We Shape the Music Together
Day two after launch. Gratitude, reflection, and a reminder that these songs were never just mine... they were always meant to meet you.
Neuroemergent is finally out!!
As I reflect the day after launch, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. As someone who has always chased the next deliverable, this release is proof that the soft machine is working as intended. 😎
Listening again with fresh ears, I can only smile.
I hear the missed notes,
the empty spaces where I’d love to add another beat.
But I also hear a man
in the middle of transformation...
and a message ready to move
from lived experience
to shared experience.
My Philosophy on Music
(Why I Write JournalPop)
Spoiler alert: these songs were never meant to be finished.
Or maybe “finished” isn’t the right word.
They were meant to start alone,
and then meet you.
Now that Neuroemergent is out in the world,
the songs aren’t just mine anymore.
They’re ours.
They need you
your ears,
your perspective,
your stories
to evolve into what they were meant to be:
a safe space to care, confess, and create.
My hope is that one of these songs
will resonate with you
and spark you to share.
Share feedback with me (“Hey Chris, you really need more cowbell!”)
Share your experience (“Hey fam, you need to listen to Time Blind... this is exactly how I feel when I’m constantly late for everything!”)
Or share your network, if you know someone this might help reach.
How You Are Already Shaping Neuroemergent
The beauty of releasing music like this is realizing that once it’s out in the world, every listener shapes it differently. These first reflections are already reshaping how I hear it myself.
Plastic Mag
“A living, breathing reflection of what it means to venture through burnout and ADHD from the inside.”
Obscure Sound
“Captures the full range of emotion that comes with trying to rebuild a creative life.”
Mystic Sons
“A remarkable distillation of lived experience into six tracks of raw, inviting sound.”
Minding My Own Damn Business
And the Minding My Own Damn Business playlist from Lost Panda found a place for it (which feels about right.😜)
This is on top of the private messages I’ve received and the many “rejections” from playlisters and media.
I say “rejection” loosely, because none of them were about the music itself.
Each one came with thoughtful feedback with insights that helped me refine my audience and even a few production tips I’ll carry forward.
How You Can Shape the Music Now
I’m loving sharing this music and these musings with you, even if it sometimes feels uncomfortable to focus so much on myself.
When you listen, if a lyric lands, a memory stirs, or something clicks, share it or write it down (this is journalpop, afterall!)
You can message me directly, post on social, or just tell someone who might need to hear it.
Something like...
“Hey friend, I was listening to Soft Machine and it struck me... you need to stop thanking me and start thanking yourself for all of the progress you’ve made so far.”
That’s the music we’re making together.
Not just through streams or performances or playlists, but through lived experience shared with others.