magic on sunday: the long game
last week while listening to my release radar playlist on spotify (my new favorite thing), i heard a familiar voice. i couldn't place it, and my phone wasn't nearby to peek at the title. in the midst of folding laundry, i closed my eyes and tried to focus. it was that kind of "i'm-thinking-so-hard-i-can-basically-feel-my-brain-getting-tighter" concentration. suddenly the voice in the speaker went from being vague and familiar, to leaping from the tip of my tongue with eureka-like gusto: amos lee!
this was a meaningful moment for a few reasons.
when i was in college studying music business, part of the curriculum was to create and run a concert production company. my partners and i vetted artists and raised enough funds to produce a show and pay an artist. amos lee was an emerging voice at that time, having just released his second album, supply and demand, and become our top pick (the runner up was old crow medicine show which should give you some insight into where I went to school).
we produced a sold out show, paid amos, and raised enough to give away our extra cash to the new orleans musicians relief fund. amos’ single “sweet pea” eventually made it into tv commercials for at&t and gerber.
here's the most important detail of this whole story: this happened nearly 10 years ago.
hearing amos' voice last week surprised me, thinking that because i hadn't heard from him in awhile or seen his name on top chats, his journey must have ended. in our instant gratification world, it was hard to consider commitment to seeing it through when success wasn't immediate or flashy.
the reality is, change takes time. change is usually slow. a senior coworker once told me early on in my career that change, when it comes down to it, is a series of baby steps.
i need to remember this now more than ever, and amos' voice is the perfect prompt.
this week's playlist opens with his new single, "highways and clouds" and i hope it reminds you to take on change, one step at a time.
magic on sunday: 9.11.16 [spotify playlist]
highways and clouds - amos lee
adoration of the magi - lupe fiasco
the fog - overcoats
sos - krusoe
best on - luca, tei shi
beverly laurel - tame impala
5am - rogyr
until sunday,
meghan