On a top-secret mission to Sine Studios at 127 S. 22nd Street in Philadelphia, just above Walnut.
Happy Independence Day!
Last night Jake and I conducted a special, top secret Arcati Crisis mission at Sine Studios, my favorite studio in Philly.
I can’t get into the details of our journey just yet, but given the context of today it made me think about what independence and DIY really means to me – and to you.
For a long time I was DIY because I had to be – because no one else wanted to help me make music or publish my writing or code my website. I didn’t have the money or the clout to attract anyone to my projects, so I did them all myself.
I’m sure you’ve found yourself in the same place. Nobody would do it for you, so you did it for yourself!
That do-it-yourself know-how is a wonderful thing to have. I love that I’ve never been to a recording studio and that I’ve coded all my own websites from scratch or with open source. I love being capable and autonomous.
But being independent doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help.
This weekend in my JavaScript coding I got super-stuck more than once. Luckily, I am married to a self-taught JavaScript expert. I was happy to have her help. Last summer E laid down a set of beautiful new slate steps in our back yard, but mixing a new cement panel for our front walk was beyond her. We hired a local contractor, and they took care if it in a matter of hours a few weeks ago.
E and I never stopped being independent and capable. We still did our research and learned new things from the process. We just called in the experts when the time was right.
I have been working on recording projects for both Arcati Crisis and Filmstar over the past year. Recording a full rock band is a tall task. It’s not just about putting up a ton of microphones and rolling tape. You have to deal with noise, separation, splitting signals, phase issues, and tons of other aspects.
I can handle that myself as a recording engineer, but that takes a lot out of me as a performer. Add to that a fiercely played full drum set, and the hamster in my brain will run itself right off of his wheel.
That’s what lead to our top secret trip to Sine. I was asking for help from experts that I trust.
It doesn’t mean we’re not independent. It doesn’t mean I couldn’t do it myself if I wanted to. It just means that now I know when it’s time to reach out to someone I trust instead of suffering through difficulties on my own.
That’s what independence means to me today.
What does independence mean to you?