NYC life updates!

My friends! Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!!!

It’s been too long since I’ve written one of these... it feels good to write to all of you today :) We’re two months into this NYC adventure, and man, I don’t even know where to start! If I had to describe my time here so far in one sentence, it would be: A humbling reality check of how little I know about music, cooking, and living without my mother... especially the last one! Anyway, here are today’s topics:

• Berklee

• Dreamer

• Overall Well-Being

• lil suprise

Berklee:

This program is teaching us pop music—Top 40. I can see the value in that now, but it was hard at first. We’re learning the strictest form of modern music so that we may bend the rules with intention. It truly feels like an incubation period. These professors are so passionate and the best at what they do. Being able to see people really living this music lifestyle, hearing their stories and convictions, has been invaluable. And my peers? Damn, they’re so good at what they do that it’s hard not to compare. Honestly, I was quite depressed the first month because I kept comparing myself. Now I can appreciate other people’s gifts without comparing them to mine! I think seeing so many unique relationships with music is helping me better understand my own. It’s strange, but I feel like I’m falling more in love with music. There’s so much to learn!

Dreamer:

I’ve started my next project, Dreamer. It’s not what I thought it would be 6 months ago. The word has changed for me. Everyone is a dreamer. To dream and to hope is to be alive. So, Dreamer is tied to our humanity. We all dream. But I’m also realizing there’s a danger to dreams. Ultimately, I want this album to inspire people to live with purpose, to be childlike, and to believe in themselves in an honest way. At least that’s where I am right now, though I imagine it will continue to change and develop as I go along!

Overall Well-being:

I miss home. That Sam Kim song “Mama Don’t Worry” had me bawling the other night. At the same time, I’ve been using those emotions and pouring them into my music. In a weird way, I feel like I belong here, and I’m trying to use this as an opportunity to focus on my craft with no distractions. Also, I found a wonderful local church that has helped me stay grounded. God is so good, and even in a hustling place like New York, He is clearly at work! My roommates, Jonas and Peter, have become dear friends, and slowly I’m getting closer to the rest of our classmates. Overall, I’m just grateful to be here, doing what I love, and calling it “school.”

Well, my friends, that’s the end of today’s newsletter. Have a wonderful day and remember to be playful. An optimized human can sometimes be an uninspired one! And with that, I leave you with a little demo of one of the songs I’ve been working on these past two months. <3

Peace, guys! I’ll be going on a hike today with some friends! Hope you find some time for nature and friends on this Thanksgiving day!

love

-Danny