We recently connected with Nicholas Asphodel and have shared our conversation below.
Nicholas, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Being a musician at some point you are going to have to learn how to play music. Reading music is not necessarily essential but it really helps. I started in fourth grade learning how to read music and playing the trombone. I kept up with that through most of high school. I gained confidence in my ability where I felt comfortable enough to teach myself bass guitar. After you know how to read music, it is just the process of learning where the notes are, and instrument specific technique. I never thought I could really sing well but I joined choir anyways and I learned how to use my voice as an instrument well enough. That really helped my develop me ear (to make sure I was not wildly out of tune). Later on in life I got drawn back to music and wanted to learn violin. It was simply just a matter of purchasing a violin, a beginner lesson book, and watching some YouTube videos. Knowing how to play music and making music is a very different process I soon discovered. I started recording my self on my MacBook using GarageBand (recording software) and a cheap interface (connects microphone/guitar to computer). With much trial and error I found that you have to keep consistent time to a metronome so everything synchs up correctly, and figuring out recording levels makes a huge difference as one can only turn up the system volume so much. Blending the sounds together takes a practiced ear. Mastering a track and really understanding EQ, along with removing noise is still quite the task.
I could have sped up the process by reaching out to the music community for answers and guidance. I like to do everything my self, including learning but with all the wealth of knowledge out there it is hard for a beginner to sort out what is useful, what is irrelevant, and what is useful but only at a much later stage of the game. Talking with people and asking questions would have saved me a lot of mistakes and heartache due to lost time. I have signed up for online seminars and talked with people that had experience recording and I have learned volumes. You can take all of the music lessons for any instrument, and you can go to school for recording is another degree in itself- this all would have made everything easier. Taking lessons for a variety of skills would have really sped up the process for me, but with time and money being issues that was not so much an option.
I did say earlier that knowing how to read music is not essential, but for my journey as a one man band I could not even conceive how I could have started without that skill. Other than knowing being able to create music (singing, playing an instrument or even just making digital sounds), time, patience, and being comfortable learning new computer skills are the essentials. Being comfortable asking questions and reaching out to people will make your journey easier.
My biggest obstacles have always been time and money, even so those being huge blocks I still managed to come this far. I would love to take lessons, but not having that as an option, I was still able to grow by talking with people to find out what I even needed to learn and where to spend my time. Paid lessons are a short and fast way, but there are free resources everywhere – you just have to know which ones are the lessons that will help you.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a singer/song writer/multi-instrumentalist based in the Los Angeles area. My primary instruments that I play are trombone, violin, and bass guitar, although I am now grabbing any musical instrument that I can get my hands on to learn. I write original songs and sometimes do covers that are released on all digital streaming platforms. When I have a bit more time I make music videos for my songs on YouTube. I am currently working on my debut album of all originals that will come out in early 2025, and I have a few collaborations with other musicians in the works.
My passion for playing music started early on but as I get older just playing through familiar sheet music was not enough for me. My instrument collection has evolved as well as my skills. With a bit of experience in life perhaps I have a song in me to sing. I feel that my musical instrument collection is meant for speak out in to the world as my voice. I started out my music career a bit later in life. I have always loved music, but life held me prisoner for a time having me suffer through great financial hardships and loneliness. I have now seemingly landed on my feet, and my voice as an artist wants to call out to those who have suffered similar fates to give them hope, or at least let then know that they are heard and still loved. The human experience is not a Disney fairytale, but that does not mean that it is not worthy or beautiful. What hardships we have in life bring meaning to those peaks. Is not food sweeter when one is hungry? The contrast between dark and light is the theme for the times.
I want my music to show the beauty in darkness, and sooth those troubles that haunt all the lovely lost souls out there. Many have characterized my music as moody and melodic. I use influences from old folk, grunge rock, electronica, and classical to weave a sound tapestry telling the tales of wandering spirits, whether living or dead. I feel sets my music apart is my blending of all the different instruments into unique arrangements. I am very excited to share my debut album when it is finished, as I have been working hard at developing my voice more and adding piano. I have just released a Nightmare Before Christmas cover of “Jack’s Lament” where I am quite proud of my vocal work, but I have already learned so much since then. I feel that my new album will far surpass any magic and emotions shared.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I think that first the artistic community at large needs to change before the rest of society. I have encountered many music instructors that stifled many upcoming students by such things a playing favoritism, public shaming, and flat out bullying. There is much respect that should be given to teachers, and instructing beginning to intermediate students to play in time, in tune, and with expression is no easy task- but that can all still be accomplished without the aforementioned. I have also encountered a fair amount of unnecessary elitism by musicians and educators. They want you to buy expensive student models and scoff at cheaper mass made variants. While not appropriate for the London Symphony Orchestra, a purple saxophone factory made overseas will serve a student just as well as a handcrafted well honed brass from a legacy brand. So many YouTube guitarist will tell you you need to purchase expensive guitars and demonstrate how the fret ends on a cheap guitar will wear wear out thin cotton gloves (I have seen this ridiculous demonstration more than once….) If you are playing speed metal that would be a big concern as it would tear at your hand, but a student practicing on their first guitar will not be sliding their hands at anywhere near a rate to slice skin. There are many music schools that only have one standard way to teach (I am calling out the Suzuki Method here!) and anything else is considered blasphemy. Students learn in different ways and if one method does not work, that does not mean that they are bad. The greatest musicians we reference broke the molds, not following others. Music is a creative pursuit, so the educators should do better to embrace creativity.
The public at large, the only thing one should say is to support underground artists. On social media giving a like or a comment goes a huge way towards promoting an artist. If a song made you smile, let others have that experience as well. The more likes and comments, the more that piece will be pushed out and shared with others. Getting paid is nice as we all need to live, but hearing your thoughts warm our hearts knowing that we helped your day be a little better even by the smallest amount- and your sharing that publicly will help get us noticed. Scrolling through instagram, Youtube, TikTok, or anything else there is a lot out there and it is not your job to be a promotor for everything out there, but if you see something unique just help us get heard.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Growing up, I was a bit of an outsider. I had few friends. One elementary school friend loved watching all of the sports, and that was sorta of my entire school. One day we were hanging out and he wanted to play basketball. Before we left he showed me his grandfather’s electric guitar that he just inherited. I was fascinated by it and I wanted him to show me how to play it, and what all it could do. He was not really interested and only complained that he had to buy a cord to plug it into a speaker and that was way too expensive. I threw the ball up at the hoop bored as he was having a blast. All I could think about was the guitar. I was teased for the way that I dressed, My taste in music has been difficult for others to accept. I had to have talks with teachers about what I could do to fit in more. I do not dress different to stand out, I dress as I do because that is how I feel comfortable portraying myself. I like my music because it makes me feel the emotions I need to feel to let go. As anyone else I would I enjoy sharing new songs and bands that I heard, but I am not forcing anyone to listen to anything. I think back on going on a college roadtrip once and everyone else in the van just wanted to listen to top 40 radio. I did not understand why that is what they wanted to share as you heard those same songs everywhere you went regardless of your desire to listen to it. Everyone wanted me to participate in hearing their songs but then no one wanted to hear my picks. That was not fun trip. I had a teacher call me over to try to politely tell me that I was being argumentative. They gave the example of, “everyone has to put their pants on one leg at a time”. I was not angry or telling anyone what to do, but he did not like my response that you can just bunch up your pants and shove both legs through at once. I always see more solutions and perspectives, and if someone tells me something cannot be done, or that is the only way, I take that as a challenge. What world would we live in if everyone just accepted everything at face value?
I am sure that there are those who had much larger struggles with far bigger crises, but I think I can speak for many creatives. We are not just trying to be as different as possible to shine and garner attention, in fact I am far more of an introvert and I do not want that sort of attention. We just want to be able to be ourselves, and not be told we are in the wrong for now wanting to conform to everything. There are definitely hard are fast rules that must be followed, and there is what is polite in society which should remain unchallenged, however; let us be happy being our weird little selves once in a while.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.twitch.tv/nicholas_asphodel
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholas.asphodel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nicholas.Asphodel/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicholas.asphodel
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nicholas_asphodel
- Other: https://nicholas-asphodel.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
Photos by Pamela