2014: the good stuff.
In 8 hours the year will be over.
This time last year I made a few resolutions:
1. survive my last semester at USC
2. graduate.
3, Move to Ireland.
Clearly, I didn't move to Ireland, or anywhere for that matter except back into my childhood home. A lot of things that I was hoping would happen, didn't. But yet, 2014 could not have rocked any harder. In an effort to get in the spirit (aka make these weird vibes I'm feeling right now vanish), let's look at 2014:
-In January I hosted my first ever acoustic show at a local coffee shop by USC, realizing how much I love doing that sort of thing (and consequently hosting 2 more that spring)
-In February I booked a few shows for a couple friends and their band (realizing that I really had no idea what I was doing but that I could easily learn)
-In March I spent spring break in a national park on an island up north in Washington State with about 20 other students, hiking every day, hugging trees, making some of the most wonderful connections/friendships.
-In April I went to Coachella for the first time (realizing it was just like too mainstream for me you know?totes)
-In May I graduated from USC
-In June I turned 22 and felt no different afterwards
-In July, musicians started requesting shoots for Beating Lights (as opposed to me reaching out first)
-In August we had a mini family reunion in Vancouver where I met my newest baby cousin and reunited with an old friend after 2 years
-In September, I hosted my first ever backyard show, where I had 4 artists play, and about 50 friends and friends of friends come watch, hang, drink wine and be cool.
-September-October: Beating Lights was growing fast within and around the USC community to a point where I was shooting 2-3 musicians a weekend
-In November I went on tour with Drew Tabor up the West Coast and back.
-In December I spent 3 weeks in Scotland and Ireland, where I met, shot and hung out with over a handful of incredibly talented and ridiculously friendly artists (realizing 1. how wonderful and exciting real conversations with like-minded people can be and 2. there are a few really good reasons why I shouldn't be in Los Angeles).
Tomorrow is the first day of 2015.
It's crazy how much can happen in a year, but it's even crazier how much you can learn and grow. Just in the past 6 months since graduation, I've made truly great new friends whom I didn't even know existed when we were attending the same college. I also had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and now I (kinda sorta) do.
I also know I'm not staying in Los Angeles. As much as this is home,as much as this is where everyone I know is, I don't feel like I or Beating Lights belong here (maybe I'll write another post on that later).
So now, I'm going to work harder to find a way out. Whatever it may be, because no matter where I move, what I do and what random full-time job I get, Beating Lights is the umbrella hanging over my life, encompassing everything I believe in, symbolizing the people I what to work with and the side of the music scene I want to be a part of, and I can bring it with me wherever I go.
Until then though, I'm not going anywhere. So let's continue being friends ok? and being REAL friends. Let's get to know each other, create and collaborate together, talk about real things ( as opposed to fake things, you know?), invite me to your shows, come to mine, vent to me about your problems (trust me, I know all about #buslyfe #unemployedlyfe #artistlyfe #livingathomwithparentslyfe and that #schoolsucks), so we don't waste a single second.
Cheers to it all, and thanks for being a part of such a ridiculous year. <3
See you next year,
Don't ever change.
Shab
ps: no New Year's Resolutions this time because nothing ever goes according to plan anyway. What happens, happens.