Today we’d like to introduce you to Hodge .
Hi Hodge, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
•I’ve been singing since I was 8
•Started in the school choir
•Throughout middle and high school, I did theater, show, and chamber choir and joined the dance team. You name it. I did it. My mother was doing her best to provide for my brothers and me, so she got home late very often. She put me in anything that picked my interest to keep me out of trouble.
•My first taste of individual performance was a school talent show where I flopped; and realized I had growing to do and came back the following two years (junior &senior year) to win first place.
•In college, I joined the choir and studied voice, also taking on the position of the vocal percussionist in the jazz choir.
•I took on as much as possible to learn musically, from voice lessons to music theory and piano classes. I picked up a guitar and taught myself enough to play in front of people comfortably.
•being part of that choir gave me many opportunities to hone my skill and perform on many stages I would have never imagined being on, including Carnegie hall.
•I was lucky enough to also be a part of a local band (Downtown Gasconade) for a while, which allowed me to explore myself musically and develop a stage presence.
•after dropping out of college simply because I could no longer afford it. I decided to pursue a solo career as an artist
•with the help of my life partner, I was able to buy FL studios and a mic, and for 3 years, I taught myself everything I could production-wise and also picked up playing the bass.
•this led to my first album, “Gasconade.” Paying homage to my first band and displaying the new version of myself that came from all the trials and errors life has thrown my way
•I was lucky enough to meet two great individuals right when that happened, Devon White and Jordan “Chevydawriter” Weaver, my spirit brothers. They pitched starting a collective, and when the call came, I hopped to it.
•” Kinfolkandthem” is a collective of talent that carries the same values; To help, build, and push forward with integrity and perseverance. The awakening of the St. Louis renaissance.
•We have been on the rise for the past 6 months and thrive to become better. We push each other to greater heights from Profields reserves to the blue strawberry, blueberry hill, grand rising, the dark room, and even the blue lounge.
•There is so much more to come, and I only hope everyone reading this comes along for the ride
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing is ever smooth, life happens, and all you can do is make the best choices for yourself and your happiness. Figure out what that happiness is first so you can move accordingly.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a vocalist first, guitarist second, and a producer third. Everything else that I do falls behind those three things. I am a life student, so I’m learning at every chance. I’ve taught myself pretty much everything I could to make sure I’m as independent as possible and do not need to rely on anyone, though I am learning that it is ok to do so when you have the right people around you. Nothing sets me and others apart other than my understanding of life. We all love what we do, do our best at any given time, and thrive on being better. I love music in an unexplainable way, and I want people to hear and feel music the way I do, to be moved by sound in such a way that you are just floating yet drifting with the current rhythm and sound.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Life is a risk; every choice you make changes the path you walk down. The only thing that holds me true is focusing on my happiness. Is pursuing music a risk? If we go by social norms, the answer is yes. But what am I risking at the end of the day? What is my motive in life? Those are questions you have to ask yourself.
Pricing:
- guitar lesson 40/hr
- private events- varies
- booking for shows- varies
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hodgemusic/?hl=en
- Other: https://linktr.ee/hodgemusic
Image Credits
Bryan Elliot
