I've worked in retail for nearly 2 years and it has been a real confidence booster, which is just one of the tools that have helped me develop my music. I'm currently 18, and I started to put my interest in music into action what I was 11 years old from my bedroom. I've had a passion for music for as long as I can remember, but it started off very differently…
01. EARLY INFLUENCES
"... At the end of it all it came back to where it all started"
As a child I was mesmerized by dance and drama. Being a 90's child, pop music was rife and my favorite artist was Steps. Being glued to their catchy songs and dance routines, I wanted to do the same. I participated in 'dance' (tap and modern - my parents got the complete wrong end of the stick) classes for 2 years before pursuing my at-the-time stronger interest in drama.
I remember watching children's TV programs (who didn't love a bit of 'The Story of Tracey Beaker'?) and thinking "I want to be on that show" so I took up after-school drama classes which bagged me a place at my local Theatre school which I pursued for 3 years which was a mix of dance, vocal coaching and drama. During every performance I noticed I was getting more curious about everything that went on behind the scenes (lighting and sound in particular) rather than what was actually going on, on the sage. After a fair few years at my theatre school, I felt that my time doing theatrics was accomplished. It was time to hang up the tap shoes (I cringe now!) and focus on my now full-time hobby, music.
During my time at secondary school, I took up keyboard lessons which helped me excel further in my music classes. I reached Grade 4 after a good 4 years of lessons which was the foundation and starting point of my music career. However, my time having keyboard lessons was firmly up too when I started college.
Times were difficult and I had to drop my lessons in favor of my… buss pass, which was going to ferry me to college every day. I started College in September 2009 studying Music Technology and Technical Theatre. Having already experienced drama and theatre, my heart was in all the behind-the-scenes action but I didn’t actually realize the pressure and responsibilities of the course at first. I found the Technical Theatre course more demanding as time went on and was affecting the grades in my other courses. My fascination with lighting and stage design was over by the end of the first year due to the strenuous shows and work schedule. It gave me more time to focus on the Music Technology course which dabbled in the music industry, recording, using multi-track recording software, mastering, and hands-on time in the studio. All the hard work paid off and completed the course with a Distinction. I still find it odd to this day that out of everything I’ve done; at the end of it all it came back to where it all started – the music.
02. THE BIRTH OF 'OLM' (2007)
During my other hobbies at the time, I had always had an interest in music – whether that was dancing or singing to it, or making my own. It was something I have always done for as long as I can remember. I enjoyed making mash-ups and mega-mixes of my favorite artists and favorite remixes from an early age of 11.
(Above: 'OLM' in its 2nd year - 2008)
I loved a good dance mix to any track as I was so into choreography and dancing. My favorite mixers from the time were The Sleazesisters, W.I.P and Almighty who regularly remixed the work of Steps. Who could forget the Sleazesisters mix of ‘Deeper Shade of Blue’ and ‘One For Sorrow 2001’?! Genius. It was around the age of 15/16 where I decided that music production was what I wanted to do as a profession as my family said that I “had the knack”, and as my friends were convinced my work was of a ‘professional’ nature.
I started putting my mash-ups and mega-mixes on forums and websites to create some buzz and get as much feedback as possible. I went under the name of ‘OLM’ (my initials) for around 4 years before becoming 2nd Adventure.
(Above: A classic example of one of my best known mega-mixes from the 'OLM' era in 2009)
"I remember the final nail in the coffin for the name change as I was shopping in IKEA one day and my eye happened to glance over at this table, and funnily enough, it was called 'OLM'... It had to go after that!"
03. A NEW ADVENTURE - 2ND ADVENTURE (2010)
"I guess that was one of the defining moments which convinced me that I had to take my hobby further."
2nd Adventure opened a lot of doors for me since I started working under my new name in Novemember 2010. As home studio technology was advancing and becoming more affordable and available, I decided to download a piece of software which would start me off on the remixing treadmill.
I decided to remix the artists I listened to day in, day out, and the one's that were most in demand of my mixes to cater my audience. Rihanna, The Saturdays and Britney Spears.
I attended a New Years Eve party, and my friend came in and was playing one of my mixes on her phone and she didn’t believe that I had made it – and I couldn’t quite believe how she had managed to find my mix, and put it on her phone! I guess that was one of the defining moments which convinced me that I had to take my hobby further.
(Above: The mix my friend thought I was having a laugh when I said I made this - 2 months in to 2nd Adventure, December 2010)
My favorite mixing suits are 7th Heaven, Almighty, The Alias, Freemasons, Cahill, Wideboys, Digital Dog and Bimbo Jones, to mention a few. Their sound has influenced me a lot and I always try and make my sound meet in the middle. Not so much as it’s the same, but so at least you could tell it was a 2nd Adventure mix. It’s important to me that if someone was to ask me to remix their song I’d want them to feel like they’d know exactly what to expect with a 2nd Adventure remix. I’d describe my music as very ‘hands-in-the-air’. At the end of the day, people are going to want to do dance to this I think to myself, so that drives me into creating hi-energy mixes.
(Above: 2nd Adventure in 2012)
Although I feel I have accomplished a lot during my experiences, I’m learning every day and there is still a mountain to climb. I feel I’ve been able to build up a connection with fellow bloggers who promote my work, and work on my relationship with fans keeping them up to date with my latest work on the likes of Twitter and Facebook which are powerful tools in today’s industry.
I’d describe myself as a very creative and organized person. I’m a firm believer that planning is the key to anything. Failing to plan is a plan to fail. Having been in education for most of my life, and working in retail, I’m used to working to a brief, and making and meeting deadlines. My friends and family would say I’m a responsible and reliable person, and I would tend to agree. I feel I’m only still young, and I have my whole life in front me, whatever that may entail. I have a lot more to accomplish and I’m looking forward to learning more about recording, mixing, mastering, and the music industry.
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