We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Swonke recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I am mostly self taught but wouldn’t be where I’m at without the guidance of a few mentors who showed me how to approach things from a certain perspective along the way. I went through a year long recording arts program at MediaTech Institute which equipped me with a diverse skill set within different areas of music and production.

Collaboration is one of the most critical aspects of producing music and writing songs. I find that synergies are created when you feed off of each other’s strengths, and help with weaknesses, ultimately speeding up the learning process and allow you to be more productive.

Within the landscape of today’s music industry you have to posses a little bit of technical, creative, and an entrepreneurial disciplines.

More than anything it’s about building a brand that will attract and be of service to others, so that they’ll come back for more. In theory it’s simple, but in practice, it can be challenging. Talent alone is no longer enough. You have to be different just as much, and that can take a while to find a niche.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a music producer based in Houston. I’ve always had a passion for music and it’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started around the age of 14 or so making mixtapes with friends that we would sell at our High School. From there I wanted to understand more about the production aspect so I started to teach myself music theory and instruments like piano, guitar, and drums.

Today I focus mostly on producing original music and beats in the realm of electronic, pop, R&B, hip hop and trap, and whatever else I can get my hands on. I am often on the prowl for vocalists to write lyrics and sing toplines to the music I’ve produced.

I like to consider my music as a melting pot of various styles all blended into something unique. When I work with other artists, I look at it as truly a collaborative effort where we will bounce ideas off of each other, and try things out until we are both satisfied. Sometimes that can take a while, but I’m ok with that.

I continue to evolve and learn more with every finished song, and I’m inspired to challenge myself on each new song. I want every record to be different, but yet have my signature sound. Sometimes I refer to it as a smooth flame, or black velvet. A little edgy and mysterious to make you question it, but just enough cliché to make it relatable and to make you feel comfortable.

I chose a butterfly as my logo to represent my music. Butterflies are gardens of life that capture people’s attention, but there is something elusive and mysterious about them. They are also a symbol of transformation, evolution, becoming the best version of yourself, and living in a beautiful state of being. I feel I’m at my best, most energetic, and gentle self while I am creating.

My focus right now is to connect with and collaborate with a multitude of artists to build and grow with, and take it to the next level.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I’ve done a good amount of research on NFT’s and I am a huge advocate of crypto currency in general.

NFT’s can solve a lot of real world problems. They are often misunderstood as being only digital artwork, but that’s simply one use case of what they can offer.

NFT’s are built on the idea of smart contracts, which can serve any industry that uses contracts and transactions in general, just about all industries. The stock market, real estate, music, auto, event ticketing, and the list goes on. For music specifically, they can be used by an artist to create a brand community, offer new products, and another stream of income. There are creative ways which NFT’s and smart contracts can be used that to create a win-win scenario for the seller and buyer.

Like anything. there are those who abuse NFT’s, but there are certain qualifiers to look for to know when something is valuable. For example, anyone can paint a picture, but nobody in the world could paint a Picasso picture, except Picasso himself. There is a popular NFT artist named beeple. I’ve interacted with him long before NFT’s were a thing and used his motion graphics for a release of mine, back in 2015. So obviously there is something appealing about his art and work, aside from any idea of it being an NFT. There are many things that go into value, such as utility, scarcity, time and effort, and consensus or sentiment. The last point is a big one, because if enough people are willing to pay for something, then you have a market, and whatever that something is will have value. Doesn’t matter what it is.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think it’s the idea that I can take something I am already hearing in my head and put it into a tangible form that articulates what I am going through in that moment, and hopefully connect with other’s who are going through something similar. I often say that music is the closest thing to magic.

There’s also the idea that my music will remain long after I’m gone, and who knows what it may become. Think of a producer or artist many years from stumbling across my work and sampling it.

It’s a gift and a curse. The curse is that I will never have enough time to get out all of the ideas that live in my head. It’s kind of like fishing. The thrill is in letting the ideas flow freely, waiting, and then quickly grabbing onto one before it gets away. The beauty is that you know there is another day to go at it again, and you’ll never know what kind of gem you’ll stumble upon.

Another rewarding aspect is that music is a universal language, so it affords me to the opportunity to connect with people all over the world of many different cultural backgrounds. It gives a common ground that allows me to see a different perspective, and learn, while also fostering unity with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamswonk.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/iamswonk
• Facebook: facebook.com/iamswonk
• Twitter: twitter.com/iamswonk
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-FXjXgvDmD-yBOUaL3yj6g

Image Credits
http://www.instagram.com/e.alva95