Songwriter Snack Time with Chris Garcia (Hiraeth Music)
Chris Garcia is a singer/songwriter in Houston Texas. He is the lead guitar player and front man for Houston band Hiraeth.
The band is fairly new and hasn't released anything official yet but they are hard at work practicing and writing. Chris is primarily a neo-soul bluesy guitar player. That's his main bread and butter. When that combines with the other band members rock flavor you have a very interesting combination that will draw you in. We can't wait to hear more from them.
Chris Garcia is a singer/songwriter in Houston Texas. He is the lead guitar player and front man for Houston band Hiraeth.
The band is fairly new and hasn't released anything official yet, but they are hard at work practicing and writing.
Chris is primarily a neo-soul bluesy guitar player. That's his main bread and butter. When that combines with the other band members’ rock flavor, you have a very interesting combination that will draw you in. We can't wait to hear more from them.
In this conversation Chris tells us how music really brought him through hard times in his life. It's his coping mechanism for things he goes through in life. So, most of his songs he describes as "sad" songs.
Not only did we relate to each other because we both have a love for Goldfish (that's his favorite snack!), but we also share a passion for John Mayer's music.
Here are the top 3 things I picked up from my time with Chris:
1.Making a band work takes intentionality
Chris and his band rehearse every Thursday night and have been for a while. He talks about how he wants people to know that they are serious about their sound the first time they see them live. You have to take things seriously if you want results.
2.It doesn't matter if others don't like my music; it wasn't made for you...it was made for me.
One of the powerful parts of the interview Chris says, “I make music for me…I don’t make it for you…if you like it, cool. If not, no worries. I didn’t make it for you.” I think this is a powerful concept for us who create music and really any kind of art. Who do you make it for? Whose opinions you do let control you?
3.Music helps us through life's difficulties
Chris’ father committed suicide when he was 7. It was an extremely hard time for him and his family. But music was his coping mechanism. It’s what got him through and kept him from making excuses, he says. It’s a powerful moment that really made me think about the power of music.
Sitting down with Chris was a pleasure that really encouraged me. I will continue to follow him and his music. Can't wait to see where his road leads him. This show, although I capture it on video, is primarily an audio podcast show. Search for “Songwriter Snack Time” on your podcast app of choice and subscribe to catch all the episodes.
If you would like to work with me on your music project, I’d love to hear from you. Use the discount code “Snack Time” and get 15% off our first project together.
Musicians In Minivans Eating Tacos with The Rise of the Broken
Being an artist or songwriter, wherever you are from, is hard. It's especially hard without a community of people. This community I’m talking about could be other songwriters or other people that bring skills to help you as a songwriter.
I am a producer and sound engineer. I make music, mix and master records. My goal is to work for an artist to make their music the best it can be. So this show idea came out of a desire to connect with more artist, in Houston specifically, and to learn from each other.
Being an artist or songwriter, wherever you are from, is hard. It's especially hard without a community of people. This community I’m talking about could be other songwriters or other people that bring skills to help you as a songwriter.
I am a producer and sound engineer.
I make music, mix and master records. My goal is to work for an artist to make their music the best it can be.
So this show idea came out of a desire to connect with more artist, in Houston specifically, and to learn from each other.
This week I got to eat tacos with Kevin Rodriguez. He's the lead singer and songwriter of a band called "The Rise of The Broken."
We talk about a ton of great things that will be helpful to songwriters out there. Here is a list of most important topics we discuss:
We have to put in the work
Post content that shows your personality
There is no 1,2,3 Formula for Success
Gear is important but it's not ultimate
Kevin is in the middle of recording his next album. But you can listen to THROUGH FREQUENCIES anywhere music is streaming.
Search for band name "The Rise Of The Broken."
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Use the discount code “Snack Time” and get 15% off our first project together.
Songwriter Snack Time with Bonner Rhae Rhoden
Bonner Rhae Rhoden is a singer/songwriter in Houston Texas. She released 2 singles in 2019, “Trail of Dust” and “Together” and is working toward releasing more songs in 2020.
When Bonner was young her mother made her take piano lessons for six years. A little later she was inspired to pick up a guitar when she saw Taylor Swift perform. It was inspiring for her to see a woman playing and singing. She tried to learn as many Taylor Swift songs as possible….
Bonner Rhae Rhoden is a singer/songwriter in Houston Texas. She released 2 singles in 2019, “Trail of Dust” and “Together”, and is working toward releasing more songs in 2020.
When Bonner was young her mother made her take piano lessons for six years. A little later she was inspired to pick up a guitar when she saw Taylor Swift perform. It was inspiring for her to see a woman playing and singing. She tried to learn as many Taylor Swift songs as possible.
After that she couldn’t get enough, and in high school she had her first unplanned public performance that ended in a standing ovation at a school music competition.
After high school she kept writing and performing, but after a while it became something that got put on the back burner. For whatever reason she just felt like she needed a break. She went for about 5 years without singing or writing. It was a long time. But one morning she just woke up with a realization that she needed to pursue music.
Spurred on by her husband’s encouragement, she felt like the time was now to really pursue her music opportunities and see where the road would take her.
She respects the art of songwriting and even has a daily 10 minute writing practice where she picks a single word and writes ideas and different phrases and concepts that relates to the word.
Here are the top 3 things I picked up from my time with her:
1. Passion over Business
Bonner doesn’t neglect the business side of being an artist. In today’s artist environment it’s important to realize that you do have to treat yourself as a business. But business is not what started our journeys. It was the passion for music. It’s the way it makes you feel and how you can impact others. This comes through 100% with Bonner and her her music.
2. Songwriting As A Skill
It’s easy to think that some people are gifted from birth and some aren’t. The truth is, songwriting is a skill that has to be developed. Like anything else, the more time you put in the stronger you will become. Bonner always believed that she was talented, but she also recognized that it will take work to become the kind of storyteller she wants to be with her songs. This means that her songs are good now, of course, but with this kind of work ethic the songs she’ll write five years from now will be even better.
3. Keep Your Goals Simple
There is nothing wrong with big goals. But Bonner teaches us that having simple goals can give you the little inspiration to keep going. To impact one person would be worth it for Bonner. You don’t need to fill stadiums and impact the world. Some of us will (I hope you do) but what if you just inspire the next girl to pick up a guitar and write songs. Would it be worth it? Bonner says it will.
Meeting Bonner Rhae and sitting down with her to hear her story was a joy and the very reason I started this podcast show called “Songwriter Snack Time.”
As a music producer and engineer I find myself in the middle of projects that have a wide range of styles. Some think this is a negative. But I see it as an asset.
There may indeed be some types of music that I wouldn’t fit well with and some that I gravitate more toward but what moves me most is authenticity and passion. If your music is inspiring and authentic I’d love to hear from you.
Use the discount code “Snack Time” and get 15% off our first project together.
New EP for AJ Santana
Making music is pretty much my dream job. Making music with friends is pretty much...well, whatever is better than a dream job. AJ has a been a valued friend of Aaron and myself for a while, so when he came to us about recording a brand new acoustic EP, we were really excited. AJ’s vision for this EP was to create a collection of songs that really tapped into his singer-songwriter side.
Making music is pretty much my dream job. Making music with friends is pretty much...well, whatever is better than a dream job.
AJ Santana has a been a valued friend of Aaron and myself for a while, so when he came to us about recording a brand new acoustic EP, we were really excited.
AJ’s vision for this EP was to create a collection of songs that really tapped into his singer-songwriter side. See AJ has many sides. He is a professional music entertainer and cover-song artist, that regularly plays around town. It’s a pretty amazing compliment to him that he was able to pull off recording an EP of his original music, while still playing the cover scene. It took work and dedication, but those words fit right in with AJ.
THE VIBE STARTS WITH A GROOVE
Many people, in thinking about recording in a “home studio,” are concerned about drums. How can you record drums in a decent way in someone's house? Well, the truth is, it happens all the time. For this project AJ wanted a very stripped down rhythm section.
So we brought in a great percussionist, Josh Benhart, and did a big percussion setup: 2 congas, Cajon, tambourine, etc. We were able to get a big sound by using a few overhead mics and blending those in with the close mics.
It took about a day or so to work through all five songs, but at the end of the day we were really happy with the energy and vibe that this kick started our project with.
GET THE VOCALS RIGHT
Since AJ wanted to highlight his songwriting, we focused very much on getting the vocals right. Every song of AJ’s comes from his life and from his heart. He’s been through some serious life stuff, and if you listen to the lyrics you can really feel his pain at times. His vocals carried emotion which made each track full.
A COMMUNITY ALWAYS MAKES IT BETTER
For AJ, as well as myself, getting your community involved always makes things better. I’ve experienced this for years in the studio. Whenever I don’t try to play every instrument for a song but outsource parts to friends I trust, I am always happy I did and the final product is so much better.
For this project we were able to get many amazing people involved:
- Jeremy Schwanke on keys
- Heather Rayleen on violin and BGVs
- AJ Herrick on Acoustic Lead
- Josh Benhart on the percussion set
The clip below is violin and two acoustics (one played by AJ and myself on the other).
BEHIND THE SCENES
AJ released the project on iTunes and all the digital online stores, and we are really proud of his first major recording project. We hope to work with him more in the future and want to support him in anyway we can.
A final amazing benefit of this project was having Aaron (my brother, co-owner and videographer) come in and capture some amazing behind the scenes videos (we call them minis) to highlight our project.
After watching you can see why we are good friends with AJ.
FINAL MASTERS: DEAR DARLA
Are you interested in working with me for your music/audio project? Visit my Services page for more information on my process, music packages, and availability. Also, take a look at my Portfolio for a look at my most recent work, and my Contact page to get in touch!
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