Q1. Tell us about a side project that has meant a lot to you. 

Tarune, my solo music project, has been my main side project for just over a year now. There was a moment last winter when I found I’d accumulated dozens of demos, original songs, and musical experiments of mine from the last four or five years, but none had been shared with the public. I think it was probably out of my deep-set fear of not being "good enough." I recorded another song, in one, what felt like an exceptionally inspired moment, and it was the first time that I took the time to record, over and over, until I felt the very sought after "chills.” I then sent it to a couple friends of mine, some musicians, some not. One dear friend ubered over to my house that night at 2 a.m., full of glee and generous passion for the song. She really pushed me to release it, instead of keeping it locked away like I usually did. That mixture of confidence in the song, and the support of my friend, made it feel like the right time to stop waiting for the right time! And suddenly, in the months following, my music went from a secret bedroom hobby to a playlisted song on Spotify, with an eventual thousands of people listening and sharing this song of mine. And it was all written and recorded in my bedroom. It was unreal. 

Q2. Why is it important to have ownership of, and to pursue your own ideas?

Well, primarily the last decade or so (for the 99.6% of people who don't know me), I've focused most of my energy into working as a professional actor. It's gone pretty well! I've worked on several TV shows and done a handful of indie film roles that I'm proud of. But there was something about the process of auditioning for others’ projects, trying to fit into the writer's roles, that was frustrating. It made me realize that acting, in a lot of ways, albeit a fulfilling creative venue, does not leave much room for creating something tangible of your own. You are the guitarist and the drummer in someone else's band. You are fulfilling the writer, director, and producer's vision. It is immensely fulfilling in its own way, a playground for emotional exploration and character...but I was searching for a way to create a project that was truly mine. I discovered that music is the venue I was searching for. And to look at something I always considered just a hobby, now as a way to express my own personal journey, was an awesome switch to experience! And now, having been a little over a year since I released my first single, I've found there is truly nothing like looking at something you've created and knowing that it represents what you wanted to put out into the world -- and there is no "trying" to fit in to anything. 

Q3. What would you say to individuals trying and struggling to move their own side projects forward? 

Take a look at what part of your project is special; is yours, and only yours -- different from any other thing that other people in that field have done before. Focus on that, and sharing that singular vision with the world. I believe that there is always that "something" that only you, the one individual, with all of the experiences, education, practice, and curiosity of your individual life, that you can make. The thing that no one else has done, or will ever do, because they are not you -- with your unique amalgam of passions and endless nights of exploration. That "something,” the thing that no one in the entire history of the world, other than you, could make, will find its place. Simply keep working on it and sharing it, and I believe it will find its time and form in the world. There's a beautiful piece by a legendary writer, named Carlos Castaneda called A Path with a Heart. He speaks about the feeling of being on that path. The one with a heart. The one that "does not make you work at liking it.” You will know when you are on it, and if it is not right, you must choose another path. So take a long moment and ask yourself. I promise, if it is right, you will know.

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