Chasing after a dream is kind of a funny thing. And I realize that I've got one song finished and at least a couple more to make before I can do this EP thing, but the first one was good, and this is so much fun, at least on good days. It gives me something productive to do, and music is a way to give back to the world.
I may be partly doing this to amuse myself, and I probably won't call something finished unless I like it, but really, when this music sees the light of day, it's not about me. It's about saying something important, something that will hopefully help someone somewhere. And I know my reach will be small, at least in the beginning, but that doesn't matter. Some of the most inspiring stories to me are the ones I read online about Adam Young's music, how his songs have literally saved lives. Isn't that one of the most powerful things a musician could hope to achieve?
I still don't know which direction I'm going, and so I think that my EP is aptly named: Making Trails. I'm making my own path here, and whether I succeed or fail depends entirely on whether I keep going forward, because there's no roads where we're going. I don't even know how this happened. Loving music, realizing that it really is possible, and then just deciding then and there that I was going to do it, I guess. Seems just like yesterday that I wasn't even sure I could put anything decent together at all, and a month later, I'm starting to see more than ever that it's all about what you set your mind to.
God willing, things will keep going and I'll keep on making songs, and have an EP in the next couple of months, and maybe an album sometime in the near future. But I don't really care about making a ton of money or getting famous, because we always want more, and the world of celebrities is a shallow and harsh place. And if I never do end up rich or famous, that's fine. Being able to make music is reward enough.
I can't claim to be a musician, at least not yet, but I think I might just be getting there. I don't know how to play any instruments very well, but I'll learn. I don't know how to do everything in a music program, but I'm figuring things out as I go. I guess the only thing to do now is hold on and enjoy the ride, because who knows when things could get bumpy?
It's all up to God. I'll keep making these trails through the lands of inexperience, but the direction I'm going is for Him to decide. And that's the best thing of all, because when you've got the great Guide leading you on, who needs maps?
~ Dane
