ZFM Independent Launch (like a rocket)
Updated: Sep 18
The ZFM Independent Launch: A Cosmic Journey into Music
PHWWHHOOOOSHH... That’s the sound of rocket fuel igniting, propelling a mass into the great unknown. It’s a bit like the vibrations rippling through the interwebs when I decided to invest in this AI-generated website. I chose to create a post instead of relying on the auto-generated ones. And here we are, kicking off my first post on the easily obtained domain zfmindependent.com — a connection to the interconnected consciousnesses. It’s a taste of the ZFM mentality, and trust me, it’s a wild ride.
ZFM Mentality: Create Without the Shoulder Devil's Input
Wait up... rabbit hole incoming! Let’s dive into this. As I wrote this, I felt the urge to look up what the angel/devil on the shoulder concept is called. Turns out, it’s simply referred to as the shoulder angel/devil. The devil represents our immoral impulses, while the angel embodies our moral compass. So, here I am, reflecting on some past mistakes in publishing music.
Trust Your Gut: Don’t Let Temptation Drive Your Decisions
In my early days, I thought the shoulder angel was urging me to express myself freely. Meanwhile, the shoulder devil whispered doubts about what people might think. I’d publish songs, convinced I was following my angel’s advice, only to realize later that my gut was actually warning me. I mixed up the signals! My intuition sometimes told me to hold back, but I mistook it for the devil's voice.
Following the 80/20 rule, I can say that 80% of my songs were well-received, while 20% caused reputational hiccups. It’s a classic case of “what was I thinking?”
Deleting Songs: The NFT Fiasco
True story, folks. I deleted a bunch of songs, and guess what? I posted them as NFTs and lost my login. Those tracks are now forever lost (or maybe found) in the vast digital ocean of OpenSea.
ZFM Mentality: Create Without Boundaries
This is where it gets tricky. My understanding of this mentality is evolving. It’s about having no limits in the studio while also adhering to moral guidelines. The line between what’s morally correct and incorrect can be blurry. Everyone has different views on morality, and philosophy is all about constructing logical arguments to prove your point. Modus tollens, modus ponens—tomatoes, tomatos, right? I really do love philosophy, and you might see some philosophical musings on ZFM Independent in the future.
Trusting Your Gut: The Moral Compass
Are these lyrics too raunchy? Am I risking someone’s reputation? Will this sound hurt someone’s ears? If the answer is yes, then it’s probably best to hold off on publishing. (Disclaimer: This is not legal advice for publishing music.) In the good ol’ U.S. of A., publishing might not be illegal under the First Amendment and certain artist protection acts. But do your research! There are exceptions, and I’m not an expert on that. Sounds like a great topic for a future post!
The Piano: My Musical Roots
I owe a lot to my family for providing me with an upright piano. I hated practicing it as a kid. Seriously, I dreaded the one day a week when my self-operating piano lesson instructor would come over. He’d eat his lunch while teaching me some of his compositions. But hey, he was a great teacher! He introduced me to piano scales, which turned out to be a game-changer.
ZFM Independent: A Passion Project
My journey into electronic music production has been a two-phase adventure:
In the Garage: That’s right, Apple’s GarageBand was my first love.
Fruity Loops Studio: I graduated to using an MPK25 MIDI controller.
Now, I’ve leveled up to more sophisticated methods:
Ableton Live and various MIDI controllers.
An audio interface, along with different musical instruments and microphones.
Plug-in instruments, like Serum 2.
And of course, the cowbell.
I’ve always loved music, and I’ve been immersed in it since I was young.
Family Influence: Christian Music Roots
My family was big on Star 99.1, the Christian music station in the tri-state area. It was the only station I ever listened to while being chauffeured around by my parents. That’s why the AUX cord was such a big deal to me once I started driving. I’d blast hip-hop through my earbuds, but I also had a stash of CDs, thanks to my parents. Some of my favorites included Hawk Nelson’s Letters To The President and Relient K’s Mmhmm.
College Days: Writing Business Plans and Doodling Raps
In college, I discovered my knack for writing. I loved crafting business plans with concise topic sentences and dabbling in creative writing, like raps and poems. It was a happy medium between the two styles.
Embracing Imperfection: Not an Expert, Just Me
My first-ever released music was recorded using a tripod and a family camera. I performed a rap through the camera’s microphone and posted it that day. This was my version of a Minimal Viable Product (MVP).
Understanding the MVP Concept
An MVP is something you create before diving into a full prototype. Before investing a ton of money, you can use what you have to introduce a similar concept to a sample market. In my case, the “product” was an artsy video of me rapping over an instrumental beat. It was genuine art and expression, not just a product to me. But I still wanted it to sound good!
Looking Forward: Sharing with the Void
One of the toughest challenges for an aspiring artist is publishing art without receiving feedback. It’s like shouting into the void. Even now, I’m writing this for absolutely nobody, and that’s both daunting and liberating. With writing, I can share my thoughts without worrying about an audience. But with music, it’s a different story.
The Emotional Rollercoaster of Music
Creating music is an emotional rollercoaster. You pour your heart and soul into a song, convinced it’s a masterpiece, only to see it get few streams and no feedback. It’s like gearing up for a first date, only to be stood up repeatedly. It forces artists to find a sound they love creating, one that doesn’t send them on an emotional rollercoaster.
Writing: A Different Journey
Writing is less of an emotional rollercoaster and more like a steam engine powering through thoughts. I draw on my experiences, shoveling coal into the engine of creativity. I’m on one track, bound by the status quo of blog and informational posts. And you know what? I love it! I’m excited to share my thoughts in this art/writing medium.
Expect a Variety of Content from ZFM Independent
I’ve written over 1,000 poems, songs, and raps. Expect to see snippets of that throughout my posts, and maybe even full pieces. You can also look forward to music insights, behind-the-scenes production details, and a peek into my songwriting process. I’m also into audiovisual art, 3D modeling, animation, engineering, mechanisms, skiing/snowboarding, and AI.
It’s Zero Fan Man: Staying Cool Without Fans
"Who's mans!?"
And there you have it! Buckle up, because this journey is just getting started.
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