To 25 Year Old Noel

1432 Regret Circle

Alternate Universe, FL 33333

Dear 25 Year Old Me,

You don’t know this yet, but you are about to go from happily creating music to being swept up into the giant, crazy world of major label rock. Sure, you‘ve been playing night clubs since the age of 15, and written some pretty cool little diddies, but you aren’t prepared for what’s coming. Your muse, John Kurzweg will have to take another project even though the demos that you did together got added to modern rock radio and ultimately led to a publishing deal with EMI Music, and a record deal with Aware/Columbia Records. But don’t fear- the label executives will eventually find a producer for you that loves the record as much as you do. In the meantime, you’ll get to work with some great people. You’ll need to learn how to properly sing so you are going to get voice lessons from the great Jan Smith in Atlanta. You will put together a fanstastic band and make a record at House of Blues Studios in Memphis, and New Reflections Studio in Nashville. There is something else you should know: even though you guys will spend weeks mixing the finished record with Charlie Brocco and Malcolm Springer, the label is going to hire a famous mixer called Chris Lord-Alge to mix the “four singles” on your record. That is going to feel like an insult to you. Take heart, it’s for the best! It turns out this guy CLA, is one of the very best mix engineers to ever do it. You’ll even get to spend a week in Los Angeles to pop in each day at the end of the day to hear the mixes. I promise you, even though this will sting at first, you will be glad this happened after you hear the the final product.

You know that song you wrote called “Perfect Ending”? It is going to be featured in the movie Saving Silverman! You will also have a top 50 rock single (for about one week, hehe) and will be fortunate to tour with your buddies Creed and a band that is going to be shot out of a cannon after their first single “Kryptonite” is released. That band is called 3 Doors Down. Eventually Nickel Back and Collective Soul will be a part of that tour too. Trust me when I say that your head will be spinning. You will have become addicted to the rush of that moment when your manager and label rep hear a song for the first time and exclaim THAT’S A HIT! In time though, you will learn that this is a business and those people that paid you all of that money want to make money; and music is risky business. Don’t take it personally when they tell you that the way you dress isn’t cutting it.

Right now, you are in Billboard magazine, and reviews are coming in for your record, and it really feels like you are going to be famous! I hate to tell you that even though you loves you some you, you won’t sell enough records. But, all is not lost! After you get dropped, you will go to work for your manager’s management company. You will be mentored by incredible people and, will meet some incredible artists and producers along the way. Sure, you will be butt-hurt for year or two about being dropped, but you will do some custom music for ESPN, ABC and the US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team as a consolation. Then, in a strange twist of fate, you will be invited to become a business manager in Nashville. Now this may shock you; but you have a serious amount of growing up to do. Your boss in Nashville is going to help you do just that. One thing you can look forward to is that your wife will let you have most of the upstairs of your house to build out a project studio. You will learn a lot as you try to buy your way to glory. UPS and Fed Ex will deliver lots of music gear that you don’t actually know how to use. But here is the best part: IN THE MIDST OF THE MISTAKES, YOU WILL  FINALLY LEARN TO BE A TRUE ARTIST and  FALL IN LOVE WITH THE GIFT OF MAKING MUSIC ALL OVER AGAIN. Yep, once you have spent all those thousands of hours and dollars chasing some redemptive ghost, it will occur to you one quiet January day, that maybe you should share these lessons and experiences with others. Being able to create music and to express yourself is the true reward Noel. So in the end, you will have lost nothing and gained everything. Pass it on.

Sincerely yours,

Your Older, Wiser Self