Free Week//Austin//Playing with a purpose

Since I moved back to Austin in August I was asked to play for the band Modern Medicine. Little did I know how much my life would make a change, although seemingly ordinary and routine as it may be now. I joined truly out of naivety, simply having the desire to learn more about how to play synthesizers, how to be a better musician, and with the love of playing with a group of people. Over the past 5 months Modern Medicine taught me literally all of these things and more. I think the most important thing I have learned is mindfulness, the ultimate thing I feel that I have struggled with. Why do you play something, or why does it sound that way? In regards to photography I have always been able to get away with taking photos on whim, not really understanding why they turned out the way they did, and getting lucky with the frames that I later edit and send out/post. With this band there is no hiding, there is no getting away with a note or chord. It all has a purpose, and I think that is the greatest lesson Carey (band leader) could ever have taught me. I remember literally a year ago Carey asked me to come over so he could show me some songs to possibly play for Free Week 2016. At the time I think I was a little more distracted and overwhelmed with the offer than actually playing. I think Carey sensed my naivety and worry, haha so he never asked me to practice other than the one time we did. 8 months later, August 2017 turns around and I get a text "You ready to be in the band." I'm sure I could've gone through the semester going to school aimlessly as usual and playing with another group closer to my age called The Halfways, but I persisted to stay with Modern Medicine solely because I KNEW there was something special, something I could really get away from it besides playing in a band for fun and to make music. There is a deepness to this band, to Carey, that I have sensed and for me it works to be apart of it. Practice, handling relationship complications, are definitely not easy things to handle in this project, but at the end of these Free Week shows I couldn't help but think damn I'm lucky and holy shit was it worth it. How did I get asked to do this when I am in such a strange and confusing time of my life, how was I able to be given every synth I didn't know existed, and how I was able to have an amazing person teach me everything about it. I don't mean to glorify any of this, rather thank the time the universe gave me with this project. I have found purpose of playing and peace through being apart of it.

Pictured are photos I took of Young Tongue and Palm Daze, and lastly Modern Medicine (taken by a friend for me)from our last Free Week Show at Swan Dive in Austin Texas.