Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Sometimes All You Can Do Is Hate...

     I bet some of you guys are wondering what's up with the title of this post. Well first of all it's lyrics to a song that is called "I Hate" by Passenger. The song basically talks about the things in life you can't help but hate. There are some things you can't change, especially in this crazy world. Being a singer/songwriter isn't always easy. Most people just see the good side of what I do, but they never see some of the bad stuff. For example, I have to do school just like every other kid. I'm home schooled but that doesn't mean the work is any easier. One thing I absolutely hate is Geometry. The way I see it is I already know what I'm going to do with my life and it has nothing to do with that dreadful stuff. I still have to learn it though so I can go to college to learn stuff I'm actually going to use in what I want to do. 
     Another example is, I've had to put up with people in the music business that give out empty promises. That has happened several times with me. I will say I have never been one to get my hopes up no matter how promising something might look, but there is always a part of me that has a tiny bit of hope. There are a lot of liars in this business, but luckily I'm working with some amazing people now. I have had my fair share of let downs though.
     Sometimes I hate the fact that it takes so long to get noticed. Getting people to listen to my music isn't always easy. Some of the most amazing artist have had to wait years just to get discovered. I have to remind myself that when I feel like it's never going to happen.
     The point of all this is to show you guys what I do isn't always great. No, this was not meant to depress you haha. Music is what I love though, and I put up with all the bad 'cause I can't change it. In life we will all have amazing things that happen to us and we always need to stay positive, but sometimes it's okay to acknowledge the things we hate. Never forget to be thankful for what you have though. So I'm going to leave you guys with one of my favorite lines from the song,

     "I laugh and I live and I have love to give, but sometimes all you can do is hate." -Passenger

xx Carson 

This is me and my best friend meeting Passenger at the Ed Sheeran concert. He's a really nice guy. Definitely someone I look up to. (left to right, Me, Mike Passenger, and Abbey)

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Interviews, Shows, and Twitcams Oh My...

     Well, this week has been pretty busy so far. I started school, *insert sigh* and I've got quite a few music things coming up. One of the things I have to do a lot for my music is interviews. I've done several with podcasts and radio stations. I absolutely love them. Most people would probably think it's because I get to talk about myself, but I just like talking about music, especially when someone asks me who my influences are. I could go on and on all day about my favorite musicians, songwriters, and artists. But most of it is having to talk about my music and writing, which I don't mind at all. I've learned that the hardest part about working in music is getting everyone to listen and share. That's one reason why interviews are so important; they open you up to a whole new set of people. This Friday I have an interview at 12:30 pm with FM 94.3 WRHI's live radio show called "Straight Talk" with Manning Kimmel, which I'm super excited about. Even though I've already done a few interviews, every time is different. Plus I get to share what I'm about, and what my music is about. I'm also a people person; so I love to talk.
     Another thing I have coming up is a show Saturday. A lot of people don't realize what goes into getting ready for a show. I will admit that since I've been performing a lot this summer I have become quite the procrastinator, but most of the time I have my set list ready in a week advance and I've practiced a lot. I always try to do songs that everyone will love, from kids to my grandparents. The really awesome thing about this upcoming show is that it's for the Make A Wish Foundation. I've always wanted to perform for something like this. Not only am I getting to play my music, but its for an amazing cause. So if you want to come to Kings Mountain, NC at 5:30 to help support it that would be awesome.
     The last thing I'm going to do is a Twitcam Friday night at 8:00. Some of y'all probably don't know what that is. A Twitcam is a live video stream that's connected to Twitter. Anyone can watch, even if you don't have a Twitter account. If you do have an account then you can tweet me about it while I'm doing it and I can answer questions, or just talk back and forth. I'm going to have my guitar out so I might play some songs. It's almost like a hangout where everyone can get to know me and my music. I wouldn't be opposed to anyone telling their friends about it and joining! Knowing me, there's no tellin' what might happen haha.
     So to sum everything that's going on this week, I have an interview Friday with FM 94.3 WRHI at 12:30 with Manning Kimmel (You can listen online also), that night I will be doing a Twitcam at 8:00 pm (So please watch and share with friends! You can find a link to it on my Facebook page or Twitter), and finally I have a show Saturday at Kings Mountain, NC at 5:30 pm for the Make A Wish Foundation. Hopefully you can come support the great cause! I hope everyone is doing great.

xx Carson

Friday, August 31, 2012

Home is where the studio is.

     Hey guys! Just thought I'd catch you up on what's been going on lately. About a week ago I was in the studio recording two new songs, which I'm SUPER excited about. For anyone who doesn't already know, I love being in the studio. Ever since the first time I was lucky enough to get to record a demo, I've loved everything about it. Not only has so much great music been made in it, but so many amazing artists have worked there for hours at a time to perfect their music. The atmosphere is so laid back. Not to mention I learn something new every time I go there.
     Some of you guys might not know what happens when I go to record, so I'll try to break it down.
Most of the time the full band production is already done, which means just the vocals are left to be recorded. I'm so thankful for the amazing musicians that have played on my songs. The music is normally recorded wherever the session players are ( California, Tennessee, Texas etc.). Every time I go to the studio it's different. It depends on who you're working with. Most of the time we walk in and take a few minutes to catch up with everyone. After that we get down to business. I go into a separate room from the sound board, put on my headphones, and run through the song once so we can get the volumes right, then start to record the real thing.

     Once I've gone through the song about four times I go back to the main room where everyone is. I tend to joke around a little and talk before we are ready to do the vocal comp. I bet some of you guys are wondering what that is exactly. Vocal comp. is when we go through a little section of the song at a time and pick the best parts of the four times I went through the song. It can be quite a tedious job. Some artists leave it up to the producer or engineer to do it, but I can be a perfectionist, and I like getting a say in how I sound in my songs. Once we're done with that, I either go back to the recording room and record the backing vocals, or we're finished. Sometimes it can take hours, or even days. I honestly wouldn't mind having to work in the studio for weeks.
     Like I said I learn new things every time I go to the studio. Sometimes it's musical stuff and others it's stuff about me I never knew. For example, this past week I've learned that I love the technical side of music. Yes, it can be a pain when you have to go through every little detail of a song, or you might be editing something and the computer decides it doesn't want to work, but I could see myself working on that side of music one day. Maybe a producer, or audio engineer? I don't know, but it definitely makes me think. I know right, that sounds scary! Haha. I guess everyone learns new things about themselves every day.
     I know I'm probably leaving a few things out on what happens at the studio, but like I said I'm still learning. Plus I think I'm lucky if you guys are still awake after reading this. I hope I'm not too boring and y'all enjoyed reading it. I'd like to quickly thank everyone who helped with my songs! They sound amazing, and I can't wait for everyone to hear them. Keep your eyes out! I'll hopefully post something again soon.

xx Carson

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

For Starters...

     Hey guys, I'm Carson Hill. In case you didn't already realize this, I'm starting a blog. For anyone who may be reading this and doesn't know who I am, here's a few things you should know about me. I'm a singer/songwriter. I've been writing, performing, and playing guitar for about three years now. I'm fourteen and live in a small town in North Carolina. Yes, I am a Tarheel fan haha. I've been told I talk really fast, and loud when I get excited. I love to laugh, most of the time it's at myself. I love making other people laugh too. I think you shouldn't take life too seriously, so live in the moment. I'm a perfectionist especially when it comes to my music. Music is my life, and the reason I'm starting this blog. So if you want to hear about what's going on with my music this is the place to come. Another place where you can find out more about me is my website .http://www.carsonhillmusic.com/.
     I'm currently performing a lot of different places, and trying to get as many people as I can to hear my music. It's harder than it seems. I'm very thankful for anyone who has shared my music and supported me. Without them I would just be crazy girl singing to no one.
     People are always asking me who my musical influences are and my answer is always "What Genre?".
I love all kinds of music. I'm really into 70's and 80's stuff like The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, John Melon Camp, Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, and Steve Miller Band. I also love swing music, and stuff from the 50's and 60's. Frank Sinatra stole my heart. I wish I could go back in time and hear him live. So like I said, I listen to all types of stuff. Personally I think my Genre is Singer/songwriter. I've always said that's the genre for artists who don't really fit in a genre. Garth Brooks is my hero when it comes to entertaining. He's also one of the reasons why I love country.
     I feel like music brings everyone together. It doesn't matter what race, language, or country you live in, music is always the same. If I can write a song that gives one person hope, or makes them feel less alone my life is complete.
     So basically this is the start of many posts. Hopefully the rest will be a little bit more interesting. As a reward for reading through I will leave you with a silly picture of me. Thanks for reading!


-Carson