discovering my music
get to know a little bit about me and my music
as a singer-songwriter, my journey through the world of music has been as much about discovery as it is about creation.
it all began when I was 18, strumming my first chords in a classical guitar class at grand rapids community college. the sound of nylon strings under my fingertips wasn't just the beginning of a hobby; it marked the start of an intimate dialogue between my inner experiences and the outer world. and it was a way that i could connect with my grandfather, ricardo feliu, who is one of the best requinto players in latin america.
musical milestones:
rooted in church choirs and musicals: i spent the better part of my adolescence at the central hispanic seventh-day adventist church of grand rapids, mi (the og, on burton st.) in church choirs and musicals, singing solos and having important parts in musicals.
classical beginnings: at age 18, i ventured into music through a classical guitar class, sparking a passion that would shape my creative voice.
college collaborations: my transfer to aquinas college opened up new avenues. access to the kretchmer hall recording studio allowed me to lay down tracks for my demo "distance (143 miles)" (which will be released in the futureโฆ stay tuned!) and lend my voice as a backup singer on classmatesโ projects.
2012 -a year of creation and loss: by 2012, my musical path seemed clear. i collaborated with several friends and recorded four new songs during the summer. however, the trajectory took a sharp turn when burglars stole my recording equipment and the hard drives containing all my work from my grand rapids homeโa loss both financial and emotional.
vermont ventures: relocating to vermont in early 2013, i found solace in music again. from acoustic house shows to busking on church street, each chord strummed was a step toward healing. my voice also found its way into other artists' projects, weaving my story with theirs.
discography dump: the grand rapids demos
to revisit and share the raw, untouched beginnings of my musical career, i've decided to release a collection of old demos recorded when i was 19 and 20. these tracks, born in the intimate setting of my early experiments with songwriting and recording, represent the foundation of my musical identity.
the living room sessions
these songs were recorded in my parentsโ living room computer. iโd wait until everyone would leave the house and record a song or two and edit them in audacity, haha. clandestine music production!
not so terminal anymore: this is a song i wrote when i was 19 after a period of serious mental health issues and several episodes of self-harm. i was starting to recover and was feeling hopeful.
this is how i miss you: i wrote this song when i was 20 years old about missing someone i had developed a crush on that would only reach out for sex. i was pretty in my feelings about it at the time.
julieโs song: in my very bisexual fashion, i wrote this song around age 18 or 19, i think? about a girl i had met over xanga initially and developed a friendship that blossomed into online romance. we didnโt meet in person until years later and we had already moved on, the rest is history, haha. from the era of internet girlfriends.
other original demos
[demo] distance (143 miles): this demo was recorded in 2008, when i was at aquinas college. this was recorded in kretchmer hall; with kate griffes and erin sprague-rice on backup vocals, tim parker on piano, produced by kathy gibson.
[demo] tarzan y jane: a song i wrote around 2011 in spanish about seeing an ex of mine with a guy that was significantly hotter than meโฆ humbling, haha.
[demo] distance (143 miles) with ian dodge: my friend ian had a recording studio in his apartment in grand rapids, so weโd smoke a ton of weed or drink a bunch of whiskey and record music. we recorded the most hungover version of my original song โdistance (143 miles)โ after we both woke up in his sister chynnaโs apartment living room a sunday morning after going part hopping saturday night before. good times.
[demo] hey (seems that youโve lost): i wrote this song in 2010 after i had a nasty falling out with an ex-boyfriend. he cheated on me while we were living together. i dumped him and moved out of our apartment and into a house with a bunch of friends on fuller street in grand rapids, mi.
[demo] save your breath: i wrote this song in 2010 about that same ex-boyfriend i mentioned in โhey (seems that youโve lost)โ. it was a pretty nasty breakup and i had a lot of feelings about how he was having his friend harass me via text and phone! i even changed my number.
[demo] fallinโ: i wrote this song around 2011. i donโt exactly recall who this song is about to be honest, haha. i do remember having lots of crushes around that time, itโs possible this is about one of them.
the blank project
[demo] โwhat love isโ: this song is one of the songs that survived the theft of 2012โฆ i had written a 3 song ep called โthe blank projectโ about very broad concepts: love, loss, and redemption. this is the only track that i have for some reason.
covers
dickhed (kate nash cover): one of my favorite songs ever, and i cover it. actually proud of this one.
this list is a homage to my past, a nod to the resilience required to rebuild after loss, and a celebration of ongoing musical evolution.
each song, with its imperfections and raw emotion, invites you into the early stages of my journey as an artist.
join me in this celebration of growth and persistence.
to all my supporters and listeners, thank you for being part of this journey. your engagement fuels my creativity and helps keep the music alive. let's continue to build and defend our happiness through every note and lyric.
until next time,
edgard