We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Lawrence and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I don’t think I really had a choice. It’s in my blood. I was born a musician. Every time I forget this and try something else, it never really goes very well. So I have learned to stick to music no matter what.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My own career path, like many others, has been very winding and filled with both pleasant and unpleasant surprises–not to mention a few unmitigated detours! But through all of this I have gathered some disparate skills that, when put together, seem to be serving me well. I got my start as a pianist, then picked up trumpet. Later I became interested in conducting and composing. In college, I picked up the pipe organ. I was well into my thirties before I got into rock music and started producing my own compositions, and strangely enough, producing music is very similar to registering an organ. Mixed in with this was an interest in experimental music and field recording. Now I’m writing music that I hope to have placed in film and TV, and it has really proven to be a combination of many of these skills.

Nothing has been easy, but wherever I find myself, I just try to do the next thing and stick with music no matter what. A friend of mine once told me affectionately that I’m “too dumb to quit,” and I wear that as a badge of honor. For me one of the big challenges has been that I’m an introvert with not a whole lot to say–unless you want to talk about books or music. This can be a handicap in a business that requires a lot of self-promotion, but I try to make one new friend at a time. I have given up on the concept of a personal brand. I’m unsure of how well this serves us. I just try to do my best and–as corny as it might sound–be of use to other people.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In terms of natural beauty, the top of the list might consist of Torrey Pines, the tide pools in Ocean Beach, along with Sunset Cliffs, as well as the Desert Tower in East County. In terms of food, we have taken a liking to a few of the spots here in Hillcrest–Common Stock, La Taverna, the Crest Cafe, and La Puerta in Mission Hills, just to name a few. The restaurants here are an embarrassment of riches. The only bad meals I’ve had here are the ones I’ve made myself! I’m also a coffee enthusiast, and I want to give a special shoutout to Public Square Coffee House in La Mesa–excellent coffee, excellent food, and some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. And if my friends were visiting at the same time as a concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, I might consider taking them there, especially if it were one of the hybrid organ-rock concerts, which are really well-done. Not all cross-genre attempts work, but this one is amazing!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is potentially a really long list! I’ll just say that many of my teachers. colleagues, and friends have helped me along the way–not just with getting gigs and making introductions and things like that, but also by helping me check my perspective on things and making sure it’s constructive. And books get a lot of credit too! Among the most important for me are The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin, as well as the work of the Stoic philosophers, among whom Epictetus is my favorite. Then there is The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron–a book that, in a certain sense, saved my life–as well as The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I also get a good shot in the arm by reading the correspondence of successful artists–everyone from Brahms to Bukowski.

Website: michaellawrencesound.com

Instagram: instagram.com/michaellawrencesound

Facebook: Facebook.com/michaellawrencesound

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDBXPGYjxAwYkOHmHHmIhVA

Other: https://michaellawrencesound.bandcamp.com

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