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

Hi Josh, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up, I was constantly exposed to a wide range of genres and diverse types of music. Whether it was Mumford & Sons, U2, Switchfoot, Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer, CCM, or simply hearing rehearsals in the garage through my bedroom wall as my dad and his team prepared for church services that week, it gradually went from being a large part of my life to becoming my life!

Although I first discovered my true passion for music in one of the most challenging seasons of my life. I was almost 7 years old when I was diagnosed with a degenerative hip disease called Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease (LCPD), which rendered me unable to use the full use of my legs for over 9 years of my life. Losing the ability to run, jump, and do the many other things kids typically do developed this sense of isolation and loneliness. This part of my life was very difficult for my family and I to navigate, especially being so young.

However, it was this season that I found my love and passion for music and songwriting. I was confined to a wheelchair, crutches, or other physical restrictions, so I had to find alternative activities, and that became music! What started as taking some rudimentary piano lessons and hating it lol, later led to Cajon (cause that makes sense). This later evolved into a full drum kit, which later became my primary instrument; yet, I developed a craving to learn more instruments. After buying my first bass guitar at 14, I spent the next several years learning to play acoustic and electric guitar, banjo, and harmonica, and began singing and songwriting.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hey! My name is Josh Beeman, and I’m a producer, songwriter, and independent artist from San Diego, CA. I specialize in a wide variety of genres, including Folk, Orchestral-Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Country, Bluegrass, and CCM, as well as experience working with other genres. More recently, I’ve spent the last few years touring and traveling all over the country, jumping back and forth between California and Tennessee, while pursuing a degree in Music Business at Lee University.

I first got involved in this industry when I released my first single, “Home,” in 2021. I was still very new to production, and I was trying to take a step forward and get something of my own out there. However, this resulted in gaining some traction, and people started to reach out to me to produce their music. The more networking I started doing, the more experience and opportunities I gained. This led to taking on more freelance opportunities and other gigs for artists, churches, bands, and numerous other clients. This consisted of music production, song-writing, or a studio/hired musician on whatever instrument they asked me to play.

I fell in love with the idea of taking someone’s heart and vision, piecing it together, and making it a reality while cohesively networking and building relationships in the process. I’ve since partnered with schools, collaborated with other independent artists, and worked with groups such as People & Songs, Southernmost Gravy, and Hope For Exiles. I’ve also been touring and ministering with the Lee University Singers and Second Edition for the last three years, traveling all over the country and even touring in Jamaica in 2023.

I’m most proud of having the blessing of representing my family, especially my parents, as I travel and network with others wherever I go. There’s a love and compassion that has been placed in my heart for others’ visions and dreams when it comes to their music. In most of my personal music, I often focus on emotional or storytelling songs based on personal experiences, or from another’s perspective. This could be positive or negative experiences, but I try to balance them with inserting uplifting and positive messages. I am so incredibly grateful to not only be able to work in a field that I love and thrive in, but its a field that has so much potential to make a positive impact on not just the industry itself, but on artists, young songwriters looking for an opportunity, and all of the listeners who are looking for personal, authentic, and relatable music!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I would encourage society to view supporting Artists as a way of investing in those who are trying to turn their creative abilities into a career! Especially if it has the potential to be a light in the world! This doesn’t even have to always mean financially, which is where I’ve found most people get scared off. It could genuinely mean simply subscribing or following their content, sharing or reposting their work, and reaching out to them with encouragement. There are numerous simple, low-commitment, yet highly effective ways to support us artists. Those who have access to incredible resources, which we often take for granted, such as word of mouth, texting, and even social media, have the ability to help artists be seen and heard at their fingertips. However, money DOES help haha.

Chances are, you have a favorite song or short film, a piece of art you love, or something someone has created that’s brought you joy and makes you feel something. Invest in that person so they can continue to create! Affirmation and support go a long way. Be a part of OUR story!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

“Perfection = Professional”

Being a perfectionist, I’ve always struggled with feeling like a project is never truly “finished”, which you’ll find is something most people in this industry struggle with. I cared deeply about the little details and quality of my music, so I would never feel like it was good enough to release or share with the public. I developed the mentality that if it’s not perfect, it will never be seen as a “professional” or legitimate product. I wanted and expected to create studio-quality content, and because I wasn’t achieving that level, I didn’t deem it worthy of full completion, so I would pack it away, edit it here and there, over and over again, thinking it would improve. Unfortunately, it honestly did the opposite and would at times ruin the song, as well as the experience.

This same expectation then became a problem, as I didn’t have anything near the same equipment, gear, or experience that someone in a professional studio would have when I started out. Now, you would think this would be obvious and common sense, and yes, I was aware of it, but I was still holding myself to that same standard. This was incredibly unrealistic and often very discouraging.

To compensate for this, I began editing, quantizing (time-aligning) tracks, and EQing and over-processing everything, trying to make it perfect. These tools are handy and beneficial, but little did I know, I was stripping away the core things that made my music natural, human, and authentic. While I am still navigating this balance, I reflect on all of the projects I’ve worked on since I started and can clearly see both the development and the decline of certain aspects of my music during this time. So much so, that I ended up preferring the sound and quality of my very first single I released over some of my later projects. This prompted me to reflect on where I had lost my sense of direction along the way.

This doesn’t just apply to music! It also encompasses art, photography, cinematography, and other creative fields and products that are expressive, personal, and vulnerable. It’s all a form of Art and creative expression! We artists often forget the WHY behind what we’re doing when we become obsessed with perfection rather than emotion and its core. This is when our art suffers. When it comes to something you’ve created, it’s crucial to be aware of WHO you’re creating it for, whether for someone else, or even yourself.

“Our goal is to make something beautiful, not something perfect.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joshbeemanmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshbeemanmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.beeman.547
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@joshbeemanmusic
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dE5vkMcoUcnx293B6iADL?si=j30HkqhaTpSSgxgGRU4Hvw

  Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joshbeemanmusic?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits

Ashlynn Akiona – @ashlynnakiona.photography

Josh Beeman