I have a "real job" or a "day job". The kind that pays the bills... You know- provides health insurance, and a sense of security, all traded for long hours of personal time. But I'm not here to talk about that. Here, on Steemit, I came to be the real me. Ed Iseley the musician.
We've all heard the expression- "Hey! Don't quit your day job!"
Usually directed to someone who is singing a song terribly loud and equally bad. However, if someone is singing well, you will most likely never hear "You should quit your day job!"
Why is that? Because no one wants to face the unknown of financial uncertainty. Well, me either. I am a new father of a beautiful 14 month old baby girl. My wife opted to work per diem and avoid day care - I'm glad that she did. I am very happy with my personal life, which all is made possible by my "day job".
Let's back track a bit!
I grew up in the beautiful Fingerlakes region of New York State. I've been obsessed with music since I was about 13 and I've been playing guitar and singing since I was 15. Also since that age I've been jamming out with my older sister's friends - (who I adopted for my own). For about 13-14 years, my only stage was a bonfire. But at the tail end of those years, after much encouragement from family, friends, and strangers, I took a leap.
Started with singing cover songs at open mics, until I decided to give writing a shot, and what do you know? I found out that I have things to say.
Now I have establishment myself as a solo musician in a music loving city on the eastern part of NY state called Rochester. A city of about 280,000 people located on the south of smallest(yet enormous) of the Great Lakes - Ontario. I released my first album in 2016. I just finished recording and producing my second album to be released in May! I play out on weeknights and weekends at pubs, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and hard cideries.
Even though the extra spending money is nice, it's even more meaningful and important to me to be out entertaining. For every bit as I identify with being a musician, I am also an entertainer.
If I wanted to really give music and entertainment a real shot, I'd have to travel. Though it sounds like am amazing experience, it would take me away from my beloved wife and baby. Being away like that, missing my family time and daughters milestones- I'm not sure I could bear it for too long.
Now enters Steemit into the equation! My sister- an amazingly beautiful person, super talented writer many of you know as Dreemit, has been trying hard to get me into this new world of social media that actually rewards you in currency! Far beyond the rewards, I will be able to reach people all over the world. I will be able to make new friends, and observe their beautiful talents as well. Instead of a platform like Facebook that thrives on drama and negativity, a network that thrives on creativity, positivity, and constructive criticism.
So here I am! Thank you to all the people who have already been encouraging me to join! I will make my entrance with one of my newer songs, "Bonfire band". This song illustrates the feels I get when I'm about to hang with my long term musician friends, my adopted friends from my sister I mentioned earlier who now feel more like family than anything else!
