“There is no ship coming to save you. You are the ship.”
— less common knowledge
That thought changed how I look at almost everything.
It's easy to spend years waiting for rescue.
The perfect job.
The perfect studio.
The perfect opportunity.
The winning numbers on a lottery ticket.
Then one day you realize...
No one is coming.
And that's the best news you'll ever hear.
The Starting Point
We've all done it.
"I'll start when I have better gear."
"I'll make music when life slows down."
"I just need one more course."
One more plugin.
One more vintage analog synth.
One more year.
Meanwhile...
The ocean stays exactly where it is.
The Invitation
Imagine you're standing at a harbor.
Every day you look toward the horizon.
Certain that one day a magnificent ship will appear.
It never does.
Then you look down.
You've been standing on the deck the whole time.
The Test
Music production has a way of exposing this.
You can wait for inspiration.
Or write.
You can wait until you're confident.
Or record.
You can wait until everything feels ready.
Or press Play.
Every finished song was made by someone who stopped waiting.
The Guidepost
Ships aren't built to stay in the harbor.
Neither are producers.
You were built to explore.
To experiment.
To make mistakes.
To discover sounds no one else has heard.
Storms aren't proof you're on the wrong course.
They're proof you left the dock.
The Change
The day you stop waiting...
Everything accelerates.
You stop searching for permission.
You stop comparing your beginning to someone else's middle.
You stop asking whether you're ready.
You become the person who figures it out underway.
Not because the water gets calmer.
Because you become a better captain.
The Return
Every session is another voyage.
Some days the sea is calm.
Some days it isn't.
Either way...
The only way forward is forward.
Before your next session, don't ask:
"Who's going to help me get there?"
Ask:
"Which journey should I start on today?"
The horizon isn't waiting for another ship.
It's waiting for yours.
Free Ableton Live Course & Music Production Guides
Song of the Week 🎧
New Radicals - "You Get What You Give"
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If you miss the 90s or missed the 90's, simply watch this video as a refresher course. This is a masterclass in Mall Shenanigans 101. "Gen Z will bring malls back." - Nostradamus, 1723. The New Radicals came out of nowhere in 1998, dropped one atomic bomb and peaced out.
Ok, the lyrics tell a great story, the music is the perfect backing track, but this has got to be my favourite build-up to the best falsetto-heaven bridge section and outro of all time.
Everything that is holy happens from the 2nd chorus, after the perfect mini guitar solo, at around 2:56 to 3:44, and then everything pops off after that: the vocals, the bass line, the song structure, the lyrics, the spoken "fly", the rap...all becomes one of my favourite moments in music.
YouTube Wisdom of the Weekđź“š
Extreme Ownership | Jocko Willink | TEDxUniversityofNevada
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Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
Plugin of the Week 🔌
dbx 160 Compressor / Limiter
This is a fast VCA-style compressor that's great for controlling transients. Try it on your kicks. Set the release time so the red light is on when the kick hits and then quickly goes back to green:
Free Plugin of the Week 🆓
Techivation T-De-Esser
A free De-Esser. Great if you use Ableton Live, as it doesn't have an amazing de-esser.
Unsolicited life advice for music makers
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