We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paul Schloss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Paul, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path my freshmen year of high school. I was playing in multiple bands and doing shows almost every weekend. It simply made sense to me. I would write lyrics in class, constantly tap my pencils like they were drumsticks, and even practice double bass sitting at my desk, observing which floor is which class sounded cooler. Drums was my main instrument then, but I was starting to sing a lot more, learn how to scream, and learn piano. What confirmed this was the path I wanted to pursue was the feeling I got every time I got on stage. There’s nothing like it, even today.

Paul, 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?

My name is Paul Schloss and I’m a performing musician. I play drums in a band called The Okay, and I write & record my own music under the name Mi Landing. I’m also a worship leader and church musician.

I started playing drums when I was 10. I played mostly in school and at church, then in high school started playing in tons of bands. Everything from pop punk, classic rock, indie, & metalcore. In my late teens I started writing music, and I won’t ever stop.

My mission with Mi Landing is to let people feel something. I pour my heart into my music and I always make sure there’s some sort of lesson to learn from my songs. My faith plays a part in most of my music, but I don’t make every show or song churchy. I’ve seen so much good and bad in church, deconstructed my faith, and do my best now to be open about the fact that I surely don’t have it all figured out and I’m far from perfect. But I’m searching desperately for truth.

I strive to bring hope, healing, and inspiration through my music and my live shows, and I think that sets me apart. I’m not concerned with Mi Landing being the next big thing. My biggest goal with it is to have a community of people who simply want to be real and honest with their questions, emotions, fears, doubt, faith, and help each other through the tough times.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is hearing from someone that what you created impacted them. So far my song “Garden State” has had the most feedback and it’s been so humbling! Friends telling me they’ve cried listening to it. People saying they listen to it all the time because it makes them think about their own live and gives them hope. Art & creativity should never be about money, it should be about mission & impact. Hearing that something you wrote meant something to someone is far more rewarding than a paycheck.

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

In my view, I think society could support artists & creatives to have a thriving ecosystem by being open. Yes, some songs have more success than others, but what if there’s another song that is more impactful to you? What if there’s a song that sums up what you’re going through almost exactly? Would you be open to supporting that artist who probably has more songs that will mean more to you or would you rather listen to what everyone else is? Take a risk! Listen to something new. Go to a new venue. Ask your friends friend who’s in a band for some good music recommendations. Be open to the potential of finding deeper meaning in lesser known music and help an artist know they are seen!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.milandingmusic.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/milandingmusic
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/milandingmusic
• Youtube: www.YouTube.com/milandingmusic

Image Credits
Kassidy Rouse Matt Woodson