"It's been a phenomenal process, honestly, seeing how far you can go in one year."
Case Study: Ethan E.
My name is Ethan Etchart, I was a musician ten years ago in my high school band but very minimally. I played euphonium and trumpet very basically. I would play with the guitar a little bit too, and I had some stuff figured out.
And then I joined the military, life got busy, and I lost all my connection with music. I knew something was missing, I loved it. I really wanted to make it a part of my life.
Then a year ago when I had my birthday I just knew, I was like “Dude, I have to do this now.”
I came into the program not even thinking that I'd be making music. I thought I would just kind of like, learn how to play guitar a little bit better and maybe sing some stuff and do covers.
But now it's a year later and I can actually produce songs on software. It's been a phenomenal process honestly, seeing how far you can go in one year.
My expectations were not to get to where I'm at already. So, I'm pretty stoked.
What attracted me was the fact that I knew that there would be commitment. The morning before I show up on the call, I have like, zero motivation to do the practice, or the recording, or the production! And then just because I know I had to meet with him a day later, I spent hours and I made awesome stuff. And I'm like “Dang, this wouldn't have happened without some sort of coach ahead of me” You know?
So, that's what really motivated me because I just knew if I was ever going to make music happen, I was going to have to put my investment into it and put my trust in someone guiding me through as well.
He could really take the calls wherever I needed it to go. I usually was jumping around from one different topic to the next. And he was easily always able to switch into that next topic.
Whether it be music theory or whether it be like, software production, whether be like, barre chords or like, simple fingerpicking patterns. He could basically do it all. Or, he could redirect to all the other resources that exist on the website.
There was so much support. I only uploaded videos a few times, and when I did, people were so positive. There's like, amazing support from all the other people that are participating in the program. It's really cool.
Understanding that there's like, kind of these four pillars with the four H’s was good because that gave space to be able to focus on one at a time or integrate all if you can.
For instance, I had a moment where I just felt like, bad with my guitar. My hands just felt bad. I just had to really focus just on Hands for a while.
And the Hearing, the active listening. I listened to so much music all the time growing up and throughout all my adulthood too. I always liked lyrics and stuff, but a lot of times I just kind of tune them out. I just want something that feels good while I'm driving around or while I'm working out. But to like, actually like pay attention more to messages of songs, it expanded my listening experience.
So, you know, life is just better.
Basically I wasn't just practicing chords to just practice chords. There was always a way to make a song out of what I was practicing. So everything was directed towards creation. That was so huge for me because that opened up my practice way more.
And then when we got to GarageBand, I went from being lost on that software with like, no hope. Then boom. It's like, okay, now I get on there and I feel like I can try anything. I'm like “Oh, now this is really going to open up a new aspect of my creativity.”
The songwriting aspect is honestly really empowering. I didn't think that I would be able to touch that at all, even in a year. But it's like, no, you're surprised at what you can do with more intention and more focus on your musical abilities. It comes so much quicker than you think.
I get in this program like, a year ago, and for me, I'm thinking like, “I just want to be able to write one song.” Next thing I know I’m writing stuff down and like, everything's coming together. You put down a verse and a chorus and next thing you know like, out of nowhere you have a song done.
And throughout this year I finished two entirely, but I basically have five done. And beyond that I have all these ones that already coming together slowly with ideas and threads that are leading to something.
It's your own little way to have more happiness and joy. I just noticed in the mornings if I set the time to play the guitar and sing all of a sudden I’m feeling so great, and I'm finding all these empowering things that I could say about myself.
It's a great way to know that you can bring a really healthy source of joy into your life. Art, to me is honestly one of the most important things. Because it provides that empowerment within everything else you do in your life. It really builds you up to have more confidence.
There’s kind of a gatekeeping aspect of the music industry where it's like “Oh, you have to be kind of born with skill” and stuff like that. But everybody is a musician at heart.
My musical expression definitely, and confidence, it's a whole other level.
Just being able to be around family members or like, show friends or even like on TikTok, I've uploaded some things. There's no way I could have done that a year ago. I'd have been so afraid to do something like that.
Some of the stuff I do on the software recording my voice sounds crazy and weird sometimes. But I'm like “Hey, I know now that this connects to something.” And realizing that usually artists that end up having some success with it, they understand that there's kind of this surrendering to your weirdness a little bit with it. And so when you allow yourself to work through that, it’s a beautiful level of confidence that can come through.
And I still feel like I got so much that I'm going through right now with it. So I can't imagine like, how much more it can get better...
The team here are so proud of Ethan for all his accomplishments and excited for how his musical journey will continue from here!
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