Quit Your Day Job; What I've Learned So Far

Wow, so that thing I said about doing a blog post every week or so.... yeah. I definitely need to get back on the blogging wagon. I've been really busy, and it's a good thing!

There have been a lot of life changes going on for me. I got married. That's pretty awesome! Our wedding was the best day of my life :) On top of that: I also quit my day job to do music full-time! My husband, Brandon, being the sweet, amazing, supportive man that he is, encouraged me to go for it. I'm so happy to be taking this step. I have always felt a bit self-contradictory working close to a full-time job that's not really in the vein of what I want to do with my life, while singing songs on the weekend that I wrote years ago called, "Follow Your Bliss" and "Sweet Music"; songs that have to do with chasing your dream and doing what you believe in; songs that reject the social ideal of "financial security." Though part of me wants to sell all of my material possessions and live the vagabond life simply touring and gigging, I also realize that the "things" that Brandon and I have worked so hard to afford are useful, such as my music and recording equipment, and Brandon's art supplies. It's also useful to have a place to do my recording, and for Brandon to make his art. It will be difficult at first to get gigs consistently enough to hold up my end, but I believe I can eventually get to a point where it's easy to do what I love and get paid for it. It will happen if I can stay diligent enough!

The main reason I decided to do music full-time is because I've always felt that if one really wants to be successful, he/she must treat it like a full-time job. I'm devoted to spending the time everyday to work on my craft and get my name out there. I now have the time to spend booking. Looking for new venues to play, contacting venues, and networking with other bands takes a lot more time than you would think- hours and hours! I also now have the freedom to book a show any day of the week, and can play last minute show offers, without concern for work schedule conflicts. I'm also able to travel a bit, and I'm starting to expand my "territory," and play in other surrounding areas outside of Fayetteville. I have more time to practice and work on other musical projects that I'm working on for other people/bands. And hopefully, I can designate some time to social networking and blogging ;)

I quit my job about 2 weeks ago and have played quite a few gigs since then. It was like, as soon as I decided to do music full-time, doors started to open for me. I don't know if it's some kind of divine sign that I'm on the right path, or just a product of all of the hard work I've put in, and the fact that I've put the word out that I need more gigs, and have been tenaciously working at booking. Since I quit my day job, I've played in Little Rock, and Conway in Ar. I've also gone up to Joplin, Mo, a few times to play as well. I'm working on a trip up to Springfield for September, as well as a trip to Tulsa and Oklahoma City that same month. As a solo female artist, I don't feel comfortable taking very long trips by myself, so I'm trying to limit them to just a few days in towns where I know people I can stay with.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What I've Learned So Far:

If you're a musician just starting out, or you're just interested in how one goes about booking shows, here are some things that I have learned about booking: I went and downloaded the "Indie Venue Bible" for my region of the country, as one of the free perks from having my album packaged by CD Baby. Though it's a good starting point, I actually have more luck finding good venues to play at when I'm able to obtain the local weekly newspaper that has a live music calendar for the area where I'm wanting to play. It takes a little bit of sifting through, but if you study it and look at the links of what bands are playing where, you can get a pretty good idea of which venues are compatible to your style of music. As a solo artist, I like to supplement my "shows" with restaurant gigs for money. One thing that has helped me out is going to urbanspoon.com and searching for "live music restaurants" in the area where I want to go. This also takes some time to filter through, as some of the places don't have live music regularly, but just for special events.

It is also a good idea to look for songwriter open mics, or songwriter nights or contests. These tend to only pay if they are a contest and you win, but they are usually on off-nights, like Mondays. They are good opportunity to get your name out there, possibly sell some merch, network with other musicians, and get your foot in the door in a new city. If it is a venue that has larger acts and bigger names on the weekends, it might get your foot in the door to open for them.

Another helpful tip in booking shows is networking. Ask your friends who are in bands with a similar musical style where they like to play when they go out of town. Ask if you can open for them. You might not get paid much or at all at first, but it opens doors for you in new places. And while you're there, have a mailing list and encourage people to sign it, so that the next time you come back to town, you can email them and let them know about your show! I have free stickers that I pass out with my website on them, but having a mailing list is a way to reach out to your new fans, instead of hoping that they will remember to get online, look you up, and reach out to you. (That was a tip given to me by Anna from Handmade Moments, and it made a lot of sense!)

I'm excited to keep learning the tricks of the trade, and share what I've learned with my blog readers! Thanks for reading and joining me on my exciting new journey!

Higher Than a Bird in the Sky

I may not be playing huge festivals or going on long, extravagant tours yet, but sometimes being a musician brings about some pretty cool and unexpected opportunities. Aside from the normal radio and TV interviews, press, and regular gigging, some cool things have happened to me over the past year. The most memorable would be performing at a middle school, and performing at a wedding at a Fly In.

Playing for kids is always cool. They still have that "Sense of Wonder," where they are exploring and experiencing things for the first time. Life is exciting. Everything around them in nature seems to be magical, and music just gets them moving. They are able to dance without inhibition.

The kids I played for at the middle school are in the transitioning period from childhood to adulthood, where they are still excited about things, but are also beginning to develop critical thinking skills. A friend of mine is a middle school teacher, and he has an awesome way of tying things into his teaching curriculum, and making learning fun. He had me come play for his class. I played a few songs for them, one of which was "Wake Up." To me, this is one of my most deep and encoded songs lyrically. He asked them to listen and take down notes as to what they thought the song was about. In my head, I thought that this was a rather big challenge for middle school aged kids. But when it came time for them to read their thoughts, I was blown away! They were so introspective! They hit a lot of the main points of the song right on the head. A lot of times I wonder if people really listen to my lyrics, and if they "get" them. These kids totally did, and it completely made my day. It made me feel like what I'm doing as an artist is meaningful and does have the potential to make a positive change.

The second most memorable experience was far less enlightening, but oh so exciting! I recently played at a Fly In/wedding at Byrd's Adventure Center. The view there is breathtaking. I love the Mulberry. Usually when people ask you to play at weddings, your'e there for background music. You're there to look pretty, and make them look good too. But this was totally different. I entertained a welcoming, down-to-earth gathering of pilots. They listened, danced a bit, and bought CDs. But the best part was, the gyrocopter ride! I didn't know such a thing even existed. It's a small aviation vehicle with a spot for a pilot and a passenger. It resembles a helicopter, but maneuvers a bit differently. It's also open, so you can feel the wind on your skin, look over the side, and spread your arms out like wings, if you wish. When I first saw it in flight from the ground, I was pretty nervous to try it out myself. It went higher than a bird in the sky, and whipped and dipped around. I almost chickened out, but knew I would never forgive myself if I passed up the opportunity. It ended up being one of the most exhilarating sensations, and the view was just amazing. I've always imagined flying over the mountains, and have dreamed about it too. Never did I think my music would open me up to an opportunity like that! It makes me say what I envy people for saying on Facebook: #ilovemyjob

So, if you're a musician, be open to obscure opportunities to perform. You never know what kind of experience you'll end up having, who will be there, or what your performance could mean to someone in the audience. I guess this principle could apply to all facets of life. It stems from that old saying, "Say YES to life."If you do, you might just fly higher than a bird in the sky :P

Sweet Distractions

I wonder if the most "successful" people have any lives at all. How do they have time for everything? I've been feeling particularly distracted from music these past few weeks. I always have an on-going list of to-do's for songs I need to practice, people I need to contact, booking, and organizing and scheduling duties, etc., that seems a mile long. But this past week, I've been pre-occupied with everyday, real world, home life things.

Mr. Buddy and Boris

Brandon and I just rescued a dog from the shelter. His name is Bruno. We were looking for a playmate
for our dog, Boris, as our other dog, Mr. Buddy, is 12 years old, and doesn't do much playing, or much of anything these days. Boris is a sweet dog, but he has a LOT of energy. We were hoping that by getting a dog for him to play with in backyard, he would expend some of that energy and calm down. Our efforts seem to have work so far. Boris is much more calm, when he's not playing with Bruno. He seems really happy and well adjusted. He's learning to walk on the leash better, and has stopped chewing up the couch. Seems like we made the right choice, right? Well... Bruno is a handful in himself. He has MORE energy than Boris, and is pretty much wearing Brandon and me out. He has anxiety issues. He jumped the fence twice. He's terrible on the leash, and he even attacked Mr. Buddy during feeding time. Brandon and I were about to take him back to the shelter, but we made the decision to try and rehabilitate Bruno. We are worried this might be his last shot to find a family patient enough to train him up. So, we've spent some extra time and money extending the fence in the backyard, and we've been watching a slough of YouTube videos, and reading dog training books whenever we get a free minute. I've been trying to teach Bruno to at least make eye contact with me, and to walk on the leash without pulling me along. But all of this is taking sooo much time! I hope I can find the patience.

On top of that, we've been getting ready for the wedding; planning and prepping for a whole host of family members to come and stay in our house. We're very very excited about the wedding, but
planning a wedding is a lot of work!

Bruno, AKA the Spaz!

Today, Brandon and I spent time focused on those two things, but then we took some time for ourselves to cook and share a meal, and get caught up on our favorite TV show, Once Upon a Time. Though I know some people would think that watching a TV show is not a good way to spend time with someone, we enjoy it. We get to cuddle, and chill out. Our dogs chill out too. Everyone in the house is calm. We have fun trying to figure out the plot twists before they happen. We snap our fingers and hoot and holler when a character get's told off, or they get what's coming to them. It was nice to have a little time, even if it wasn't on my to-do list, or scheduled out. Even the dog training, and fence extending was a nice break from all of the things we "should have done" today, Brandon with his art, and me with my music.

What do I feel I should I have done today? Well, I've been planning on making a new YouTube video series called, "Song A Week," wherein I video record live solo performances of original and cover songs. The first song I need to cover is "Into the Mystic," by Van Morison. It was part of a Kickstarter reward package for me to cover and make a video of this song. Though I did make an audio version, I have yet to make a video. Partly because I lost my recording capabilities, and partly because I've been so dang busy. But, now that I have the ability, I need to get to it! It will probably take me a few hours, and it's been hard to get a few consecutive hours free to do that. I also should have done some organizing, and worked on another song I signed up to record on. "Shoulds" get so dang exhausting, though! So, I took a little time for myself. And, though I wanted to keep on relaxing, I finally mustered up the willpower to write another blog post.

It's hard to find balance between home life, work, and musical projects. Personal relationships are important in life, and so is taking time for oneself. Though I enjoy what I do as a musician, it can start to feel like work if I don't take a break. I've been a bit of a workaholic over the past few years, and haven't taken enough time to stop and smell the roses. While my friends were out floating or at a bonfire, I was in my room recording or booking. I need to find the balance between achieving and experiencing. I think overall, I just need to be easier on myself, and not get worked up when I don't accomplish everything right away. If I'm constantly living for some future time when all of my projects are done, how can I enjoy the good things in life that are right in front of me now? If you think about it, all we have is now. There has never been a time when it was not now. The future doesn't exist, except in our imaginations. We make up all of these possible scenarios, and get stressed when we imagine that things won't work out how we plan.

So here's an encouragement for myself and for anyone who reads this blog: make a conscious decision this week to be in the moment. Get your mind to shut up for a second! If you're out somewhere, and someone is playing music, listen. I mean really listen, like you used to in your room when you were a teenager. When the music moved you so much that you closed your eyes, and for a moment, got lost in the undulations of sound. When a loved one gives you a hug, hug them back, FOR REAL. Give them a good squeeze. Think about how much you love them, and appreciate them with your whole being. If you get the chance to be creative, get into it! Enjoy it. Don't think of it as work, but a privilege. If you get the opportunity to go outside, do it. Feel the sun on your skin, smell the air, watch the birds and squirrels in the trees, and realize what a blessing it is to be alive! If life offers you a sweet distraction from monotony, or stressful situations, take it. You'll be so glad you did. Hopefully I can take my own advice!

Don't Steal My Voice!

Well, if you have been following me on Facebook, you'll see that a lot of people have encouraged me to try out for The Voice. I had put it out there that I was contemplating auditioning, because I wanted to know what my friends and fans thought about the notion. I have been encouraged by my family for years to try out for American Idol and The Voice. The Voice seemed like the lesser of the two evils. It seemed like a pretty cool show; like they wanted you to be unique and be yourself, rather than be molded into a powerhouse singing icon like on Idol.

I was considering auditioning for The Voice, not only because my family had been urging me to, but because I LOVE singing. I've worked hard on my singing craft. And usually what people say to me at shows is, "Wow, I love your voice," not "Wow, you're a really great songwriter." Though I love writing songs, and I think those who really listen appreciate my lyrics and song forms, singing was my first love, waaaaay before songwriting. (Well, actually visual arts was, but we can get into that another time.) I used to practice singing Ariel's songs from The Little Mermaid. (I even had a Little Mermaid doll that I carried around with me everywhere, and made a bed for her out of a shoe box.) My mom brought me up on all kinds of musicals, not just the Disney ones. And yes, as an adolescent, I jammed out to Brandy and Christina Aguilera. I've got that soul in my voice because I was a singer first. So, having worked very hard on my craft over the years, it's natural that I wanted to show it off. I can actually do a lot more than I do in my songs, because I never wanted to diva it up in the music I write and take so seriously. I don't normally show off, but The Voice would give me the guilty pleasure of having the chance to.

I was hesitant about auditioning for The Voice because I do take my songwriting seriously. I didn't want my performances on The Voice to overshadow what I love to do: write and sing my original songs. I get peeved when people come up to me at shows and say, "Your voice reminds me of this person. Can you play a song of theirs for me?" Why can't they just enjoy the songs I'm already singing to them? Anyway, I want people to respect me for my songwriting abilities as well as my singing voice. I want to be known as a true artist, whether I'm famous or not. There's also the issue of distraction. I didn't want The Voice to distract me from writing or going on my own tours, etc.

Now that being said, I never wanted to be famous. I don't need to be rich. All I want is to be able to someday support myself by doing music only, and not have a full-time or even a side job. I want to be able to make music and share it with others constantly. I feel like my day job comes in the way of that a lot of times. I'm at work constantly thinking about what my next moves will be when I get home. I'm always thinking about a song I'm writing in my head, wishing I could just pull out my guitar and write. I'm thinking about recording, booking, etc. All the things I wish I had time for, but don't because I'm working. I got all starry eyed and thought The Voice could be my way out, or at least give me some exposure so I could start selling more of my records.

To be honest, even if I were to go on The Voice, I wouldn't want to win, because I wouldn't want for the corporate music business machine to own my soul. I'm NOT a competitive person by nature. (Even when I ran cross-country in high school, I hated the meets. I was mostly there for the camaraderie. Running with my friends in a pack after school was fun for me.) I would mainly have gone on The Voice for fun, to show people what I can do, and for exposure. And to tell all the people who keep telling me to audition that I already did.

After my Facebook post, I got a lot of positive feedback about going on The Voice, and some negative. In the negative responses, the word integrity was used. I get that! I definitely want to keep my integrity as an artist, but don't think I would have necessarily lost it just by participating in a game on TV.

So what was the final decision maker in all of this? I've found out through internet research that the contract they make you sign is not good. I don't want to get into it, but there's some shady stuff that goes within it. You can check it out here, if you're interested: http://www.afterld.com/forum/showthread.php?41165-The-Voice-contestant-contract-terms
It basically entails a 7 year "slave contract." They own you. You can't make anything on the side, or do any tours on the side. They want a piece of everything you do for SEVEN YEARS after you've been a contestant (not even the winner) on The Voice.

So, that's why I will NOT be auditioning. The Voice, will not take what is most precious to me, which is MY voice, and I don't just mean my singing voice, but also my speaking voice and freedom of speech that I exercise through the lyrics in my original songs.

Maybe I'll start having my own Candy Lee version of The Voice, in which I post videos on YouTube of me belting it out... maybe, or maybe not. Stay tuned!

Little Victories

Tonight, I played at Wasabi. I love that place. As far as restaurant gigs go, it's one of the best in town, as far as compensation and accommodations. I always get to eat some bomb-ass sushi afterward. The crowd there, however, usually doesn't pay much attention, as is the case with most restaurant crowds. At least, not when I play solo.

I've got a theory about dinner music, that the more people you have in your band, the more likely you are to attract peoples' attention, and the more likely they are to listen. It may have something to do with more energy in the music with more instruments, or more energy in the stage presence between the players. Either way, it seems that more members = more attention. BUT people aren't really there to see the music at restaurants anyway. Customers are there to eat and socialize. Musicians at restaurant gigs are mostly there to create an ambience, as background music. I always say, "I get paid to be ignored." But I'm not too bothered by it. I get it, though it is nice to have a few audience members pay attention, make eye contact with you every once in a while, and clap a little after a song- until they realize that no one else is clapping. When I first started playing restaurants I was really hurt that no one clapped after my songs. But you get used to it. It's kind of just an added bonus when people do.

At my gig tonight, that was pretty much how it went. There were a few couples who sat next to each other to face me, instead of sitting across from each other. I had a few people clap here and there. While I was on my break, a few staff members told me I sounded great. A few people tipped me a couple bucks, and one person bought a CD. I'm always surprised by who will and won't tip me or buy CDs. A lot of times the people clapping, who you are sure are digging it and must want to buy a CD, just give you a thumbs up on the way out. And then people who don't seem to be paying much attention at all will tip you and buy CDs. One time I was playing at a restaurant and I felt like this family was just talking over me the whole time. They came up to me after my set, told me they love live music, and bought CDs AND t-shirts! You just never know.

I was a bit uncomfortable at this gig. After the sun went down, it was quite chilly. I had to put on both jackets that I had in the car. I don't know if it's because I'm small, or because I'm from Florida, but I start shivering pretty easily. It messed with my singing for sure. And my fingertips were a little numb, so playing the guitar was challenging by the end of it. Not to mention, the music across the street at Jose's is always over powering, and sometimes makes it to where I can't hear myself, especially with the patio customers trying to talk over the Jose's music and me. But I stuck it out! Played until my time was up!

But even with all of the things that go into the awkwardness of restaurant gigging, I still ended up having a pretty awesome night. A gentleman maybe around my age, dressed in a nice shirt and slacks came up to the gate to listen. He clapped after the song I was playing was finished, and stuck around for another. I thought the whole thing was a little strange. I kept peering over my side bangs with my peripheral vision, trying to figure out the situation. He didn't look the part of a music lover (But I guess I'm not really sure I know what I think a music lover looks like. A hippy? That's a really bad stereotype). I thought he might have just been drunk and patronizing me. I looked over after playing the 2nd song he stuck around for, and he was gone... until, he came in through the front door and onto the patio to listen to one more song. When my song was finished, he bought BOTH of my CDs. He said he heard me from the street and had to come over, and that I had a distinct, and pleasant sound. It totally made my night! So much so, that I had to blog about it. One more little victory for Candy Lee!!! It's moments like that which remind me of why I'm doing music. It's not for everyone. It's for those who choose to listen :)

Not Starving...Just Hungry

"Do music because your soul demands it. Keep putting it out there for people to hear... Don't tell the story of being a "starving" artist. Be an artist who is "hungry" to entertain and move people."

This is just one of the encouraging messages I received from friends/fans after they read my last blog post. I completely and wholeheartedly agree with that statement. I will always make music because I love to. I make music because it is in the essence of my being. To quote the great, Van Morrison, "Music is Spiritual. The music business is not." And I think that's what I'm getting at in all of this.

I hope I did not sound too cynical in my last post. I also hope I did not seem like I was fishing for compliments, because that was not my intention. I'm just setting the stage. I want to invite you into my journey through the indie music industry. I want to show what it will take to one day make music for a living, instead of just making it in my free time. It has been, and will continue to be, a lot of falling down and picking myself back up. I may eventually just have to sell all of my possessions and hobo it on tour. Who knows?! One thing for sure is, that I will never stop making music.
...................................................................................................................................................................

Here's a little glimpse into the indie music industry, some of the challenges I will face, and the pros and cons of modern technology in the music industry:

The music industry has changed greatly over the past few years. It's no longer necessary to get a record deal to be able to produce a record. There are so many easily accessible technologies at our finger tips now, if you just put in the time to learn to use them. I taught my self the recording program, Logic, by watching videos on youtube. With this technology, I was able to record nearly everything off my recent album, "Human Conditions," with a simple audio interface with one space for a mic and one space for a quarter inch cable, a decent pair of headphones, and Logic. I can also make my own posters and create my own merchandise designs with photoshop. I can create my own website, and do my own booking online. 

Recording my own vox.

Recording Emily Roland on
back up vox
for the song beautiful day.

Recording the amazing
Michael Adkins on drums.

Recording Drew Packard on bass.

                                               Recording in various places with my meager recording equipment

All of this new, readily accessible technology sounds awesome, right? Well, it has it's pros and cons. I love it because it enables me to produce my own music. It also allows other shining souls, SONGWRITERS, to be able to fully express themselves through music, and have it be heard by others. Though mainstream pop, concerned with sex and money, still exists, there's an underground movement happening; people telling stories, people shedding light, and some people writing lyrics that are just gibberish, but the music still moves people. BUT with all of this going on, there is still that over-saturation in the market that leads us musicians and songwriters to have to try and market ourselves and rise above. Though we are able to produce records, we still have to try and get them distributed and heard. We still have to squeeze our front feet in the door to play shows and go on tour. Venues will only book you if you can draw a crowd, so it's a difficult Catch 22 situation to try and figure out. How do you build up the fan base to draw a crowd if you can't get booked in the first place?

For some bands, it's easy to draw a crowd, because they play fun, upbeat music that people like to dance to (usually while drinking alcohol). But my music is a bit different. While it is upbeat sometimes, it's also delicate and introspective. For me, I'm going to have to try to find, or create, my own niche. And to do this, I'm told, I need to learn how to market myself; something I've never been particularly good at. I've always been a very shy, modest person. I have always tended to look down upon people who are constantly self-promoting, because to me, they come off as conceited. But I am having to change that whole mentality. I'm having to humble myself, and learn from the success of my peers and predecessors. Right now, I am reading "The Indie Band Survival Guide." It's a little outdated, and it was only written 2 years ago. Social networks and technology are constantly evolving, but there are still a lot of good tips in there. We'll see if they work as I try to put them to use!

Don't worry, I'm not going to become an all-business kind of gal. I'm just going to have to find my niche, where my true light can shine through and resonate to people with listening ears. I might have to come up with a gimmick or two, but they'll all support the message of my music, and spring from my truest self. I'm going to have to get creative! And as always, I'll have to be diligent and patient, and be "hungry to entertain and move people."

Struggling

My name is Candy Lee. (Yes, that is my first and middle name on my birth certificate). I'm a struggling indie singer/songwriter. For those of you who have forgotten what "Indie" means, it means independent, which means that I am not signed to a label, so I do all of my booking, promotion, recording, etc, myself. My last blog, was about my humble attempt to take my music on tour. Of course, like most musicians in hopes to make themselves seem like they are more successful than they actually are, I only highlighted the positive aspects about my tour in my previous blog, and probably exaggerated here and there about the extent to how well things actually went. But recently, I've decided it's time for a little honesty.

I haven't toured in a few years, but I have been playing shows. I'm tired of lying to people when they ask how a show went, responding with, "It went really well...It was a lot of fun..." etc, etc. I'm tired of trying to make myself look good, or look like I have a positive attitude about everything. The truth of the matter is shows sometimes suck. Sometimes nobody comes out, even when they promise you for weeks that they will. You can't trust what people tell you, because the majority of the time, they will flake out. That's just the reality of it. I'm not mad at anyone, I don't hold it against anyone, I just don't hold them to it anymore. I've been performing as Candy Lee for about 5 years now. I've been publicized locally, been on radio and news shows, and a lot of people know who I am and tell me they like my music, but still it's really hard to get people to come out.

But it's not all bad. I'm not a pessimist. I would say I'm more of a realist. And while I believe that positive thinking and dreaming big are essential to one day becoming successful, I think it's important to humble yourself, realize where you're at, accept when things don't turn out the way you'd hoped, and learn from it. I guess I've just accumulated and bottled up my frustrations, but now it's time for them to be let loose! Besides, who wants to hear a story where everything is awesome all of the time? Boring! That's what reality TV is all about, right? Life is FULL of drama. And it is full of little surprises, positive, negative, exciting, or just plain bazaar. If you know me, or have listened to much of my music, you'll know that I'm big on the concept of balance. All life is beautiful and sorrowful (listen to my song "All Life IS" below this paragraph). Positive and negative cannot exist without each other. So, in this blog I want to be honest, transparent, and real. I want to tell the story of someone who makes good music, but isn't successful all of the time, and isn't even doing music all of the time. I'm not a full time musician, though the hope is that someday I will be.



So here I am, putting myself out there. I'll try to blog at least once a week. It might turn out that no one visits this blog, or finds it entertaining, but I know that it will be beneficial for me. Music has always been my therapy, but when I'm frustrated about my musical career, what do I do then? Apparently, blog. This Honesty Blog will speak about the struggle of what it is to be an independent artist, and will probably eventually include bits about my daily life too. Music isn't just something that I do on stage. I'm constantly working on it every day. The blog might include inspirations for new songs, as they arise, or other weird things that might happen while I'm at a gig. Who knows? It's sure to give you an insight into what it is to be Candy Lee. 

In this first blog post, I'll share my back story, which isn't all that tumultuous, but isn't glamorous either. In order to really identify with a character, you have to know the back story, right? Uneventful, as it may be.

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Fort Myers, Florida. I have two loving parents who are still married. I had a very conservative upbringing, filled with church activities, sports, and band. I was an honors student all the way through college. I was in choir and chorus all growing up, and in middle school was in an elite choir that practiced after school and had about 8 members, all of which were girls. This is around the time when I started writing my own songs, mostly about boys, that were absolutely terrible. I approached my chorus director about wanting to write my own songs, since he played both piano and guitar. He told me to give him my notebook of lyrics, which I did. He must have thought they were just horrid, because he never made any efforts to try and turn them into songs, and at that time I was too shy and insecure to ask about it again.

I went to a performing arts high school, where aside from my other studies, I had 3 periods a day in which I played clarinet in band, the symphony, and various ensembles. I attribute my songwriting form to the classical music I was exposed to during my high school days. I can't remember the reasoning, I think I just wanted to stay close to my folks, but I somehow decided to stay in Fort Myers while I went to college. The college I attended was new, and didn't have a band program. I never really had too much of an affinity for the clarinet (I wanted to play saxophone, but it was too expensive of an instrument, my parents said), so I pretty much just dropped it all together.

My first year of college, I met a boy, and thought I was in love enough and grown up enough to get married. I got married at the age of 19. It was then I realized that being a grown up is hard, and you have to work all the time in order to make ends meet. Never the less, he and I formed an acoustic music duo called 50 Cent Trade. He played guitar and we both sang. It was very acoustic pop punk music, and representative of my age and mental state. We collaborated together on a lot of songs, but after he taught me a few guitar cords, I also wrote a few of my own. Somehow, in between waiting tables full time, and going to school full time, I managed to take a few guitar lessons. That's when my songwriting really took off. Learning an instrument that I could play and sing at the same time was essential. I had a lot of eye opening experiences during that relationship, and a few changes of world view too, learning about various world mythologies and delving into realms of science I hadn't dared to before. Philosophy and sociology classes that I took while in college shook me up too, in a good way. I changed majors 3 times, and decided on a BA in Environmental Studies.

My husband and I were out growing Florida and felt the need to move to a more progressive area, with more art and music. So we moved to... Arkansas. It wasn't our first choice. We were going to move to someplace like Colorado or Oregon, but the opportunity presented itself through a friend and we were going to use it as a stepping stone to our real destination, whenever we figured that out. But the city in Arkansas we ended up in turned out to be amazing. Fayetteville is a progressive little oasis in the middle of the bible belt. There's plenty of forward thinkers, musicians, and artists to go around. There's a grassroots movement of gardening, and supporting local businesses. There's a bike trail that almost runs through the whole city (which granted, it only takes about 15 minutes to drive from one end of the city to the other). I fell in love with Fayetteville, with it's welcoming musical community and drop dead gorgeous scenery of green rolling hills. I tried at first, to get a job with my degree. But as it turns out, you need a Master's Degree or PHD to get a job at all in that field nowadays. I wasn't going to go back to school any time soon either, I was on a path of the starving musician. Seeing as how the word "starving" is a key element there, I had to get yet another serving job.

I've been waiting tables and playing music whenever I can ever since. I've been divorced for about 2 years now, and am about to get married again... but all of that is maybe a little too personal, and probably too boring to blog about.

Since my decision to make my life's goal to be a successful musician I've released 2 full length albums, "The Gate," and "Human Conditions." I've been on 3 small tours. I've been a finalist in a few songwriting competitions, and I've released a couple of music videos. I wouldn't say that I've been doing terrible as a musician, but I still have a long way to go and a lot of growing to do, if I want to be able to do music for a living.

So that's me. I've just been working, working, working. This is literally my life: when I'm not working as a server, I'm at home recording, booking, promoting, practicing, and writing. I'm on photoshop creating images for my website, and posters, and stickers and t-shirts. I'm scheming about how to make my music marketable, or just how to get it into the hands and ears of people who might dig it. I don't think people realize what a full time job it is to be an independent musician; to have to do everything on your own. And... it doesn't pay well. I rarely get to just "hang out" because I'm so busy doing all of this in my "free time." So, that's why it's so upsetting when people don't come out to shows, or CD release parties, or buy your album, or when they talk over you while you're performing. Because you've put SO much work into it. It's all worth it though, when someone comes up to you after a show and says they cried during one of your songs, or writes you a post on Facebook saying that your music has helped them through a really hard time in their life. It's a labor of love, no doubt, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.