Life is crazy, there is no doubt about that. So when we are presented with moments of calm we hold onto them as if they are the only thing standing between us and the edge of sanity, and let’s face it, sometimes they are. In reflecting on the many ways in which we connect to our inner sense of calm I couldn’t help but notice just how important art is to our spiritual and emotional well beings. Often allowing us to escape into the beauty of vast unknown worlds of creative expression, for many of us, art is a safe haven.
This holds particularly true for us Black folx. As we grind through the daily ins and outs of our often challenged existence, we grow weary of living in spaces that just don’t seem to get us. Constantly tangled in webs of grinding and hustling we are left to search for ways that keep us grounded and connected to ourselves. Art is this connection, while allowing us to freely create as our individual selves, it also connects us with other people who are also on this journey needing expression too.
An up and coming artist and musician by the name DeRod speaks to this as he says “music is my art and I just want to make art that people can feel”. Artists like DeRod who understand the importance of evoking emotion are integral to keeping sanity in a world that otherwise exists without it. Born and raised in Fresno California this young artist started cultivating his love of music while in middle school as a rapper. He furthered that love of music by joining his high school marching band, keeping everyone entertained with the skilled sounds of his trumpet. It is from these humble beginnings in music that has brought him to where he is now releasing his new song featuring Frazier P, another young Black artist.
Like DeRod, Fraizer was born in Fresno but was raised in Detroit after moving there in his youth. As a lover of poetry, Frazier cultivated this passion into creating music saying that he found music to be the best way to express himself. Together these two new artists remind us of the many simple pleasantries in life. As we continue to search for reminders of good as our world feels unknown, music like theirs reminds us that in art we can find solace, in art, we find ourselves.
Check out DeRod’s new single “Grapefruit” featuring Frazier P now on all major music platforms. You can also follow both artists on social media to stay connected with them and to keep updated as they continue to make feel good music that brings some chill to your day.
Link to song: https://unitedmasters.com/m/grapefruit
“Music is life itself.”
-Louis Armstrong
Creative Wholeness 