Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carson Maki. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Carson, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The biggest risk I’ve taken so far in my life was to quit my job as a successful Engineer in order to pursue music full-time. There were a few knock-on risks that also came out of this major decision, but I’ll focus primarily on why I left my secure and high-paying job for an insecure career and an uncertain future.
I studied engineering for several years in college, ultimately leading to a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a job in Oil & Gas. I loved the technical and applied aspects of my job; being able to bring something to life from a drawing to a moving, working device was fascinating to me. In a way, it’s similar to the creative process in music but based in practical science and mathematics. I was paid well, and I had plenty of time to enjoy various hobbies and make music in my free time. For a while, it seemed like a healthy balance for me.
However, I had this growing itch in back of my brain: something telling me that I wasn’t fulfilled. That itch grew over time, and eventually I reached a breaking point. It felt as if I’d climbed this long arduous mountainside only to reach a cliff at the top and find what I truly wanted was somewhere beyond, either down on the rocks below or in the clouds above. Going further and chasing what I wanted meant sacrificing everything I’d worked for up until that point, and I wasn’t sure if I’d survive the jump.
I was a very observant kid, so I grew up paying very close attention to everyone and everything around me. I tried my best to learn lessons from others’ mistakes, so that I could avoid them myself. One such lesson was to avoid sacrificing your passion for security at a young age. I watched as the years of hardship and personal sacrifice my parents made to raise 3 kids in a working class family chipped away at their spirit. I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice they made; it gave me a childhood I cherish and a lesson I will never forget.
I wasn’t sure if I’d make it as a full-time music producer and artist. An increasingly over-saturated profession with many people having both financial and interpersonal advantages over me makes it one hell of a risk. But I believed in myself, still do. I looked over the cliffside and jumped because I saw what waited for me if I stayed there. I saw it in the eyes of every older colleague I worked with, heard it in the colloquialisms my parents would recite after years of bitterness had welled up inside of them. I don’t know what waits for me among the battered rocks and rough waves at the bottom of the cliff, or if I’m destined for a life flying among the clouds. As long as I continue to jump – take the risks that’ve led me to where I am, I believe I’ll make it out ok in the end.
Carson, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m primarily an electronic music artist/DJ, under the moniker “if found”, but I also producer and engineer (vocal, mixing, mastering) for clients in LA. I started playing guitar when I was 12 after a friend convinced me to pick it up so we could start a band (he played drums). After a few months, I got tired of learning and playing others’ songs, so I tried writing my own. I sucked, but it was so much fun to create something from seemingly nothing and it felt like I was tapping into something that once seemed so foreign and unattainable. I wanted more, so I went down the rabbit hole and got a multi-track recorder with some built in drum loops and a cheap dynamic stage microphone. After writing and recording multiple terrible songs and burning those to CDs for everyone to hear, I was ready to take it up another level.
It was 2009, my parents had just gotten a new iMac, and after I finished my chores for the week, I was allowed to explore it. After a couple of days of trying different apps out, I found one called Garage Band. I was hooked. I could record, write, mix, arrange, etc. all in one place. It seemed limitless, and my creativity was the only thing holding me back. Eventually, I graduated to Logic Pro x and moved onto Ableton, but that initial spark was such a special moment in my life, one that I still feel occasionally and am always chasing. I got into electronic music my freshman year of college after stumbling upon the Knife Party remix of Porter Robinson’s Unison. Everything felt so fresh and forward thinking, but in a way that was still familiar. It made me realize I wanted to elicit those same emotions I was feeling in others.
As an artist, I do everything I can to convey how I’m feeling with music and graphic design/3D animation because I believe that if I can share my feelings honestly through art, then others can connect with that and maybe find some form of catharsis, just as I have. I write my music with as much honesty as possible, and create visual art to represent those sounds and emotions as well. I’ve been fortunate enough for my music to make meaningful impressions with some of my listeners, to the point that some have gotten those lyrics tattooed on them! I strongly believe that a lot of us share common experiences in life, regardless of background or social-economic status because the more honest and vulnerable I am with my music, the more people connect with it meaningfully. I lean into this belief with my artist brand, which centers around self-discovery and exploration. My moniker, “if found”, is derived from my frustration of not being able to accurately and truthfully represent my emotions and character with my music. I always felt like I was painting some obscured picture of myself for others to see and hiding the real me behind a thin veil. The “if found” project is my best effort at truly expressing me and finding meaning in my life. I believe that if I can show others how far I’ve come and the happiness I’ve felt from chasing what fulfills me most, then it can inspire them to do the same. My journey hasn’t been all growth and happiness; it’s nonlinear and messy, but I’ve found that the beauty in art and life lies in the small details and special moments. You can only see the big picture once you’ve already experienced it all and look back at how far you’ve come.
As a producer/engineer, I strive to do the same for my clients. I think being an artist myself and having some moderate form of success helps me understand the various complexities of the industry, so I can pass that knowledge on to those I work with, whether it be full production work, or just simple mixing/mastering jobs.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There are two parts to this one:
at first, the most rewarding aspect for me was the high I got from creating and being in a flow state. It was (and still is) so intoxicating, it almost feels supernatural.
now, I’d say the meaningful connections I make with those who truly believe in my music. My music has taken me so far from who I used to be and made me feel like part of something much bigger and more important than myself. It’s a humbling experience and one that completely took me by surprise.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions non-creatives have about creative work and creative people is that their current work/output/success is equal to their worth. Creatives go through massive swings in job security, mental health, and success. One good example of this is the common phenomenon of seemingly overnight success stories. When an artist “blows up” or sees a rapid increase in traction/exposure/attention, the newcomers often see them unworthy of their newfound success. It’s common to forget the years of struggle creatives go through to become who they are now and get to where they are now because people often focus on their most recent achievements. Creative work in particular is influenced by so many factors, both quantitative and qualitative, that normally wouldn’t impact more traditional careers. As a creative, you can’t “detach” from your work, because your work IS you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.iffoundmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iffoundmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iffoundmusic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonmaki/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iffoundmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iffoundmusic
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iffoundmusic
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/39W8ER2QJe2x3pKLIXTiwK?si=X6iKbByIQDGYhO1eolljtg&nd=1
Image Credits
Brian Rapaport Dakota Reed