#blog12

    One of the biggest things I've noticed (and also through talking with friends) about growing up is that we care less about the little things. For better or for worse I just don't really care like I used to about a lot of things; gear, money, hangouts, free time, deadlines, streams/downloads/views etc. I still have passion for these things and they're big pieces of my life but I don't care nearly as much as I used to. And I believe it's just part of getting older.

     The good part about not caring is that I don't get attached to things I can't always control. Also, the highs are less high and the lows are less low which opens doors for things that are more organic to take their course. That's about as far as my head is at with this whole rebrand/2nd chapter; I'm still more focused on wrapping up Rosedale the best I can with these shows that I don't really care to get my heart set on a new name and start hashing out deadlines. I just want it to all come organically with the new songs being the fuel.

      I also wanna establish a more balanced mindset going into this new project. I realize the biggest reason I've always worried about losing my over-caring angsty "teen-ismn" is because it is responsible for the stuff I'm most proud of (not to mention the things I'm least proud of). It pushed me to stay up late and give my writing/live show that much more. It probably pushed a lot of people away because that selfish "now" mindset often lacks good leadership. But for the DIY content/show/tours it built, it proves some serious work ethic. So finding an organic, organized balance between passionate, "all eggs in one basket" work horse and mature, "let the team build the dream" stoicism is what I'm after.

     I was already thinking about this a lot while working on improving my routine and getting ready for this tour. But the big eye opening juxtaposition hit hard Friday in Montreal when my good friend and longtime supporter, Mellyssa, brought me a Rosedale scrap book she'd made with help from Emma, Abby, Becca, and Rob. It was the most brilliant gift I'd ever received! Check some of these out:

Halloween 2008 in Watertown, NY :

     I cared TOO MUCH back then. The highs were over the top bliss, the lows were catastrophic. We needed to get a vehicle and American work permits asap so we could go down to the States and play those central NY shows asap. I needed to have 2 guitar cabinets asap because in my head it would sound so much better. And it felt so good making that stuff happen because it meant so much and it was so new that I had to work extra hard to make it happen.

      But when that first Herkimer show was canceled for reasons we couldn't control- when I got the call as I was locking up the purple shuttle bus- it felt like getting dumped while buying flowers. Looking back at those pictures, though, it's hilarious! But 20 year old me with an agenda to rock new territory did not think it was funny at all.

     I figured that could be some insightful information for a young aspiring artist. Let that burning passion to bring dreams to life fuel your art but don't let it lead you to being stranded 400 miles away from home. Especially these days; nobody is desperately waiting to see your live show (no matter what they say on Facebook) and you don't need six speakers driving your guitar tone.

      Enjoy the process of creating your art for nobody but yourself. Get it to the point where you can be very proud of it and then keep making more. Don't worry what your friends think of it or if the cool kids across the country will ever experience it. Chances are you're not gonna get their full attention until Pitchfork reviews it anyway.

     This scrapbook also, evidently, inspired me to bury my face in my laptop and get moving on chapter 2...and write another blog. With the tour wrapping up and the shows not getting any bigger, it's been hard to keep a positive outlook on how chapter one is wrapping up. But Mellyssa's scrapbook definitely pumped some air back in the tires. It made me realize that as small as Rosedale may seem in the eye's of outsiders- and as many fans that have fallen off the bandwagon, me and my loyal little following understand how colosoal this really was. 14 years actually flew by when I look back on the amount of hours, miles, shows, and knowledge accumulated from one music project. Comparatively, I'm not sure the next chapter will be as long. Maybe it'll be even longer. I still don't even know what the hell it is going to be. But I definitely know it will have a different structure and approach to developing it.    

     That's all for now. Big shout out again to Mellyssa for creating this awesome scrapbook and bringing it all the way up to Montreal since I couldn't find a Potsdam show. The thought alone showed me that there is still something to be said for the impatient, passionate little cub in me so thank you for reigniting that.

There are more fun and creative photos at:

https://www.deviantart.com/supernaturalfirefly/gallery/66478675/Rosedale

       Hope to see some more familiar faces at this final Rosedale show September 21st at Hard Luck Bar in Toronto. If you were ever thinking about visiting Toronto and you like even just one Rosedale song- this is a perfect time to come finally check out the city and experience the big final shebang. Tickets available here: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1749906

Sleep is an absolute necessity amongst the human population. Not only does it provide physical rest, but it is also quite important for physiological repair, consolidating of memories, and clearing products of metabolism from the brain. Despite acknowledging its overall importance,sleep is a topic that I would not typically associate with much cultural variation as I assumed the majority of the human population follow similar sleep patterns. However, it was interesting to discover while reading the textbook the clear cross-cultural differences in sleep habits worldwide.

like you don’t know what’s going on anymore. like you don’t care about anything anymore.

you’ve lost motivation to do anything. your mind is set on too many things that you are confused about your feelings and you can’t explain how you feel either. 

we are currently looking at a property in town and i hope the owner will be too kind to allow us rent his place. to be honest, i feel like this is a great decision for us.

why? because ever since we moved here in rototuna, our family has been in disorder.

we occasionally got into fights. our family time decreased, etc.

i really appreciate and enjoy living here as it is really quiet, peaceful, and safe. i also do feel living in luxury since we are surrounded by ‘rich’ people. however, i feel it a good time for us to move.

People came in the beach

And brought chaos with them

Attacking those who are not white

Or any of those they condemn

Who wants to be beaten badly?

So in response, they fought back

What irony! They have weapons

But a right mind, those people lack

Discriminating for skin colors

What an uncultured kind of bunch

They saw themselves as greater

Throwing away punch for puch

This is racism, people

A mindset we should avoid

And if we still practice those acts

The half year of the elite 4 was a roller coaster ride. There were high points and lowest of the low but everything fell into place for the four. It was a perfect mix of courage, persistence, and determination which led them to accomplish their goal but in every success story there will always be an end. This is the END GAME.

Today is the day that the elite 4 will wrap up everything for their demo day - “the final pitching.” They have undergone testing and continued interviewing about their product. They have already gathered every data they needed to persuade the panelists that the product they created is something more than just a product. In fact, the products that every group has prepared are no less than the others. The products are new and innovative and I think this is what really matters. It is not about what other would say about our idea; it is about the intention of creating that product and the purpose of it in the society. We are all inventors and what we create is a masterpiece and no one has the right to tell us that our ideas are useless and has no purpose in life. We are here not to be a businessman; we don’t want to be someone we are not. We just want to share what we have in our mind when it comes to innovation and technology. This whole process opened my eyes to the real scenario of life, that everyone will always have something to say about what we think and do. We just need to take it in and move on. Always remember that the simplest thing we do to help the society is really a great contribution, there is no less idea or action. Everything we do is greater than the great.

This is why at the end of this process we are contented at what we have created, at the performance we have shown. They may think it is a mediocre type of product but for us it is more than that. We have started this with nothing and we have ended it with something. This is the END GAME.