Life Has Never Been Easy, But God Reminds Me Often That I'm Blessed [Strong Start 002]
This week wasn’t as eventful as last week, but there were still plenty of blessings. This also means that this post is gonna be easier to write, and easier to read LOL.
Last weekend I attended a Finessed Media event about the intersection between music, film, and tv. We learned about the life of a music supervisor, as well as their perspective on not only music but also the industry as a whole. I think the coolest part was when they were discussing how they take in movies differently – constantly thinking about how scenes can be scored, and elevated through the power of music. Super cool stuff, and really dope people.
Again, I made it a point last weekend to take time to myself. Again, it felt earned. I’m hoping I can feel like this for the rest of my career, but we’ll see what happens.
On Monday morning, we recorded an episode of FRAGMENT RADIO. On this episode, we had our first candid discussion about the Tory/Megan The Stallion situation. It always feels good to be able to engage in real-life conversations with people who aren’t looking for anything else besides perspective. We’ve made it a point to avoid talking about gossip on our show, which is why we made sure our conversation was had through a philosophical/psychological lense. I’m lucky to be able to hash out ideas with my best friends, and luckily for you, we film them - so, check it out here.
After we recorded, I got hit up by my manager at Finessed Media, Alexi. She asked me if I would be interested in participating in a “press conference” hosted by one of UMG’s in-house teams, °1824. Of course, I was down. Being apart of that event would mean I could begin building a relationship with some more industry professionals, but also it was a chance for me to learn more about Duckwrth, the artist we would be interviewing. About a month ago, Duckwrth released SuperGood, an incredible album that sounds like nothing else out right now. My favourite part though? Duckwrth is more than a dope artist, he’s also a dope human being. I loved being apart of that conversation, and writing about him for Finessed.
That night, we had an impromptu “Leadership Workshop” with the Finessed Media team. Specifically, we discussed what a “Leader” was in our eyes. We concluded that Leaders are problem solvers, and that’s what all of us at Finessed are. We solve problems, and offer solutions, in whatever we choose to do. For myself, I feel like I can help creatives inspire the world. That’s why I write. Of course, it’s to help myself, but it’s also to help artists. Whether it be by promoting them through whatever I do, or just by letting thm know that there’s one more person out there (me) that genuinely cares about what and why they create… Enough senti tho lol.
The next day I published another blog in my Intern Insights series for Finessed Media. This time about my first event: A Conversation With Sean Paine. My biggest takeaway from that event was that even the world’s biggest artists were once in the same position that we are now. And because of this, they want to see us win, and truly believe that we can – because they did. Sean also reminded us to get out there: be in studios, meet people, and help them, so they can help you. Of course, these are things that we are already doing, but it’s nice to know we’re on the right track.
A few days later, I would attend my second press conference with °1824, this time for Carmen DeLeon, a Venezuelan-born singer who dropped an incredibly catchy pop ballad, “Volverás”. This time, I got to ask a few questions. I got to “interview” her, which was dope. She is an incredible soul, and it was an honour to be present for that call. The energy was amazing, and I wrote about it in the article that will go up on Finessed Media soon.
That same night, I attended a “Women In Music Journalism” Panel put together by Amethyst Collab. This was the first Amethyst event I attended, and I was very glad that I did. It was really dope. More so than taking notes, I was just in awe of how incredibly dope these women were. Mostly, they were reminding us to work as hard as we can, while continuing to build relationships, and release work, even if that means self-publishing. Again, it was a reminder that we’re on the right track.
The rest of the week was relatively chill. We had another Finessed Media meeting to go over some issues that we might face as Zoom Event hosts, and thank god we did, because we needed EVERY tip for the event that would follow - which I’ll talk about next week.
Before the week ended, I was just laying on my couch when I got an email invite to another °1824 event. This time, it was a conference call with Kaash Paige…
When we recorded the last episode of FRAGMENT RADIO, I was talking to the guys about how much I love the album’s intro song, “London”. When I fell in love with that song, I had no idea I’d ever have the opportunity to be around her, let alone talk to her. But on Monday, I might get the chance to ask her about her music. It’s crazy how life works. I’ve always been a fan of the music, but now I’m closer to it than I’ve ever been. This got me thinking:
Life has never been easy, but God reminds me often that I’m blessed.
Talk to you next week,
Bhaven