“So you’re going to leave behind a good job, your dog, your boyfriend, your house, your family, your friends, all these good stable things in your life, for a 5% chance at ‘making it’? That’s bold”.
That’s what a co-workers said to me when I announced I had quit my job to move to Nashville.
And she’s not wrong about one thing, it is bold. As a matter of fact google says only 0.000002% of musicians actually become successful, so saying 5% was generous. But you know what? If I don’t try at all, the odds become 0%. So honestly the odds are clearly more in my favor if I do.
So that’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to leave behind all the amazing things my co-worker mentioned, and I’m going to go to Nashville. Why? Because I don’t want to have regrets. I can always come back, but as hard as it is to leave, it’s never going to be easier than now.
I’ve had a lot of questions, and as people find out they’re certainly talking. I get it. You can talk! But I’d like to control the narrative, so let me do that.
Like my co-worker said, it’s bold. I’m 26 years old and I’m doing a full life 360. So I’m here to answer some of those frequently asked questions:
#1 My goal is not to “become famous”. My ultimate goal is to become a songwriter. I would love to get signed to a publishing deal and be able to write music as my full-time job. I love performing but ultimately writing is where my heart lies. If my goal was performing, I’d stay in Iowa. It’s much easier to get paying gigs in Iowa than it is in Nashville – that’s simple supply and demand.
This doesn’t mean I don’t love performing – I do! It also doesn’t mean you still won’t see me up singing on stage, because you will! It just means I’d love nothing more than to hear my songs being sung, and I don’t mind if they’re not being sung by me.
I’m hoping this move will allow me to spend as much time as I can meeting other songwriters, co-writing, playing songwriter rounds, and being around like minded individuals!
#2 What about the gigs I’ve already booked? I will absolutely be coming back to Iowa to play them! The good news is, I’m playing two shows in Iowa this summer! Better yet, both shows this summer are going to be epic!
I’m playing at the Benton County Fair on Friday, June 25th and will be opening for Aaron Tippin. I will then be back in Iowa a few weeks later on Thursday, July 8th, as I play the Buchanan County Fair. I’ll be on the main-stage getting the party started before Justin Moore and I’ll be keeping the party going after Justin Moore in the beer tent! These are both going to be incredibly fun shows and I have a talented group of dudes accompanying me. I would love to see you there!
Lastly,
#3 I’ve gotten countless questions about how my boyfriend, parents, friends, etc. feel about my move. Honestly, as harsh as it sounds, it doesn’t really matter how they feel about it. It matters how I feel about it. I get asked this a lot as if it is their decision on how I live my life. It isn’t, it’s mine. It’s my one life that I’m granted and I want to squeeze every bit of life out of it!
But truly, none of them are surprised by this decision, because it’s never been a secret how much I love Nashville and how much I want to be a songwriter. As long as all of those people have known me, they’ve known I’m a dreamer and a doer. They are also all encouraging of my move. They love me, they believe in me, and they are my biggest fans and supporters. They’ve got my back. They want to see me chase my dreams!
So that’s whats happening.
I quit my job.
I’m moving to Nashville next weekend.
I hope to bring you all along for the journey, so make sure you join my email list and check back on the blog. It’s sure to be an exciting ride!
Cheers to adventure, firsts, facing fears, chasing dreams, and maybe just maybe being that 0.000002%.
