I quit my day job

April 20, 2017

Hey Trazer fans. Big news. Today, I officially quit my day job. My wife and I are moving to San Francisco, where I’ll be pursuing music full time.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Four years ago today, my life turned a corner, and I admitted to myself that making music was what I wanted, and needed, to do with my life. And so now I’m finally going to try to make that dream a reality. Because after all,

If not now, then when?
If not me, then who?

I expect the next year or so could go 1 of 2 ways:
1) I’ll use my new-found free time to truly perfect my craft, release a bunch of new music in a relatively short time, possibly get signed to a record label, and/or start doing shows. Then just maybe, Trazer will “take off” and become financially viable. This is obviously the best case scenario (or most delusional, depending on who you ask).
2) I’ll run out of money (I’ll be living is San Francisco, after all), or decide that the financial and/or emotional insecurity of the full-time musician lifestyle isn’t for me. Then I’ll *hopefully* get a tech job in Silicon Valley.

I admit the most realistic scenario is perhaps a combo of 1 and 2. That is, I’ll spend the next year setting the stage for a career in music. Then, I’ll get a job to help pay the bills while pursuing music the rest of the time.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure of receiving messages from people from all over the world. This “fan mail” ranges from simple but expressive YouTube comments, to multi-paragraph emails about how my music has made a positive impact on someone’s life, to extremely generous donations via PayPal (TrazerMusic@gmail.com) or my Bandcamp page. You know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Seriously, thank you.

That brings me to my final point. To all of my fans, I need you. You are the foundation upon which my dream stands. I am nothing without you. So please, if there was ever a time to show your support, it would be now.

You can help out however you feel comfortable. Share or repost my music on social media. Tell your friends. Give me a big hug and tell me everything will be ok. Buy, rate, and review my music on iTunes. Comment on my YouTube videos. Follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram, etc. I’m not just asking for money, though I am. I’m not just asking for your help in getting my music out into the world, though I am, because I can’t do it alone.

But really, more than anything, I’m asking for your emotional support. If my music speaks to you, simply knowing you exist is a huge source of motivation and inspiration. Please never hesitate to reach out to me.

To those of you who have already shown your support, thank you! You are amazing and inspiring and I love you.

To those of you who think my music isn’t ready for prime time, I agree. I believe in my music, but I acknowledge that I still have a lot to learn. And that’s why I’m doing this, to really sink my teeth into this passion of mine and see how far the rabbit hole goes. If I don’t do it now, I fear that I never will, and I’ll always wonder what could have been.

It’s incredibly scary. Terrifying, to be honest. And yet for the first time in a long while I feel truly optimistic about my future.

Exciting times ahead.

Love,
Anthony / Trazer