00:08:13.110 --> 00:08:14.670 I just can come up with something completely 00:08:14.670 --> 00:08:17.310 unique. And then I allow that to speak to me 00:08:17.310 --> 00:08:20.029 and then lyrics flow. And yeah, it's crazy. Definitely 00:08:20.029 --> 00:08:23.389 producing over instrumentation. How long would 00:08:23.389 --> 00:08:27.529 you say you've been producing? I guess my first 00:08:27.529 --> 00:08:31.550 little taste of it was back in 2015. Okay. Oh, 00:08:31.569 --> 00:08:33.450 wow. So quite some time. Yeah, it's been some 00:08:33.450 --> 00:08:35.129 time. It's crazy. I'm coming up on 10 years, 00:08:35.190 --> 00:08:37.830 but I've taken it seriously, more seriously, 00:08:37.870 --> 00:08:40.940 I should say, last. maybe three maybe four years 00:08:40.940 --> 00:08:43.340 okay because when i started it was just an idea 00:08:43.340 --> 00:08:45.299 i was playing soccer out of san diego mesa college 00:08:45.299 --> 00:08:48.340 before i transferred to ucsd and one of the forwards 00:08:48.340 --> 00:08:50.659 jose he was like yo dude's like did you listen 00:08:50.659 --> 00:08:53.940 to drake's new track i was like no bro like no 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:58.159 no he's like um well do you think we could do 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:00.019 something like that because i've heard of people 00:09:00.019 --> 00:09:02.909 having home studios and just cooking up and stuff 00:09:02.909 --> 00:09:04.470 i didn't even wasn't familiar even with the term 00:09:04.470 --> 00:09:06.149 cooking up literally thought he was talking about 00:09:06.149 --> 00:09:10.149 cooking in a kitchen and uh yeah he got me interested 00:09:10.149 --> 00:09:12.529 and i ended up downloading like a trial version 00:09:12.529 --> 00:09:14.970 of fl studio you know some people know it as 00:09:14.970 --> 00:09:17.429 fruity loops we started messing around at my 00:09:17.429 --> 00:09:19.909 place after practice and i definitely developed 00:09:19.909 --> 00:09:23.240 a love for it you know, from the very, very first 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:26.120 jump. It's kind of weird seeing it come off full 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.720 circle now. It's really cool. The whole creative 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:30.620 process and to come in at the very beginning 00:09:30.620 --> 00:09:32.580 like that and then see the end product. That's 00:09:32.580 --> 00:09:35.379 really, really cool. On the topic of end product, 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:38.039 where could our listeners hear some of the music 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:42.159 that you've produced? I am on all major streaming 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:45.659 platforms. A lot of independent artists use their 00:09:45.659 --> 00:09:47.340 own distribution services now. Those are available. 00:09:47.639 --> 00:09:49.740 I use DistroKid and it gets me into Spotify, 00:09:50.100 --> 00:09:52.639 Apple Music. People still use like Deezer and 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:56.399 Napster. Napster, wow. Yeah, and it puts me into 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:58.519 a... Like, you know, you can shoot Snapchat videos 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:01.019 and tag, like, actual music for the video. So 00:10:01.019 --> 00:10:02.559 it puts me in Snapchat, puts me in Instagram, 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:06.080 TikTok, things like that. So what that means 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:08.320 is that, like, if I were to make a TikTok video, 00:10:08.500 --> 00:10:10.759 let's say, I could use your music. I could type 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:12.600 your name in. Oh, that's cool. That's very cool. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:16.659 On the topic of your music, you and I were talking 00:10:16.659 --> 00:10:19.059 offline in one of our gazillions of conversations. 00:10:19.179 --> 00:10:22.580 I have so loved meeting you. I'm so grateful 00:10:22.580 --> 00:10:25.500 for the podcast for bringing us together. Where 00:10:25.500 --> 00:10:29.059 can we hear? you in the city as a performer? 00:10:29.220 --> 00:10:31.159 Where can we hear you? Oh, most definitely. So 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:34.059 shout out to Lila Jewel. I don't know if anybody 00:10:34.059 --> 00:10:35.940 out there knows her. Don't think she's currently 00:10:35.940 --> 00:10:38.559 a student here, but she was last year. She put 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:40.440 together a performing arts series that's going 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:44.980 on now through May once a month. um big rip brewing 00:10:44.980 --> 00:10:47.379 company if anybody's familiar it's in north kansas 00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:50.759 city um i performed at the february 22nd show 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:53.139 um the march show is full currently but i'll 00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:56.159 be out there again april and in may and then 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:58.659 i'd be posting on the story a lot about the open 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:02.639 mic so any musicians producers even slam poets 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:04.940 singer songwriters y 'all got to join me at the 00:11:04.940 --> 00:11:07.940 open mic at the rhino in north casey that's monday 00:11:07.940 --> 00:11:10.159 and tuesday nights i'm out there a lot even if 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.039 you guys want to just pull up and watch me you 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:16.879 know energize the stage go crazy do you have 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:18.779 a social media presence where folks can follow 00:11:18.779 --> 00:11:22.240 you and stay up to date on your yes most most 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:25.100 definitely um i know on snapchat if you haven't 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:29.399 gotten me uh stance underscore beats um let's 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.240 see on most social media platforms like ig tick 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:36.200 tock it's the rise of stance all one word Um, 00:11:36.460 --> 00:11:39.259 if people are still into Twitter or, you know, 00:11:39.259 --> 00:11:42.519 X, um, that would be stance underscore music. 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:47.139 Um, am I forgetting one? I think, no, I think, 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:48.940 yeah, I think I got them all. Cause I mean, there's 00:11:48.940 --> 00:11:51.940 sound, SoundCloud for streaming, but yeah, that's, 00:11:51.940 --> 00:11:55.019 that's a weird one. That's we the stance, soundcloud 00:11:55.019 --> 00:11:57.990 .com slash we the stance. It's all. All one word. 00:11:58.090 --> 00:12:01.429 Love that. So about singing on the music topic, 00:12:01.649 --> 00:12:03.789 where would you say your love for music came 00:12:03.789 --> 00:12:06.230 from? Were your parents musicians? Maybe you 00:12:06.230 --> 00:12:08.210 had other musicians in your family? Or did the 00:12:08.210 --> 00:12:10.929 bug just bite you? I would say it's kind of a 00:12:10.929 --> 00:12:14.470 blend of both, really. Because my mom's Jamaican, 00:12:14.570 --> 00:12:18.149 so a lot of reggae. And I don't know, she was 00:12:18.149 --> 00:12:20.529 really into R &B, too. But my dad grew up here 00:12:20.529 --> 00:12:25.690 in Kansas City. So jazz, R &B, blues. I mean, 00:12:25.710 --> 00:12:27.330 he touched his hand on a lot of stuff, even like 00:12:27.330 --> 00:12:29.389 alternative rock, kind of like the slower rock 00:12:29.389 --> 00:12:33.710 stuff. So I kind of had a very diverse influence 00:12:33.710 --> 00:12:36.250 coming from my parents. But then as I picked 00:12:36.250 --> 00:12:38.309 up, wanted to start picking up instruments, you 00:12:38.309 --> 00:12:40.269 know, I got comfortable with bass guitar first, 00:12:40.450 --> 00:12:43.110 even though I didn't practice my scales. And 00:12:43.110 --> 00:12:44.710 then I went right on to drumming. And that's 00:12:44.710 --> 00:12:47.070 kind of where I started developing a love for. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:49.879 even multiple genres of music because i was listening 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:51.799 to the different drum patterns trying to pick 00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:54.500 up on those and then that kind of evolved into 00:12:54.500 --> 00:12:57.039 producing telling myself i could be like the 00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:59.320 people you hear on the radio what advice would 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:01.960 you have for other folks who were interested 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:04.320 in becoming producers interested in becoming 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:09.019 musicians definitely grant yourself grace i'm 00:13:09.019 --> 00:13:10.559 going to say that first and foremost because 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:13.000 i can't ask for confidence right out the gate 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.590 because could probably assure you nobody has 00:13:15.590 --> 00:13:18.850 like 100 % confidence trying something new. So 00:13:18.850 --> 00:13:21.210 you definitely got to grant yourself grace. It's 00:13:21.210 --> 00:13:23.429 a huge learning curve. Don't overload yourself 00:13:23.429 --> 00:13:25.990 and just try and stay as positive as possible. 00:13:26.190 --> 00:13:28.549 I know positivity definitely changed my workflow. 00:13:29.049 --> 00:13:31.730 It's literally like a natural foundation of confidence. 00:13:31.990 --> 00:13:33.889 Like if you're positive about it, no matter what 00:13:33.889 --> 00:13:36.389 problem you come up in in your workflow or in 00:13:36.389 --> 00:13:38.490 your process, you're like, okay, hey, I got this. 00:13:38.570 --> 00:13:40.289 What can I try? And you immediately reach into 00:13:40.289 --> 00:13:42.710 your toolbox with a calm mind because you're 00:13:42.710 --> 00:13:44.409 being positive about it. If you're being negative 00:13:44.409 --> 00:13:46.629 about it, you won't even see your toolbox. Right, 00:13:46.629 --> 00:13:49.350 right. And you'll shut down. Yeah, oh yeah. And 00:13:49.350 --> 00:13:51.450 I think a lot of people in the creative world, 00:13:51.490 --> 00:13:53.470 and I'm speaking of myself as well because I'm 00:13:53.470 --> 00:13:56.169 very much this way, the minute you hit a roadblock, 00:13:56.350 --> 00:14:00.230 it paralyzes you. Instead, see it as an opportunity, 00:14:00.370 --> 00:14:02.549 like you said, to pull into your toolbox, to 00:14:02.549 --> 00:14:04.590 reach out to a resource, a professor, a fellow 00:14:04.590 --> 00:14:07.610 friend that's a fellow musician. There are always 00:14:07.610 --> 00:14:09.649 opportunities to learn and grow, and definitely 00:14:09.649 --> 00:14:12.669 in this community, I've seen kindness and willingness 00:14:12.669 --> 00:14:14.889 to. you know hey let me help you with that you 00:14:14.889 --> 00:14:18.210 know um so that's definitely props to the music 00:14:18.210 --> 00:14:21.250 department here um if you could collaborate with 00:14:21.250 --> 00:14:24.049 anyone this is like i saw this question i saw 00:14:24.049 --> 00:14:28.149 this question oh yes um and you're not deluded 00:14:28.149 --> 00:14:31.129 to one but if if you could think of a collaborator 00:14:31.129 --> 00:14:34.809 or collaborators living or dead who would you 00:14:34.809 --> 00:14:38.809 like to collaborate with and why okay two people 00:14:38.809 --> 00:14:42.700 first immediate right out the gate kyle I've 00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:44.700 met the guy before, actually, in San Diego when 00:14:44.700 --> 00:14:47.100 I lived there. He's a guy that does I Spy with 00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:50.019 Lil Yacht. I spy with my little eye. A girlie 00:14:50.019 --> 00:14:51.980 I can get because she don't get too many likes. 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:56.200 So he does that. He just got his actual plaque 00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:59.080 for that one billionth Spotify stream. Nice. 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:00.960 He just posted that yesterday. I was all over 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:02.899 that. But if I could collab with him, he kind 00:15:02.899 --> 00:15:05.399 of... taught me he influences my music so much 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:07.740 because he is just so unapologetically himself 00:15:07.740 --> 00:15:10.779 on the mic and i felt that even when i met him 00:15:10.779 --> 00:15:12.379 he gave me like the greatest big hug and the 00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:15.620 biggest smile and he just felt so genuine it's 00:15:15.620 --> 00:15:16.940 like that that's what i want to be i don't ever 00:15:16.940 --> 00:15:19.759 want to put up some fake stuff like you know 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:21.240 even if i have money i'm probably not gonna be 00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:23.019 putting money in the camera i have stacks of 00:15:23.019 --> 00:15:25.360 bands everywhere i'm not gonna be running cars 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:27.860 you know we've been doing donuts in parking lot 00:15:27.860 --> 00:15:30.519 for music videos like that's that's not me more 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:32.100 on some like mental health kind of take care 00:15:32.100 --> 00:15:34.840 of yourself because that's who i am i love putting 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:36.860 that in the music who did you say did you say 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:40.159 you had a second person yes um being half jamaican 00:15:40.159 --> 00:15:43.789 bob marley That would be, I recently watched 00:15:43.789 --> 00:15:46.070 that, his movie One Love. Took my mom to the 00:15:46.070 --> 00:15:48.710 theaters for that. She was grooving in the seat 00:15:48.710 --> 00:15:52.730 to every song, every song. But obviously, I feel 00:15:52.730 --> 00:15:55.610 like he was the pinnacle of showing the world 00:15:55.610 --> 00:15:58.090 love. The world needs more love. Absolutely. 00:15:58.190 --> 00:16:01.490 Especially now. I'm saying. He's probably turning 00:16:01.490 --> 00:16:03.289 in his grave with how the world's been turning 00:16:03.289 --> 00:16:06.059 lately. But he's that embodiment of positivity 00:16:06.059 --> 00:16:09.100 and loving everybody. And just in a very different 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:11.559 way. Because, like, no offense to Kyle, Kyle 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:13.559 can touch. I mean, he's touched people in the 00:16:13.559 --> 00:16:15.799 world, sure. But I feel like he's got a big influence 00:16:15.799 --> 00:16:19.120 in America. Bob was global. Yeah. Like, instantly. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:22.799 That's amazing. And he was able to channel that 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:24.580 to bring so much positivity and connect people 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:27.570 with his music. And that's one of the most powerful 00:16:27.570 --> 00:16:29.389 things to me and one of the most beautiful things 00:16:29.389 --> 00:16:31.809 about music to me is that it lives on long after 00:16:31.809 --> 00:16:34.429 you're gone. And lucky us, you know, to be the 00:16:34.429 --> 00:16:36.850 beneficiaries of that beautiful music and our 00:16:36.850 --> 00:16:38.549 children and their children. You know, I mean, 00:16:38.549 --> 00:16:40.789 that's something that to this day, young people 00:16:40.789 --> 00:16:44.970 talk about. You know, I grew up in the 80s and 00:16:44.970 --> 00:16:47.470 the 90s. And when Prince died and Michael Jackson 00:16:47.470 --> 00:16:50.309 died, you know, they were so instrumental in 00:16:50.309 --> 00:16:52.370 my youth. And I remember thinking that both of 00:16:52.370 --> 00:16:54.509 these men were larger than life. You know, they 00:16:54.509 --> 00:16:56.940 would never. you know and then of course it happens 00:16:56.940 --> 00:16:59.620 and it breaks your heart but i just thought thank 00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:01.899 you thank you for letting me live in this space 00:17:01.899 --> 00:17:04.220 with them most definitely and and for folks like 00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:06.539 bob marley who passed you know before my time 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:09.539 um thank you for the opportunity to to be in 00:17:09.539 --> 00:17:11.500 that space even though i'm not it's you know 00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:13.799 i have this wonderful second best gift in his 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:18.180 music so um yeah that's pretty amazing Let's 00:17:18.180 --> 00:17:21.079 pivot for a second, if that's okay. So when do 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:25.099 you anticipate graduating from JCCC? I will be 00:17:25.099 --> 00:17:27.660 graduating this spring, actually. So I'll have 00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:30.660 the recording arts certificate. And I guess with 00:17:30.660 --> 00:17:33.160 all my bouncing around in colleges, I'll be walking 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:35.660 with two associate's degrees, the Associate of 00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:37.859 Arts and the Associate of Fine Arts. Nice. Very 00:17:37.859 --> 00:17:41.220 good. So years down the road then, when JCCC 00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:44.539 is long in your rearview mirror, when you look 00:17:44.539 --> 00:17:48.000 back at that, what do you... What will be your 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.259 greatest memories? What will be the things that 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:52.339 you'll take with you in your heart? What will 00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:56.119 you tell people about your time at JCCC? I know 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:57.859 one thing I'll definitely immediately remember 00:17:57.859 --> 00:18:01.880 is how I've actually touched the lives of some 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:04.140 students here on campus because they've reached 00:18:04.140 --> 00:18:07.359 out and they've told me that. And it's a great 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:08.960 feeling. I'm getting a little emotional, like, 00:18:09.019 --> 00:18:11.460 because that's what I want to be here for. You 00:18:11.460 --> 00:18:13.619 know, I wanted to come be that positive light 00:18:13.619 --> 00:18:16.180 here on campus. I felt like I got my foot in 00:18:16.180 --> 00:18:20.599 the door with the, it was karaoke. I think it 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:22.579 was right before this semester started. I think 00:18:22.579 --> 00:18:23.940 it was the end of last semester or something 00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:26.240 like that. In the last semester, there's karaoke. 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:29.200 And then it was the beginning of, sorry, in just 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.099 last spring semester. And then the beginning 00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:35.690 of the fall semester. So I came back. as a student 00:18:35.690 --> 00:18:37.069 for the second because the first one I just kind 00:18:37.069 --> 00:18:38.670 of popped up I was getting you know enrollment 00:18:38.670 --> 00:18:40.930 and stuff handled and it was just there so I 00:18:40.930 --> 00:18:43.970 went and then I came back as a student and I 00:18:43.970 --> 00:18:46.490 just I just put some good vibes out there and 00:18:46.490 --> 00:18:47.769 then I started posting the story and like oh 00:18:47.769 --> 00:18:49.990 my god you're that guy doing karaoke you're running 00:18:49.990 --> 00:18:51.490 through the crowd and getting everybody hyped 00:18:51.490 --> 00:18:53.950 up and like yo I love seeing your love seeing 00:18:53.950 --> 00:18:56.230 your stories and I've heard it even taken as 00:18:56.230 --> 00:18:59.450 far as like I literally wake up to see your story 00:18:59.450 --> 00:19:02.849 on on the campus story like it makes my day oh 00:19:02.849 --> 00:19:08.920 wow Thank you. I'm here for you. I don't know 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:10.980 what to say, but obviously I'm eternally grateful 00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:13.140 I can have that influence. Do you want to tell 00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:15.400 our listeners again how they can get in on that 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:19.559 Snapchat with you? Yeah, I mean, obviously, if 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:22.579 you're a student, you should be submitting your 00:19:22.579 --> 00:19:24.519 student email and then you get like the Johnson 00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:27.119 County Community College badge on your public 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:29.339 profile. And if you've made one, that's quick 00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:32.279 and easy couple steps. And then it'll sync you 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:33.839 with all the current Johnson County Community 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.880 College stories. It's like me personally, since 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:40.630 I'm graduating. 2025 I'm on the 2025 story but 00:19:40.630 --> 00:19:43.329 you can tap into that and see like the stories 00:19:43.329 --> 00:19:46.089 people posted 24 people are posting 26 right 00:19:46.089 --> 00:19:47.849 now I think even people are starting to post 00:19:47.849 --> 00:19:51.109 a 27 if I'm not mistaken yeah yeah and then obviously 00:19:51.109 --> 00:19:53.529 you can just add me if you're not a student somehow 00:19:53.529 --> 00:19:56.009 listening to this you can still add me uh stance 00:19:56.009 --> 00:19:58.769 underscore beats I still post my story same way 00:19:58.769 --> 00:20:00.569 I posted the Johnson County Community College 00:20:00.569 --> 00:20:03.069 campus story awesome I will definitely be following 00:20:03.069 --> 00:20:05.390 you on all things social and maybe even stealing 00:20:05.390 --> 00:20:10.079 some of your songs I can produce some instrumentals 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:15.319 too. So I want to dip back to something you said 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:19.680 a moment ago. You said that... Your most treasured 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:21.720 memory or one of them would be the influence 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:24.740 that you've had on other folks. Without, of course, 00:20:24.779 --> 00:20:26.960 revealing anything too confidential or private, 00:20:27.059 --> 00:20:29.240 could you share something with us maybe that 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:33.740 someone said to you? I mean, I did tip on it 00:20:33.740 --> 00:20:36.700 a little bit. It was just like, wow, I wake up. 00:20:37.099 --> 00:20:39.319 I'm just looking forward to your story. Like, 00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:42.589 I need to see that story. And then other people 00:20:42.589 --> 00:20:44.869 hit me up. He's like, hey, I'm so glad you posted 00:20:44.869 --> 00:20:46.430 this story. I've actually been having a crap 00:20:46.430 --> 00:20:48.829 day. You put a smile on my face today. It's like, 00:20:48.910 --> 00:20:52.190 wow. And then there was some weird stuff going 00:20:52.190 --> 00:20:54.809 around where they were taking pictures of me 00:20:54.809 --> 00:20:57.130 from afar and posting it to the story. And they're 00:20:57.130 --> 00:20:58.930 like, stance sighting. Stance sighting number 00:20:58.930 --> 00:21:01.549 one. Stance sighting number two. Stance in its 00:21:01.549 --> 00:21:05.269 natural habitat. I was like, guys, say hi, please. 00:21:05.369 --> 00:21:07.130 Come up and say hi at least. You can still post 00:21:07.130 --> 00:21:09.029 a picture. But come say hi. I'd love for you 00:21:09.029 --> 00:21:12.519 all to say hi. I am a person. I speak English. 00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:15.359 You can come say that to me. It's fine. That's 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.660 hilarious. So, like, you're the celebrity of 00:21:17.660 --> 00:21:19.779 the campus then, you know, with your little paparazzi 00:21:19.779 --> 00:21:23.599 and TMZ. Yeah, I'm almost uncomfortable, like, 00:21:23.660 --> 00:21:25.400 taking it that far, but, like, everybody tells 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:27.740 me that. Like, yo, how's it feel being, you know, 00:21:27.740 --> 00:21:29.519 just, like, well -known on campus, like, celebrity 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:32.720 status? I'm like, the word celebrity makes me 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:35.880 cringe low -key, but... I mean, I feel like I'm 00:21:35.880 --> 00:21:38.079 still doing the good work, so I can't knock it 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:40.640 necessarily. You are. And it circles back to 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:42.740 what you were saying about authenticity. You 00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:44.079 know, you're not trying to be something that 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:45.940 you're not. Your heart is in mental health, which 00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:48.059 we've shared that offline with each other. Your 00:21:48.059 --> 00:21:49.779 heart is in making people happy and bringing 00:21:49.779 --> 00:21:52.420 joy. That's what our editor, Zach, said to me. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:55.839 He's just good vibes. And it is so true. It's 00:21:55.839 --> 00:22:00.190 so true. And I think. People who are inauthentic, 00:22:00.190 --> 00:22:02.049 you can spot it a mile away. You know what I 00:22:02.049 --> 00:22:04.529 mean? And I think people gravitate toward you 00:22:04.529 --> 00:22:07.650 because you are so authentic and kind and you 00:22:07.650 --> 00:22:11.390 lead with love. I mean, even just to go off that 00:22:11.390 --> 00:22:13.450 a little bit, the inauthenticity. So obviously 00:22:13.450 --> 00:22:15.769 with all the love I've gotten, I've had some 00:22:15.769 --> 00:22:19.150 very hateful message come across as well. Some 00:22:19.150 --> 00:22:20.690 people have posted to the story. Some people 00:22:20.690 --> 00:22:23.109 have just sent it on the side. But I feel like 00:22:23.109 --> 00:22:25.130 that is also an opportunity to show some more 00:22:25.130 --> 00:22:27.809 love. Absolutely. So every time it came at me, 00:22:27.829 --> 00:22:29.650 it was just like, hey, like, are you having, 00:22:29.710 --> 00:22:31.730 like, a bad day? Do you need someone to talk 00:22:31.730 --> 00:22:34.210 to? Like, what's going on? I'm not going to say 00:22:34.210 --> 00:22:37.329 any names, obviously. But one reached out. And, 00:22:37.430 --> 00:22:39.529 I mean, he basically chewed me out for no reason. 00:22:39.650 --> 00:22:41.349 No, no, I hate seeing your story. It puts me 00:22:41.349 --> 00:22:43.269 in a bad mood. Nobody wants to see that. Blah, 00:22:43.269 --> 00:22:45.289 blah, blah. And I was like, bro, like, are you 00:22:45.289 --> 00:22:48.069 having a bad day? Do you need to talk to somebody? 00:22:48.509 --> 00:22:51.059 Like, I'm just here for y 'all. Like, hey, man, 00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:53.819 if you need to talk, always here. And he just 00:22:53.819 --> 00:22:55.740 kind of left me on read for a little bit. And 00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:57.759 then not even half hour later, he came back and 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:00.000 he was like, oh, so you consider yourself a producer? 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:03.579 Like, who have you produced? I'm like, I didn't 00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:05.059 even respond to that because I already said what 00:23:05.059 --> 00:23:06.880 I had to say. Right. And then like it was like 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:09.640 four or five days later, message on Snapchat 00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:11.259 comes across from him. I was like, does he have 00:23:11.259 --> 00:23:13.660 something else to say? What is up with this guy? 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:17.500 Right, right. Like, my heart low -key kind of 00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:19.579 sucked because it's just like, in that moment, 00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:22.859 I had already had a bad day. I had a D to D of 00:23:22.859 --> 00:23:26.599 that. But it was actually an apology. Nice. That 00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:28.940 same guy who came across with some super hateful 00:23:28.940 --> 00:23:30.599 stuff, he came back around for an apology. I 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:32.480 respect him so much for that. Yeah. And he's 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:34.779 like, man, I was having a bad day. He's like, 00:23:34.819 --> 00:23:37.160 and honestly, seeing somebody else so happy when 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:39.619 I was feeling so crummy, that's what got to me. 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:41.880 I was like, bro, that's completely understandable. 00:23:42.180 --> 00:23:44.579 I've been there plenty of times, man. been there 00:23:44.579 --> 00:23:46.119 plenty of times you know we just had a little 00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:48.299 conversation on the side and okay i haven't talked 00:23:48.299 --> 00:23:50.640 to him since but i hopefully everything i'm putting 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:52.160 out there is putting a smile on his face now 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:54.519 instead of you know harboring some you know, 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:56.720 whatever's going on in his life. Yeah. You know, 00:23:56.740 --> 00:23:58.740 there's that old phrase about people who need 00:23:58.740 --> 00:24:01.640 love the most, you know, are the worst. They're 00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:04.799 the most unkind and the most unfriendly. And 00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:07.779 it's really wonderful that you're able to see 00:24:07.779 --> 00:24:09.960 that for what it is. You know what I mean? And 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:12.319 to meet that with love, because we don't know, 00:24:12.339 --> 00:24:14.440 as you said, what that person was going through. 00:24:14.500 --> 00:24:16.079 I mean, he did say he was not, you know, doing 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:19.799 well, but you, and I know it sounds like a Hallmark 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:22.680 card, like don't judge me, but you really don't 00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:25.160 know the love. that you shine on somebody else. 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:27.539 And then maybe they may turn right around and 00:24:27.539 --> 00:24:29.839 do that to somebody else, you know, be that light 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:32.119 for someone else. So it's the whole, you know, 00:24:32.119 --> 00:24:33.920 pay for your coffee and the guy behind you at 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:35.640 Starbucks, you know, and then you hope that they 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:37.279 pay for the car behind you. You know what I mean? 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:39.960 Yeah, paying it forward. I should be a big proponent 00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:42.380 in everybody's life. Yeah, absolutely. It takes 00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:45.619 so little to be kind. And one moment of kindness 00:24:45.619 --> 00:24:48.799 can make such a difference. I think especially 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:53.789 today, you know, let me see. Looking at my questions. 00:24:54.029 --> 00:24:59.289 Okay. So a fun question to close out our first 00:24:59.289 --> 00:25:03.309 podcast episode today. Let's say that time and 00:25:03.309 --> 00:25:06.309 money were no object. You have no classes, no 00:25:06.309 --> 00:25:08.750 work, nothing going on. You have gajillions of 00:25:08.750 --> 00:25:12.410 dollars. It's the weekend. What are you doing? 00:25:12.569 --> 00:25:15.869 How are you spending this unlimited budget and 00:25:15.869 --> 00:25:19.269 time? May I ask what time of year it is? You 00:25:19.269 --> 00:25:22.740 pick. It's not like it is now where it's, you 00:25:22.740 --> 00:25:27.160 know, 90 mile an hour winds and snow. Unless 00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:30.460 that's what you want. Well, the snow I do actually, 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:33.940 definitely. Oh, okay. For the weekend. I mean, 00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:37.019 my dream vacation is Switzerland. I want to snowboard 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:40.200 in the Swiss Alps. Nice. And I'd love to have, 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:43.240 if I could like stay right off the slopes so 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:46.450 I can have an office. over overlooking the mountains 00:25:46.450 --> 00:25:49.529 and stuff exactly it's it's a lot of inspiration 00:25:49.529 --> 00:25:52.730 for good production yeah i've taken advantage 00:25:52.730 --> 00:25:54.710 of something like that before went to a bachelor 00:25:54.710 --> 00:25:59.170 party um for for a wedding um and we had some 00:25:59.170 --> 00:26:01.109 hotel suite and overlooked the ocean who were 00:26:01.109 --> 00:26:04.049 in south carolina and i woke up before everybody 00:26:04.049 --> 00:26:05.930 next morning you know everybody got plastered 00:26:05.930 --> 00:26:09.589 you know they i they kept sleeping i woke up 00:26:09.589 --> 00:26:11.410 and i was really bored so i just whipped on my 00:26:11.410 --> 00:26:14.630 laptop and i i started producing and uh I don't 00:26:14.630 --> 00:26:16.789 know if anybody knows my catalog, but the beat 00:26:16.789 --> 00:26:19.049 for Weed Em Out, that's what I produced that 00:26:19.049 --> 00:26:20.430 day. I was just overlooking the ocean. I was 00:26:20.430 --> 00:26:22.710 hearing the waves crash. There's some seagulls 00:26:22.710 --> 00:26:25.809 flying here and there. It was a vibe. Wow. It 00:26:25.809 --> 00:26:28.349 was a vibe. Very cool. Talking about the vibe 00:26:28.349 --> 00:26:31.650 and getting into the vibe, how do you get centered 00:26:31.650 --> 00:26:33.630 and ready to go? Do you have any rituals before 00:26:33.630 --> 00:26:39.289 you go into the studio? Honestly, I don't know 00:26:39.289 --> 00:26:43.170 about rituals. It's just making sure that... 00:26:43.450 --> 00:26:46.369 I have a positive mindset going in because I'm 00:26:46.369 --> 00:26:49.349 definitely less inclined to have even a studio 00:26:49.349 --> 00:26:52.029 session if I feel like I've had a crappy day, 00:26:52.089 --> 00:26:54.049 haven't turned it around yet. If there's like 00:26:54.049 --> 00:26:56.509 no positive thoughts flowing at all, I'm not 00:26:56.509 --> 00:26:58.210 going to want to sit there and make music. I've 00:26:58.210 --> 00:26:59.690 got to turn that around before I get in there. 00:26:59.849 --> 00:27:02.509 So that's the first and foremost thing, positive 00:27:02.509 --> 00:27:05.069 mental attitude going into a studio session or 00:27:05.069 --> 00:27:07.660 to sit down and produce. And is that the same 00:27:07.660 --> 00:27:09.480 advice that you would give to someone, let's 00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:12.099 say, that's a songwriter that's a creative rut? 00:27:12.180 --> 00:27:14.680 Like, oh, I can't get the, the words aren't coming 00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:16.680 out or the lyrics aren't coming. Could you, is 00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:18.259 that what you would say to them too? Yes, most 00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:21.019 definitely. And then with talking about the creative 00:27:21.019 --> 00:27:22.720 rut, I know what's personally gotten me out of 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:25.660 creative ruts is just listening, whether that's 00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:27.759 listening to different music, like outside of 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:29.839 a genre you're currently trying to write or produce, 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:33.000 or, I mean, even tapping into your favorite artists 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:35.400 or artists like them. like me personally i like 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:38.000 to what we call reverse engineer stuff so when 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:40.599 i get what we call beat block you know you can't 00:27:40.599 --> 00:27:43.339 can't get any production done you're stuck i 00:27:43.339 --> 00:27:47.160 go find a track i know i'm in love with or somebody 00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:49.140 showed it to me and i saved my spotify library 00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:50.500 i was like oh i got to go back to that track 00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:53.519 because then i will mimic the bpm the beats per 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:55.819 minute and i'll mimic the key and then i'll just 00:27:55.819 --> 00:27:57.619 see if i can come up with something that's got 00:27:57.619 --> 00:28:00.059 kind of similar bounce similar vibe you know 00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:02.380 but it's it's obviously what i make sometimes 00:28:02.380 --> 00:28:04.700 it takes a completely different turn and i like 00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:07.359 that too i love that i call them happy accidents 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:09.000 shooting for one thing i definitely caught something 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:11.500 completely different i'm rolling with it though 00:28:11.500 --> 00:28:13.859 because it sounds good absolutely so that creative 00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:16.559 rut can be destroyed time and time again just 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:19.430 searching for that inspo within other music Thank 00:28:19.430 --> 00:28:21.609 you for that, because I, as a musician as well, 00:28:21.630 --> 00:28:24.170 find myself in that, you know, I can't get it 00:28:24.170 --> 00:28:25.710 out. I know what I want to say, but I can't get 00:28:25.710 --> 00:28:27.789 it out or I'm struggling to come up with the 00:28:27.789 --> 00:28:30.430 words. And I love that advice. Thank you. And 00:28:30.430 --> 00:28:32.609 I would imagine that that advice probably works 00:28:32.609 --> 00:28:35.230 for lots of other being stuck, you know, not 00:28:35.230 --> 00:28:38.369 just musically. I'm saying writing or anything 00:28:38.369 --> 00:28:40.809 where you're writing is a great example, because 00:28:40.809 --> 00:28:43.589 obviously us being musicians, we're writing lyrics 00:28:43.589 --> 00:28:46.130 and stuff, even getting lyrically stuck. You 00:28:46.130 --> 00:28:48.400 can kind of do the same. process, but you're 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:49.799 obviously paying attention to different things. 00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:51.440 So tap into those favorite artists, tap into 00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:53.759 something different. See how, see what their 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:57.039 cadence is like with their lyrics. See even their 00:28:57.039 --> 00:28:59.539 rhyme schemes or, you know, obviously their subject 00:28:59.539 --> 00:29:02.660 material, you know, see how they tie everything 00:29:02.660 --> 00:29:05.359 together for one subject between verse, hook, 00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:08.420 verse, bridge, hook, and then the rest of it, 00:29:08.460 --> 00:29:11.400 you know? Yeah. Very, very cool. Speaking about 00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:13.940 Spotify, what's on your Spotify playlist? What 00:29:13.940 --> 00:29:18.160 are you listening to right now? What's the evil 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:22.359 laugh? Because I guess I was just like that laugh, 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:24.500 like I'm so glad she asked me this. Hopefully 00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:27.460 I put some people on to something. I don't know 00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:30.400 if people have heard of Jameson. It's J -M -S 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:33.339 -N. J -M -S -N. And I still need to do some research, 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:36.420 but just from listening, he's got a crazy amazing 00:29:36.420 --> 00:29:38.779 producer and props to him if he does that himself. 00:29:39.740 --> 00:29:42.039 My girlfriend showed me a song. It's called Bout 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:44.599 It. It's by Jameson. And honestly, just going 00:29:44.599 --> 00:29:46.319 on to SoundCloud and listening to those mixes 00:29:46.319 --> 00:29:48.359 they throw at you or be like, oh, hey, this is 00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:50.859 for you. Give it a listen. It's usually packed 00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:52.940 with like newer artists who aren't discovered 00:29:52.940 --> 00:29:55.400 yet and they've got some fire stuff. Nice. So 00:29:55.400 --> 00:29:58.180 Jameson's not too, too big. He's not huge. I 00:29:58.180 --> 00:30:00.380 think he's got, I mean, 200 ,000 monthly listeners 00:30:00.380 --> 00:30:02.980 on Spotify sounds like a lot. But, you know, 00:30:02.980 --> 00:30:04.579 the bigger artists we know are obviously in the 00:30:04.579 --> 00:30:06.599 millions. Right. So he's kind of well -known, 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:09.509 not too well -known, but it's like this. I don't 00:30:09.509 --> 00:30:11.769 even know how to describe it. It's definitely 00:30:11.769 --> 00:30:14.569 a pop feel, but it's got some jazz intonations 00:30:14.569 --> 00:30:17.769 for sure. And it's a crazy different drum pattern 00:30:17.769 --> 00:30:20.670 that I've never heard anybody play. And so I'm 00:30:20.670 --> 00:30:23.450 like, bro, even if you didn't make this beat 00:30:23.450 --> 00:30:25.549 or what, like who was the drummer? Just forget 00:30:25.549 --> 00:30:27.950 everything else. Who was the drummer? I've been 00:30:27.950 --> 00:30:31.029 trying to drum cover it even. It's just so different. 00:30:31.170 --> 00:30:32.849 And obviously Jameson's got some pipes on him. 00:30:32.910 --> 00:30:36.759 He can sing. He can sing. So I wrote that down. 00:30:36.980 --> 00:30:41.039 Yeah. JMSN. Check that out. About it by Jameson. 00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:45.700 Love that. Love that. So do you have you shared 00:30:45.700 --> 00:30:47.700 some really wonderful advice points with us about 00:30:47.700 --> 00:30:50.940 being positive, about leading with love? What 00:30:50.940 --> 00:30:53.240 is a piece of advice that's been given to you 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:57.019 that is impactful or meaningful to you or maybe 00:30:57.019 --> 00:30:58.920 even something that you've shared with someone 00:30:58.920 --> 00:31:04.009 else? I don't remember who. told it to me, which 00:31:04.009 --> 00:31:05.829 is kind of weird. I normally remember that thing. 00:31:05.970 --> 00:31:07.710 I mean, I know it's been reinforced by my mom. 00:31:08.230 --> 00:31:10.769 Love you, mom. But just remember that you're 00:31:10.769 --> 00:31:13.109 blessed. You know, a lot of people say, say lucky, 00:31:13.190 --> 00:31:14.589 and that kind of almost rubs me the wrong way 00:31:14.589 --> 00:31:17.500 now. Because, yeah, they say luck is like opportunity 00:31:17.500 --> 00:31:20.099 meets preparation or whatever. But in the instance, 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:22.799 in the context of lucky over blessed, I definitely 00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:24.819 prefer blessed because it's like no matter what 00:31:24.819 --> 00:31:27.140 situation you're going through, you want that. 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:28.920 It's to reinforce your positive mental attitude, 00:31:29.019 --> 00:31:30.720 right? Tell yourself you're blessed at the end 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:33.039 of the day, no matter what you go through. Because 00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:35.220 I've been real big. I even have a song called 00:31:35.220 --> 00:31:39.519 Blessed. Got some cuss words, not clean, but 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:42.259 it's definitely on the, you know, I'm flexing 00:31:42.259 --> 00:31:45.059 on my haters because I feel so good. You're hating 00:31:45.059 --> 00:31:47.279 on me because I feel good. I feel great about 00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:49.599 myself. And what side am I on? Right. What side 00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:52.619 are you on? I'm saying, I'm saying. When I was 00:31:52.619 --> 00:31:54.960 in high school and in college, the first time 00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:59.640 back in the 90s, I had a performing arts instructor 00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:03.150 who said to me, Jennifer, talent is cheap. but 00:32:03.150 --> 00:32:06.369 character is priceless. And that, I mean, I thought 00:32:06.369 --> 00:32:08.529 of him. Yeah, like the minute that you started 00:32:08.529 --> 00:32:11.450 talking about authenticity and being your true 00:32:11.450 --> 00:32:13.569 self, I'm like, oh, I hear Paris Goodroom's words 00:32:13.569 --> 00:32:16.509 in my head. Shout out to Mr. Goodroom. I'm not 00:32:16.509 --> 00:32:19.230 sure if he's still living or not. But yeah, talent 00:32:19.230 --> 00:32:21.809 is cheap, but character is priceless. Never stop 00:32:21.809 --> 00:32:24.730 being who you are. Right. And the right people 00:32:24.730 --> 00:32:29.559 will flock to you because of who you are. I used 00:32:29.559 --> 00:32:32.940 to feel, I used to suffer by comparison as an 00:32:32.940 --> 00:32:35.240 artist. Talk about that. Comparison is a thief 00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:38.900 of joy, right? Yeah. And I used to think, well, 00:32:38.940 --> 00:32:41.400 I'm not as good as. Well, nobody's as good as 00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:43.740 the best, right? We're all growth and we're all, 00:32:43.779 --> 00:32:45.720 you know, getting better and getting stronger. 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:49.579 But there's a voice for everyone. So, you know, 00:32:49.579 --> 00:32:52.359 you may love Artist X. And I might be like, eh, 00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:54.920 not my thing. That's okay because a million people 00:32:54.920 --> 00:32:57.140 love Artist X. They don't need Jack. Right, right. 00:32:57.420 --> 00:33:00.559 They got Jack and they got Stan. So there are 00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:02.299 voices for everyone. And I think that's something 00:33:02.299 --> 00:33:04.920 really beautiful about music. You might find 00:33:04.920 --> 00:33:06.940 folks that say, yeah, I'm not really a jazz person. 00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:08.900 But you're never going to find somebody that 00:33:08.900 --> 00:33:11.000 says, I'm not a music person. Right. You know 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:12.539 what I mean? Like every, it's like the universal. 00:33:12.740 --> 00:33:14.619 I don't think I've ever heard that in my life, 00:33:14.619 --> 00:33:16.660 low key. Yeah. I've never heard somebody who's 00:33:16.660 --> 00:33:18.299 like, oh, I don't listen to music. I just don't. 00:33:18.670 --> 00:33:20.390 I don't think I've ever. That's like saying you 00:33:20.390 --> 00:33:24.529 don't eat food. Yeah, right. Okay. And how do 00:33:24.529 --> 00:33:27.369 you sustain yourself, sir? I'm saying. No food. 00:33:28.049 --> 00:33:32.230 You're weird. Sorry, no judgment over here, guys. 00:33:32.250 --> 00:33:37.369 No judgment. No judgment. I'm looking through 00:33:37.369 --> 00:33:39.029 my questions. Is there anything else that you'd 00:33:39.029 --> 00:33:42.609 like to share with our listeners? I don't think 00:33:42.609 --> 00:33:45.390 so. I think I hit all the positive, you know, 00:33:45.390 --> 00:33:47.690 mountaintops I wanted to conquer. for everyone 00:33:47.690 --> 00:33:50.049 definitely remember to tell yourself you're blessed 00:33:50.049 --> 00:33:53.230 spread out those good vibes good love because 00:33:53.230 --> 00:33:55.329 the world needs more of it compliment somebody 00:33:55.329 --> 00:33:58.069 you know throughout the day just one compliment 00:33:58.069 --> 00:34:00.470 and obviously pay it forward because that was 00:34:00.470 --> 00:34:02.829 a big thing in this talk definitely pay it forward 00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:06.079 Doesn't that feel good when you are the one that 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:08.760 says something kind to somebody? Yeah. I was 00:34:08.760 --> 00:34:11.760 at a coffee shop and I won't go into the story, 00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:13.960 but I will just say somebody was very unkind 00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:17.559 to me and my daughter. And, you know, those of 00:34:17.559 --> 00:34:19.840 you that are parents or well, and you guys that 00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:22.619 have parents, when somebody insults somebody 00:34:22.619 --> 00:34:25.179 that you love, you know, like you're just and 00:34:25.179 --> 00:34:26.980 my daughter was mad and I was mad and it was 00:34:26.980 --> 00:34:28.579 a bad situation. But I thought, you know what? 00:34:28.840 --> 00:34:32.570 I'm just I can carry that with me. Or I can choose 00:34:32.570 --> 00:34:35.429 to let it go. And I saw a girl, young woman, 00:34:35.530 --> 00:34:38.070 I shouldn't call her a girl, at the coffee shop. 00:34:38.090 --> 00:34:39.869 And she just looked kind of downtrodden. She 00:34:39.869 --> 00:34:42.090 just didn't look good. I walked up to her and 00:34:42.090 --> 00:34:44.489 I said, excuse me. Hi, my name is Jennifer. And 00:34:44.489 --> 00:34:46.730 I said, I don't think you're pretty. And I don't 00:34:46.730 --> 00:34:48.550 think you're gorgeous. I think you're stunning. 00:34:48.909 --> 00:34:51.730 And shame on the world if nobody has told you 00:34:51.730 --> 00:34:54.440 that today. No kidding, you guys. bawled right 00:34:54.440 --> 00:34:56.699 in front of me. She's like, I am having the worst 00:34:56.699 --> 00:34:59.440 day. And I couldn't tell you the last time somebody 00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:01.659 told me that I was beautiful. And thank you. 00:35:01.699 --> 00:35:03.320 And I'm like, well, number one, you are. Number 00:35:03.320 --> 00:35:05.980 two, shame on the world. You know, it just, and 00:35:05.980 --> 00:35:08.840 I hope she felt the authenticity behind it because 00:35:08.840 --> 00:35:12.059 I was so sad and hurt by what had happened. I 00:35:12.059 --> 00:35:13.340 thought, you know what? I'm going to turn around 00:35:13.340 --> 00:35:16.119 and try to make this positive for somebody else. 00:35:16.260 --> 00:35:17.980 I'm pretty sure she felt that if she bawled her 00:35:17.980 --> 00:35:20.260 eyes out in front of you. Yeah, she did. She 00:35:20.260 --> 00:35:22.179 was smiling pretty good after I left. I'm like, 00:35:22.260 --> 00:35:29.320 okay, well, haven't I? but those random encounters 00:35:29.320 --> 00:35:31.519 make make people's day that's what the world 00:35:31.519 --> 00:35:34.519 needs more of exactly exactly and i think you 00:35:34.519 --> 00:35:36.480 know going back to authenticity you know when 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:39.079 it's fake you know when it's real and that just 00:35:39.079 --> 00:35:43.639 feels really really good um yeah I am over the 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:46.440 moon, just selfishly grateful to the messenger 00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:48.539 that I got to meet you because of this. I'm not 00:35:48.539 --> 00:35:50.199 sure that I would have met you, even though we're 00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:52.559 in the same department. I think we take classes 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:55.119 at different times. So I am over the moon that 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:58.780 I got to meet you. Any other parting thoughts? 00:35:58.940 --> 00:36:00.179 I don't know. Your last parting thoughts were 00:36:00.179 --> 00:36:02.219 pretty good. Anything else that you'd like to 00:36:02.219 --> 00:36:04.300 add? I don't think I can top that. Just thank 00:36:04.300 --> 00:36:05.960 you for having me here. I feel blessed and honored 00:36:05.960 --> 00:36:08.460 to be here. You know, share a little bit. Absolutely. 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:10.199 And hopefully I touched somebody out there. Yeah. 00:36:10.300 --> 00:36:12.400 One more time, in case folks didn't get it, how 00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:14.659 can we reach you on social? All right. Social 00:36:14.659 --> 00:36:17.820 media. I mean, streaming services, you can probably 00:36:17.820 --> 00:36:20.340 search up Stance and find me. But just to pinpoint 00:36:20.340 --> 00:36:23.809 it a little bit more. The newest single is It's 00:36:23.809 --> 00:36:26.530 Likely. So It's Likely by Stance. That'll pop 00:36:26.530 --> 00:36:28.170 up. It's kind of like a cartoon drawing of me. 00:36:29.070 --> 00:36:31.590 As far as the rest of the socials go, IG and 00:36:31.590 --> 00:36:35.429 TikTok is The Rise of Stance, all one word. Snapchat, 00:36:35.809 --> 00:36:39.809 Stance underscore beats. X, formerly Twitter. 00:36:40.750 --> 00:36:47.380 Stance underscore music. And SoundCloud. It's 00:36:47.380 --> 00:36:50.199 soundcloud .com slash wethestance. All right. 00:36:50.380 --> 00:36:53.320 All one word. I think that covers them all, hopefully. 00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:55.960 Perfect. Well, thank you so much, Stance, for 00:36:55.960 --> 00:36:58.739 being our first student story here at the Messenger 00:36:58.739 --> 00:37:01.639 Mic'd Up at Johnson County Community College. 00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:05.099 Everybody, thank you for tuning in, and we will 00:37:05.099 --> 00:37:06.760 talk to you next time. We're on vacation ceremony, 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:09.340 y 'all. Y 'all take care. Bye, everybody.