After digging through my inner self, I emerged with my Life Purpose gleaming in my hands. Standing on Catseye beach, I looked at it, puzzled. It didn't seem to cast any magic into my life. And then it struck me. Of course! It was just another riddle that I needed to solve. It was the map, and not the territory.
I realised that if I wanted to find El Dorado, I was going to have to get practical. Sure, it was nice to know what my life purpose was, but it didn't spawn some magic wand to remove all the hard work and action that was required. I needed to get down to business.
I emptied all of my pockets onto the table, and seated myself. My purpose was to tell stories, so I rummaged through what treasures I already had with this in mind. I had a camera, but I envisioned only the most stunning shots, and this camera took very low quality footage, so I put it back on the dusty shelf. I picked up my journal, and its writings were too juvenile to share publicly, so I tucked it away. What remained was a generous collection of 12 piano pieces that I had composed and practiced over the past 2 years. I scooped them up like pebbles, and lay them in a basket for later.
I started to stir my ideas like a big pot of soup, and wonder how I could dish it up and serve it to the world. What I needed was a waiter - the face of my product. In order to get traction on the big wide web, it is known that you need a catchy image and name. I was the waiter at a pizza restaurant called Manta Ray, and I used it as an opportunity to discover the secrets to bridging a product to the world.
One night after a hectic dinner service, I stepped into the air-conditioned office, and a parcel with my name on it was leaning against a stack of boxes. It was cylinder in shape, and I ripped into it like a child on Christmas. Inside was a Quena - a mountain flute! It was a gift from my grandparents on their latest adventure in South America.
Treasure! The perfect item! I fell in love with it, taking it to all of the spots on the island like a pirate and his parrot. And it wasn't long afterwards that I found the name as well, which had been under my nose the whole time. I had an affinity for my middle name 'St Clair', and decided to take the middle way and go with 'Joshua St Clair'. Maybe there's magic in a middle name.
I marvelled at the shots I took with the flute, and I couldn't even play it yet! It seemed as though I discovered the main theme for Joshua St Clair quite naturally. It was Adventure!!
And so, in the hammock of Hamilton Island, Joshua St Clair was incepted.
My days on Hamilton Island were numbered, and I could even hear the clock ticking. I was enjoying a watermelon mojito on the beach one day when something clicked - I needed to get off my ass and capture this place! Joshua St Clair had been nurtured here, and if I wanted to do his story justice, I needed to film a music video here. Otherwise I would have to fork out half a billion dollars just to return to the island for one week! The opportunity was now.
In a dusky afternoon at the staff bar, I approached my friend Dylan McPherson, and discussed my ideas over a pint of XXXX Gold. Out of all of my island compadres, Dylan owned the flashiest camera. I showed him a map of the island, and pointed to all the destinations I wanted to film at. He gulped his lager, perplexed. I was proposing a filming expedition in the blistering heat of summer - it was going to be brutal. To my relief, Dylan agreed. I was so grateful, because I couldn't do this without his help. The following week, we spent two days in the oven of the Queensland summer, turning into crackling just to get the footage for my first music video ever.
Success! Soaked in sweat, we descended from Passage Peak and through the jungle for what was my last time ever. I felt immense satisfaction - I had claimed my booty from Hamilton Island, and it was stashed safely on the SD card in Dylan's camera. I was leaving in just two days! I felt like Indiana Jones when he reaches to grab his hat just before the stone slab crushes his hand.
But my final moment was the opposite of glamorous. It was clamorous! After rushing through the glades with all my belongings, I finally reached the shuttle stop to see my airport shuttle puttering off over the hill. My flight was departing in 40 minutes! And I was stranded out here in the heat with my blowfish of a suitcase, my heavy keyboard, and an extra duffle bag. Like a hobbling hunchback, I lugged all of my stuff through the thick coat of humidity, making it to the airport and boarding my plane just in the nick of time. Hamilton Island winked at me as the plane hurtled into the stratosphere.
Returning to Auckland was like walking into a 5-star restaurant with sandy feet. Everybody was all straightened up, and wielding irons and ironing boards. I joined the punch, and poured all of my time and energy into completing this music video. I launched into it, rearranging all of the footage in Adobe Premier Pro. It was the trial mode, which was actually a good touch because it gave me a deadline. Editing the video myself was delightful - it gave me the power to spruce up my work, and be as artsy I wanted to be. By the end of the week, I galvanised my Hamilton Island treasure, and produced a polished jewel. It was the first music video I ever made, and I was so proud of it!
The following night, I launched Joshua St Clair into the stratosphere!
There's a millennium of other artists and entrepreneurs, each trying to win the attention of the world with flashy window displays. So, I recognised that if I wanted my music to be seen at all, I needed a nifty idea to plug, something unique and original. I needed to be extra creative in this regard, because I was trying to sell solo piano music - which people seem to be uninterested in.
I let the theme and concept for the album ferment for a bit, and launched into the process of recording the music. I was intending to sell this music, and so I needed to capture impeccable performances of each song. In the very study that I grew up in, I ploughed through countless attempts of my songs, but failed every single time. I had practiced for months, yet I still couldn't play them perfectly all the way through. It was another week of frantic practice until I could, and even then I still wasn't satisfied. After agreeing that I was being too critical, I took the recordings to my friend Olli Barnett from Eleven Audio, and got my album pieced together and mastered. Suddenly, it was in my hands as if by magic!
It was so nice to be sleeping in my own bed, hanging out with my best friend Nessie, and chowing down home cooked meals. But the air at home was tense. We were trying to cope with the the first major loss of a beloved family member - Aunty Jean - and things were particularly turbulent for my mother. If music has any purpose at all, it's to cheer up the loved ones around us. And so I dedicated the album to my mother, naming it 'Melodies for Mum'. After all, none of the music would exist if it wasn't for her undying love and acceptance!
The first piece was titled 'Jean', my commemoration of the greatest artist in my whole family, and my biggest fan in music! Her entire collection of artwork had become purring residents of our house, and I decided to take this opportunity and make a second music video. It was my ultimate tribute for Aunty Jean!
It was a momentous time! I felt super confident about the launch of Joshua St Clair, and as if things couldn't get any better, my favourite band Snarky Puppy touched down in Auckland like knights in shining golden armour. I was gob struck. To see my idols performing in the spotlight, and then to actually meet them after the show, was surreal. These guys are legends! And here they were in Auckland, the night before I returned to Queenstown as Joshua St Clair. It was as if the elite brethren of the music world had come to wish me a fruitful musical journey.
It must have been about day 5, when I fell from my castle in the sky, and had my head smacked on the cold hard pavement. What hit me was EXACTLY THE SAME problem as the last time I arrived in Queenstown. I had expectations that were not met. Not even close!
I was grinding my teeth in the first college lectures, eagerly tracking the attention on Melodies for Mum and my two music videos like a child. Each video got about 30 views. My Facebook shares got about 40 likes. And my album had 0 sales AND 0 listens. What the heck? Was nobody interested???
Nobody cared about the art that I poured my heart into, and I was left dumbfounded in boring college lectures, feeling like an absolute buffoon. I had college classes to attend full time, and I couldn't possibly keep the ball rolling, even if there was a ball in the first place. The grand ceremonious launch of Joshua St Clair was a MASSIVE FAIL!
Damn the 'Life Purpose'! Damn following your passion! And damn to building your own brand. None of this stuff fucking works!!
So I gave up, and focussed on my college work instead. Maybe I should just aim to be a hotel manager after all.
I realised that if I wanted to find El Dorado, I was going to have to get practical. Sure, it was nice to know what my life purpose was, but it didn't spawn some magic wand to remove all the hard work and action that was required. I needed to get down to business.I emptied all of my pockets onto the table, and seated myself. My purpose was to tell stories, so I rummaged through what treasures I already had with this in mind. I had a camera, but I envisioned only the most stunning shots, and this camera took very low quality footage, so I put it back on the dusty shelf. I picked up my journal, and its writings were too juvenile to share publicly, so I tucked it away. What remained was a generous collection of 12 piano pieces that I had composed and practiced over the past 2 years. I scooped them up like pebbles, and lay them in a basket for later.
I started to stir my ideas like a big pot of soup, and wonder how I could dish it up and serve it to the world. What I needed was a waiter - the face of my product. In order to get traction on the big wide web, it is known that you need a catchy image and name. I was the waiter at a pizza restaurant called Manta Ray, and I used it as an opportunity to discover the secrets to bridging a product to the world.
One night after a hectic dinner service, I stepped into the air-conditioned office, and a parcel with my name on it was leaning against a stack of boxes. It was cylinder in shape, and I ripped into it like a child on Christmas. Inside was a Quena - a mountain flute! It was a gift from my grandparents on their latest adventure in South America.
Treasure! The perfect item! I fell in love with it, taking it to all of the spots on the island like a pirate and his parrot. And it wasn't long afterwards that I found the name as well, which had been under my nose the whole time. I had an affinity for my middle name 'St Clair', and decided to take the middle way and go with 'Joshua St Clair'. Maybe there's magic in a middle name.I marvelled at the shots I took with the flute, and I couldn't even play it yet! It seemed as though I discovered the main theme for Joshua St Clair quite naturally. It was Adventure!!
And so, in the hammock of Hamilton Island, Joshua St Clair was incepted.
1. I needed a music video
My days on Hamilton Island were numbered, and I could even hear the clock ticking. I was enjoying a watermelon mojito on the beach one day when something clicked - I needed to get off my ass and capture this place! Joshua St Clair had been nurtured here, and if I wanted to do his story justice, I needed to film a music video here. Otherwise I would have to fork out half a billion dollars just to return to the island for one week! The opportunity was now.
In a dusky afternoon at the staff bar, I approached my friend Dylan McPherson, and discussed my ideas over a pint of XXXX Gold. Out of all of my island compadres, Dylan owned the flashiest camera. I showed him a map of the island, and pointed to all the destinations I wanted to film at. He gulped his lager, perplexed. I was proposing a filming expedition in the blistering heat of summer - it was going to be brutal. To my relief, Dylan agreed. I was so grateful, because I couldn't do this without his help. The following week, we spent two days in the oven of the Queensland summer, turning into crackling just to get the footage for my first music video ever.
Success! Soaked in sweat, we descended from Passage Peak and through the jungle for what was my last time ever. I felt immense satisfaction - I had claimed my booty from Hamilton Island, and it was stashed safely on the SD card in Dylan's camera. I was leaving in just two days! I felt like Indiana Jones when he reaches to grab his hat just before the stone slab crushes his hand.
But my final moment was the opposite of glamorous. It was clamorous! After rushing through the glades with all my belongings, I finally reached the shuttle stop to see my airport shuttle puttering off over the hill. My flight was departing in 40 minutes! And I was stranded out here in the heat with my blowfish of a suitcase, my heavy keyboard, and an extra duffle bag. Like a hobbling hunchback, I lugged all of my stuff through the thick coat of humidity, making it to the airport and boarding my plane just in the nick of time. Hamilton Island winked at me as the plane hurtled into the stratosphere.
Returning to Auckland was like walking into a 5-star restaurant with sandy feet. Everybody was all straightened up, and wielding irons and ironing boards. I joined the punch, and poured all of my time and energy into completing this music video. I launched into it, rearranging all of the footage in Adobe Premier Pro. It was the trial mode, which was actually a good touch because it gave me a deadline. Editing the video myself was delightful - it gave me the power to spruce up my work, and be as artsy I wanted to be. By the end of the week, I galvanised my Hamilton Island treasure, and produced a polished jewel. It was the first music video I ever made, and I was so proud of it!
The following night, I launched Joshua St Clair into the stratosphere!
2. I needed an album
Leaving Home was a ceremoniously adventurous title page for Joshua St Clair. Now I needed some actual content - an album.There's a millennium of other artists and entrepreneurs, each trying to win the attention of the world with flashy window displays. So, I recognised that if I wanted my music to be seen at all, I needed a nifty idea to plug, something unique and original. I needed to be extra creative in this regard, because I was trying to sell solo piano music - which people seem to be uninterested in.
It was so nice to be sleeping in my own bed, hanging out with my best friend Nessie, and chowing down home cooked meals. But the air at home was tense. We were trying to cope with the the first major loss of a beloved family member - Aunty Jean - and things were particularly turbulent for my mother. If music has any purpose at all, it's to cheer up the loved ones around us. And so I dedicated the album to my mother, naming it 'Melodies for Mum'. After all, none of the music would exist if it wasn't for her undying love and acceptance!
The first piece was titled 'Jean', my commemoration of the greatest artist in my whole family, and my biggest fan in music! Her entire collection of artwork had become purring residents of our house, and I decided to take this opportunity and make a second music video. It was my ultimate tribute for Aunty Jean!
It was a momentous time! I felt super confident about the launch of Joshua St Clair, and as if things couldn't get any better, my favourite band Snarky Puppy touched down in Auckland like knights in shining golden armour. I was gob struck. To see my idols performing in the spotlight, and then to actually meet them after the show, was surreal. These guys are legends! And here they were in Auckland, the night before I returned to Queenstown as Joshua St Clair. It was as if the elite brethren of the music world had come to wish me a fruitful musical journey.
The following day, I farewelled my family with great big hugs, and was scooped up by another airbus, and flung to Queenstown.
3. I needed to keep the ball rolling!
I felt like a king returning to his dynasty. I had come back to complete 6 more months of the hospitality management course I was undertaking, but really, I was here on a mission - a quest to grow Joshua St Clair by capturing the treasure of Queenstown onto an SD card, and produce a music video for each of my piano tunes. I felt like a noble lion. I definitely deserved a pint of Speights - the pride of the south!
It must have been about day 5, when I fell from my castle in the sky, and had my head smacked on the cold hard pavement. What hit me was EXACTLY THE SAME problem as the last time I arrived in Queenstown. I had expectations that were not met. Not even close!
I was grinding my teeth in the first college lectures, eagerly tracking the attention on Melodies for Mum and my two music videos like a child. Each video got about 30 views. My Facebook shares got about 40 likes. And my album had 0 sales AND 0 listens. What the heck? Was nobody interested???
Nobody cared about the art that I poured my heart into, and I was left dumbfounded in boring college lectures, feeling like an absolute buffoon. I had college classes to attend full time, and I couldn't possibly keep the ball rolling, even if there was a ball in the first place. The grand ceremonious launch of Joshua St Clair was a MASSIVE FAIL!
Damn the 'Life Purpose'! Damn following your passion! And damn to building your own brand. None of this stuff fucking works!!
So I gave up, and focussed on my college work instead. Maybe I should just aim to be a hotel manager after all.
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