Enjoy The Journey
Back In 2015, before I had my 1st royalty payments, before I received over 1500+ placements for my music around the world and before I became an online music coach/mentor film composer, music producer and music supervisor, I was just a hobo on a train! At least that's what a group of my new Mennonite friends thought when we were stuck going back and forth on the tracks in the middle of Saskatchewan playing together for the first time and wondering why I was just randomly singing and playing for people on the train!
Check out this wonderful endearing video of the experience caught on camera! Click here
That was part of what is called the Artist on Board program in which I have participated in 8 times now traveling across Canada. It is an amazing experience for approved Canadian musicians to travel and entertain as a great service for the passengers. It has been an incredible experience and I plan on doing more once the program is reinstated.
Why am I sharing this story? Because it was a light bulb moment for me and a reminder to enjoy the journey as we go through this life and be grateful for the random encounters we have along the way. I heard a great line this morning "The things that are meant for us in this life will not pass us by ''. I truly believe this if we are working towards our goals and are open to what the universe has to offer and attracting what is meant to be.
Before 2015 I was a bit of a mess. I was lost and had just recently given up alcohol and cigarettes and was trying to dig myself out of the hole I created over the previous years of my life. To that point I had spent years in the service industry and many other odd jobs but always pursuing music in one way or another as a side hustle hoping one day that I could do it full time.
Everything changed for me when I quit my last service industry job in 2007, bought a wipe and erase calendar and just picked up the phone and started calling bars until I was booked to play 7 days a week. I didn't pay my rent for months but I was determined and succeeded in playing in cover bands for 2 solid years. In 2009 I created my own music school from my house and built it over 2 years with 90 students and 5 teachers working for me. I was finally doing it! Full time music. I was really happy but something was still missing and I was not taking care of my health.
I really wanted to write songs and compose music for a living but I didn't know how to make it work. It wasn't until I mustered up the courage and drove myself down to Nashville for the first time that I realized that my life would change forever. Thanks to one of my early mentors Ralph Murphy (God rest his soul) did I finally get the help and guidance that I needed to really find my way in the music industry. Ralph was monumental in guiding me in the right direction towards writing music for film and TV. He knew long before I did that I had a future in it. I am so thankful that I got a chance to call him up and thank him for it before he passed away. I will always be grateful.
Did I have a great time in Nashville that week I went down in 2012? Oh heck yes! It was amazing and I definitely enjoyed the journey. It is truly amazing what can happen while you are putting yourself out there and enjoying the journey that would never happen if you do nothing. This was the problem for me. I could dream it, I could talk about it, I could even have a spurt of energy toward it but I just wasn't walking the walk. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and just do it to get out of your comfort zone and into a place where connections and magic can happen. It wasn't going to come to me, I had to go to Nashville to show the universe I was serious. I even went to visit Johnny Cash's grave before I hit Nashville for the first time. I prayed for guidance before I hit music city. I truly believe I was guided that first week because I put myself out there. Not necessarily for a record deal or to get signed but to do something that could further my career. At the same time enjoying the journey. I even documented that moment and others and called it Songumentary in the hopes of helping and inspiring other writers on their own path. Check out that video here
Many of us come to the sync licensing doors with a lot of experience and talent, no doubt, and if you are reading this, wherever you are on your sync journey remember that I started with no placements in 2013 and within 2 years of hard daily work and faith in the system and great mentors I was able to find my way through. You can do it too. It takes time but it is SO worth the effort, believe me.
Robbie Hancock
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