10 years, 1000 songs, 1 Princely muse
How do you measure the call on your soul?
I told myself, “This is it.”
It was 2014. I was a couple of years into being a certified life & leadership coach. I was getting the word out there, crafting an online presence, joining entrepreneur networking events and communities, designing my thought leadership…all the things coaches do to expand their reach and influence.
In coaching school, it struck a deep chord whenever mentors said some of us were born to be coaches. I told myself, “This is it…this is the career I didn’t know I was perfect for.” For all intents and purposes, I was on track to build a successful coaching practice.
But, there were signs something else was also emerging.
For instance, soon after I’d introduced myself to a fellow attendee at a 2014 entrepreneur networking event, she felt she “had to” hire me as her coach. I was humbled and grateful, but startled. What had I done to get such a quick YES?
The answer would reveal itself over the next decade…sporadically, and far too slowly for my entrepreneurial fancy, but ever so magically.
Purple reign
For a week or more in 2016, the world draped itself in purple, in memoriam. Music icon Prince had passed on Apr 21, and I was mystically drawn into his orbit. I couldn’t claim to be his fan at the time. In my youth, I hadn’t vibed with his music. But the global outpouring of grief got me curious, and I dove in headfirst into his musical world.
Soon, I was hooked. “Boy, have I been missing out!” was my inner refrain, as I explored his eclectic discography. And I found common cause with the message of peace that coursed through his work.
When the student is ready, the teacher appears. I was ready to learn, and the energy & legacy of his Purple Highness had appeared. It was time to get to work.
I folded his wisdom into the articles I wrote, and his work ethic into the way I showed up as a coach. I connected with members of his Purple Fam, and watched The Revolution (one of his bands) in concert when they got back together. “This is it. This is the best way to honor my newfound connection to Prince.”
As providence would have it, there was one more chapter ahead.
1000 songs
I declared Jul 4 2021 my day of musical freedom, when I decided to go all in as a livestreamer, to learn the craft of music through offline study and live online practice.
Armed with a ukulele, my work laptop, a DAW (digital audio workstation aka musicmaking software) on a payment plan, and the whispers of a childhood dream, I relentlessly built up my musical skills. Prince’s passion fueled me. He was known for taking a song from idea to ready-for-release in one night. I wanted to master that too.
By Feb 2024, I’d built up a request list of 1000 songs from multiple genres, about 700 of them performance-ready. They were songs I knew, and songs livestream chatters introduced me to. They were tunes I’d seen other livestreamers perform, or tunes I’d discovered at virtual music festivals or in DJ sets.
This eclectic list was great for my skill-building, and to help home in on my artistry, but it was confusing to most chatters. Other than my OG “ride or die” fans, most viewers want a predictable vibe, or sound, or community.
I don’t know that I’ll ever pare down my repertoire or sound to be predictable. Genre-blending musicians are my jam i.e. the likes of Prince, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott, Kimbra, and Jacob Collier.
Still, I’ve stepped away from regular livestreams for a few months, for a season of contemplation. Though it was a call on my soul, and I’d honored that call for more than 2 years, becoming a musician hadn’t been on the cards, and a reset & recalibration were in order.
It’s also been a season of integration between my musicmaking and coaching work (which has deepened into what I call “soul guidance”). They’re starting to fold into each other, carving a delicate dance on my calendar. I intend for them to breathe and flourish in turn.
You’re hired
In 2022, on a “are we a good fit” call with a potential soul guidance client, they said a quick YES. This time, I was still humbled and grateful, but a little less startled.
For when we heed the call on our soul, and step into the work we’re truly meant to do, it naturally shows up in our being, and in the energy we radiate. It’s undeniable, and irresistible.
Prince was born on June 7th. Since 2016, the Purple Fam gather on or around June 7th, in his memory. These last 8 years, with Prince as my guide and muse, have been soul-expanding. As this #PrinceDay celebratory weekend draws to a close, I end my annual remembrance feeling proud to be a fellow musician.
And I’m taking Prince’s sense of responsibility to heart:
‘’The truth is that, you either are here to enlighten or discourage.’’
