Happy December!

Your free demo this month is...

“Rainbow Connection”
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(Each month I send a free secret demo like this to my subscribers — you also get access to all the past songs I’ve sent out!)
(keep reading for more info on the song)

This newsletter is coming to you from my Japan tour! To see everything I've been up to here, check out my Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook feeds. 😁

I almost wrote that November was spent entirely in preparation for this tour, but upon reflection, it’s been more varied than that. In recent months I’ve taken on more piano students, and it’s a real joy to be a part of their musical journey. I put a lot of effort into my development as a teacher, and I’ve noticed that this impacts not only my students’ learning, but my own musicianship as well. I’m grateful to be living in an atmosphere of growth.

I also took a trip to Boise, Idaho, for a sweet Sofar Sounds show at Boise Bicycle Project. Many thanks to Mickenzie and the rest of the Boise Sofar team for welcoming me! This was my 4th Sofar show (and city). If you’re able to attend a Sofar show where you live (or while traveling), I highly recommend the experience!

It’s a lot of work to make music, book shows, and plan tours, and as a one-person team, it’s especially exhausting. To be honest, I’ve been feeling a little burnt out. Sometimes it seems like the harder I work, the greater my self-doubt. A huge part of this comes from comparing myself to other artists. I’m trying to remind myself to keep focusing on my next steps and my path. It’s bound to be different from anyone else’s. And as the saying goes, Beyoncé wasn’t built in a day.

And something I’ve learned from teaching is that the music is the reward. I don’t give out prizes to my students. Music is the prize.

This month’s demo is the first cover song I’ve ever recorded. It’s also one of very few covers I’ve included in my shows. I played it for the first time as a sing-along at my Boston Sofar show back in September. With that in mind, feel free to sing along as you listen.

There’s something so mysterious and so poignant about the lyrics:

Have you been half-asleep
And have you heard voices?
I’ve heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound
That calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same.
I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it.
It’s something that I’m supposed to be…

I’m still deciding what these words mean to me. But just typing them gave me goosebumps.

Thank you so much for letting me share new songs with you, and in this case something a little different! And remember, I always like hearing from folks! You can email me, or reach out on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

Take care,
Stephan

Upcoming Shows

December 1 - Lagbag Music Togo, Kagoshima, Japan
December 2 - Graf, Fukuoka, Japan
December 4 - Risin’, Saga, Japan
December 9 - HOME, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
December 21 - Sofar Sounds, Seattle, WA
January 17 - Sofar Sounds, Boston, MA
January 18 - Sofar Sounds, New York, NY

PS Do you want me to come to your city? Tell me and I’ll try to make it happen! (I don’t always know where people want me to go…) Also, if you’re curious about hosting a concert, it’s easier than you might think! Especially if you're in the US or Canada. Piece of cake.