The Album Release Party That Made Me Want to Make an Entire Movie

The Life of a Modern Renaissance Man: A Video Journal, entry 16

Watching footage from the release celebration for The Devil's Advocate still gives me that rush of accomplishment. Akron Watson and I had made an album together, surrounded ourselves with our SiHK Brothers and Sisters, and brought people into something we'd built from ideas, music, friendship, and unreasonable amounts of creative energy.

There is nothing quite like watching a project leave your computer and become an event. The music suddenly has faces in the room. People are reacting, moving, laughing, and reminding you that the thing you made exists outside your own head.

At that moment, our ambitions were expanding again. We were inspired by Spike Lee and talking about writing and starring in a feature film called BLACKOUT. I love that about my creative circles. We can finish one massive project, celebrate for about twenty minutes, and immediately start discussing another one that would require an entirely different budget.

This video is about community as much as music. The people around you can help turn an idea into something tangible. They can also help you believe that the next idea deserves a chance.

I remember feeling blessed to have so many collaborators willing to create together. The album release was a milestone. The deeper gift was realizing that we had built a family of artists who were still hungry to tell stories.