What's going on you guys my name is Stephan creator of the YouTube Channel Audio Addiction. I'm from Toronto Canada ( any fellow Canucks here?), specifically from the suburb of Scarborough. I've been a content creator for about 9 months and loving every day of it.
I've always loved music, everything about it. My father was in the music industry, and even when I was little, was in the studio. At the time I never really liked it cause I'd rather be playing video games, but eventually I started to grow more and more interested. I would say the catalyst was a Grade 8 project, where I was assigned to find a country music artist to talk about. Knowing nothing of music, or even country music for that matter, I turned to my dad for advice. What he said would eventually start my pursuit in wanting to be in music, Johnny Cash. Yeah, you read it right, The Man in Black. If you know nothing of him, I highly recommend in giving him a listen because I fucking love this guy. I researched him, and was so hyped to discover him. This would inspire me to take up the guitar, sing like him, and be everything like him (kudos to my mother who had to listen to this prepubescent boy try to sing 3 octaves lower than middle C). This right here, would lead me to listen to more guitarists, Eric Clapton, Steve Vai, and many others. My fascination with rock music grew more and more, and my Dad would introduce me to many more artists, and the little sponge I was would absorb all of it. It would end up, the both of us challenging eachother into a little game we would call "Name That Tune", I would lose every time.
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At this time, I was sure I wanted to be in music. Elated for all of this, my Dad took me to the studio, taught me the fundamentals of tracking, recording, mixing, editing, songwriting, and so much more. He owned a studio at that time and I would be there everyday after school. I would help out at recordings for indie artists, help with menial tasks like setting up mic stands, mic tests, and simple editing for the head engineer at the studio. I loved all of it. I was so excited for my future, I studied in music, preparing myself to pursue this in Post-secondary, first wanting to go to Humber College to study Jazz, but eventually turned to the management side just like my father.
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However still in high school, I got to see some of the darker sides of the industry. Now taking a pause here, looking back, it wasn't as dark as what I know today, but to the little high school kid it was pretty bad to me. Seeing my dad argue against artists, or treating them a certain way. One moment I still remember clearly. I asked my father why must he act this way to artists, or engineers, and he would reply, "This is the only way son, you have to be cut throat in this Industry". With that said I started to question everything about myself. I never wanted to be like that, this cold heartless suit in the music industry. I had my own thoughts and ideas that I questioned, thinking is this what my dad would do? Is this the way I should be doing it? Eventually I started to hate my dad, the way he did business, but a big part of me told myself that I need to be him, I need to be this way in order to be in the industry that I loved. I began to hate myself, and ultimately came to the conclusion that I couldn't be in the industry, but I didn't want to be in any other! I was lost, depressed, and really suicidal. I know many of you come across depression, and everyone is different. For me it was the fact that because I couldn't be the cut throat person that I needed to be, that I couldn't be in the industry that I wanted to be in, then I don't want to be here. I would attempt suicide, and be rushed into the hospital.
In the hospital would make me feel even worse. To me, I thought "Fuck, I can't even do this right". But it isolated me in a good way. I participated in CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Theory), and met a wonderful person named Jim. Now I'm not going to go in the process, but ultimately Jim made me think differently. At the time you can say I was a pretty black and white person, and either the world went this way or that way, no inbetween. Jim convinced me to know that there are always choices, always in between, always grey. I rekindled my relationship with my dad and he offered me a opportunity that would be by far the most fun in my life.
I would join a band. My dad would discover a very talented singer, talented bassist, and talented guitarist. They were of similar age to me and my dad thought it would be a good thing for the band to add another guitarist to the mix. It was tough, practising in the studio for hours on end, leaving at 3 in the morning, and then waking up at 7 for work. But it would pay off, our first gig was at The Duke, no one was really there, but it was my first performance, and it was fantastic. Then we would perform at the other gigs in the city, eventually going to London Ontario, Hamilton, all sorts of places. Playing at Vans Warped Tour, opening for huge classic rock acts like Vince Neil, Michael Schenker, and many others. I would meet a lot of cool cats along the way. However the band would disband, and we would go our separate ways. Actually the the three guys I mentioned, would still play to this day, and they are still pretty rad. It was fun but more importantly, re affirmed my desire to be in the industry, and to show my dad that there was always another way of doing business. I would go to the University of Toronto for Arts Management and meet some even more cool people.
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Now you might be wondering where does this channel come into play. It would come to be the support by my at the time girlfriend. I loved YouTube, I loved music, I loved guys like The Needle Drop, Adam Neely, and the like that reviewed, and analyzed music on the platform. I had an idea of recreating my musicology classes into a funny, and engaging way on Youtube. Although I had the idea, I never went through with it, saying I'm too busy, or any other excuse I could think of. But My Ex would really encourage me to do so. So I did it. Although we aren't together anymore, if I ever saw her again I'd like to thank her for encouraging me to do this.
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And ever since then it was off to the races. I discovered crypto currency, and started to research the tech behind some of these. I really think there is something in it that can change the world. Steemit is just another one of those platforms that I can participate in, because without adoption does not come the change we all think will happen.
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Thanks for reading, I'll see y'all next time.