Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dechen Hawk. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dechen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Whatever creative endeavor I’m immersed in is my most meaningful project. That is to say that engaging in creative acts connects me to my purpose and is therefore meaningful. The act of creating is an interactive process. One cannot be anywhere but in the present moment when creating. And the present moment is all there truly is. It’s our truth. When we stray from the present moment we experience pain, anxiety, and stress because we are not in ourselves. We are fixated on the past or the future. I love music for this reason. Whether creating, performing, or listening to music one can’t help but be present. That is one of its greatest gifts. I think that’s why I find music so healing. Because it brings me back home to the present moment when I stray off course.

I also find meaning in sharing the experience with others. That’s why I like collaborating and performing with others. I’ve had a lot of bands over the years and my favorite parts of those experiences are when we perform live, listen, and communicate with each other. When we improvise and take the music somewhere it could only go with each other at that moment. I’m also really loving co-writing. It’s a new endeavor for me, and I’m getting similar results. We’re able to create something in the movement that could only be created by working together. When I was younger it felt important to me to prove to myself and others that I could do everything myself. I’d write, record, produce, arrange, record, play all the instruments, and dictate what I wanted from the band when recording or performing with others. And those were valuable skills to develop. One’s I will always use. But now I much prefer collaborating, co-writing, and working with others to create something better and more meaningful. Something I couldn’t create by myself. The more I look deeper into the songs I love I notice that more often than not they were written by more than one person. There is strength in numbers and a sense of community. I also like lifting each other up with our communal successes. All ships rise with the tide. It’s not a competition.

I’m currently in the process of co-writing with a select group of musician friends. And I’m reimagining my sound and my old material to reflect that change. Since I can’t always have my friends with me on stage and I’ve always wanted my performances to better reflect the recorded versions of my songs I’ve been working with software that will enable me to perform live with select backing tracks. That way I can feel my friends there with me and I can better present my music the way it was intended.

Dechen, 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 came into this world as a musician. I loved music from the start. My mother rocked me to sleep to Stevie Wonder because that’s the only thing that soothed me. I used to make up songs constantly, singing about whatever was going on or what I liked and was into. I had toy pianos of all kinds as a child and would explore the various sounds I could make. As I grew up I took piano lessons. When I was thirteen years old my father was diagnosed with brain cancer and then died six months later. During that time I looked for a way to express what I was feeling and going through. For whatever reason, I wanted a guitar. That’s when I started writing songs. I found it healing and a constructive way to process my emotions. I threw everything I had into learning music. I studied on my own and at school. I participated in jazz band classes in High School and attended music classes at Narop University while in High School. I formed my first band in High School and started performing. I wrote music for plays in High Shcool. I started performing regularly at open mics in Boulder Colorado at Penny Lane Coffeehouse. I met other songwriters and formed lifelong friendships. After High School I moved to North Carolina and continued writing, recording, and performing and released my first album, a collection of live performances from Penny Lane. I formed two bands. One of which was a duo with a drummer named Josh Stohl. I bought and learned how to play an 8-string guitar. Half bass guitar and half guitar. That relationship has endured the test of time. Josh and I collaborated on many albums. I moved back to Boulder Colorado and attended Naropa University where I received a bachelor’s degree in music. I began teaching music privately and eventually back at Naropa University as adjunct faculty. To date, I’ve released seven albums/EPs and three singles. I’ve performed globally at venues and festivals and opened for renowned artists. I book music for and set up music programs at venues. I curated the music which included multiple artists from around the globe seven nights a week at The Laughing Goat Coffeehouse for over a decade. In order to support others and share what I’ve learned and continue to learn I offer music lessons and artist coaching to up-and-coming and established artists. I produce artists’ albums. I continue to write songs for myself and other artists. What sets me apart from others is who I am as a unique individual, my experience, my aesthetic, my heart, my drive, my care, my concern, my love of what I do, and who I do it with. I’m proud to bring moving, impactful, genuine, healing art into the world, and to support others in that endeavor as well. I stand for unity, inclusivity, systemic change, community, and love.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

At the beginning of the pandemic, the majority of the music industry related to the gig economy shut down. That’s where the majority of my livelihood came from. I was in no-mans land. I knew I needed to pivot, be creative, and figure something out, but I didn’t know what that would look like. Conveniently my wife Laure Seraydarian is a personal resilience coach and a leader in the field of resilience. She was and continues to be a huge support. As things went online I started researching how to offer live-streaming shows and did a few with some success. I researched and moved my private teaching practice online as well. I joined a business community to help support me in what I was going through. I made sure I formed my own business and then researched how to get governmental support for small business owners in the form of grants and loans which I received. And then I looked around at what areas of my industry were not hit by the pandemic but were in fact thriving. I noticed that the sync licensing (synchronizing music with film, tv, and commercials) branch of the music industry was in this category. I did more research and found a music community in Fort Collins Colorado called The Music District that offered courses and training on sync licensing. I became a member and attended workshops and training. I continue to study there and make crucial connections with fellow artists and industry professionals. I’m excited about the prospects of making part of my living through sync licensing. The creative part of it that excites me the most is that my friends and I all have innumerable music ideas that don’t necessarily want to be full songs released by an artist, but they beg for visual accompaniment and now I feel like there’s a place for all these ideas to come to fruition. All in all, it’s about perseverance and not giving up. Being flexible, willing to change, and taking risks.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There are a couple of things. Like with small businesses that struggle to compete with larger corporations and chains, it’s important to support independent artists directly and to understand that though their products might cost more, you’re supporting the sustainability of music in your life and the lives of others. Since the shift to music streaming services, musicians don’t make any money from album sales anymore unless you purchase them directly and buy their merchandise. Hire musicians for private events, house concerts, and weddings. Commission custom songs. Hire musicians to teach you and your family members a musical instrument. And stay abreast of the political climate. Musicians are currently working hard to make the laws change to better compensate them for their music being streamed on services like Spotify. Streaming services are not the problem. It’s a great service. But artists are not getting compensated fairly. And that hits their pocketbook hard. Help create music programs in underserved communities. Start an instrument drive to get underserved children musical instruments. Donate to organizations that are already supporting in these ways. And encourage others to do the same. Music is healing, uplifting, cathartic, and essential. Help keep it alive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dechenhawk.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dechenhawk/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DechenHawkMusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dechen-hawk-486151201/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DechenHawk
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dechenhawk
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2u2NgvmoaBumYxGty1JmB5?si=MYh4c1ezSOOKsCGC5WZlTQ Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dechen-hawk/356765320 Bandcamp: https://dechenhawk.bandcamp.com/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dechenhawk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dechenhawk

Image Credits
Ashley Davis Tilly Taylor Shae Elliot Hunt Dechen Hawk Red Aspen Photography