This intro has been a long time coming. Bear with me while I get the hang of some things…
Hello, I'm Rachel, and this is my new project. Welcome to OnSight Collective Music, or OCM, for short!
My 30s have been a hell of a chapter so far, ultimately for the better. Becoming a mother, navigating a divorce, finding (some) discipline in diet and exercise, learning to say no, finally experiencing true self-love. I found the courage to face a lot of the demons I avoided in my 20s, still working on a few of them. But for all the love I poured into myself these last few years, I still couldn't help but feel… behind in life. I had built a decent career in a corporate healthcare setting and still felt like an impostor. Constantly wishing I'd had the self-discipline to accomplish more in my 20s. And looming even larger? Knowing that my calling in life was in music but not knowing exactly where or how to get there.
My music journey finally began in early 2022, and it quickly became both my therapy and my sanctuary. I let my curiosity lead the way - from songwriting, production, and recording, to voiceovers, and then to streaming on Twitch... I threw anything at the wall to see what would stick. I learned a lot about myself along the way! Learning to let the music guide me helped me to better express myself, to be present in the moment, to find beauty in the small things happening around me. But I ultimately realized – this was not the path for me in music.
And then I just felt stuck. It was quite a sobering moment to no longer feel called to develop myself as an artist… what now? I didn’t know the answer, but I knew what would help me find my way: people.
It's funny how love and consideration for the important people in our lives end up shaping our own path. And when a beloved friend shared with me the music he’d been making on his own journey, it was a no-brainer for me to jump in and help build a business to support his artistry.
Just like that – I dove head-first into music business. It was dizzying at first – the amount of reading it took to understand the intricacies of how things work in this industry. But the research paved the way to hands-on experience and new skills in copyright, publishing, building a business to support an independent musician’s craft, and much more.
What a blessed (albeit chaotic) time to pursue music – where damn near eeeeeverybody has the ability and the access to create, publish, distribute, and promote their own music. We are living in the era of the independent musician.
On an exceptionally painful night for me over the summer, that critical moment of absolute clarity came. I was no longer stuck and knew exactly where I was going next.
And that’s how OCM was born.
This next chapter of my music journey takes everything I’ve learned about the industry and redirects in service to the music community I’ve admired from my phone for far too long. If you’re an independent musician, or someone like me who wants to help others on their own music journey – then this is for you.
The premise of this project is simple – I’m going to continue following the music, but this time, I’m following it to connect with like-minded people pursuing their own paths in music. I seek to teach what I know and be taught what I don’t. To uplift those whose music and spirit uplifts me.
OCM Academy is the part of this website that will focus on educational content. When I first started learning about music business, it quickly became overwhelming to have to click through so many sites and read the same thing 20 different ways before a concept made sense. The goal is for each educational unit is to deliver a comprehensive overview on each topic geared toward the independent musician - the absolute fundamentals that must be understood when building your own music business. This will also be available as short-form content on OCM's social media channels.
What I'm more excited about than anything is the opportunity to interview and promote local artists, songwriters, and more. This content will be posted to the OCM Showcase page. I may not get to do this as frequently (at least, in the beginning) as I'd like, but this is really where I want to do it for the love of the music that speaks to me.
OCM’s mission is to educate, empower, and showcase independent artists and songwriters. We elevate together when we learn and grow together. Community, creativity, and culture – for all.
I’ll see you out there!
Rachel