Well,
what a crazy “beautiful ride” (Dewey Cox, 2007) it has been. I started this
journey in a roundabout way, but today I will finally graduate from college and
be a True-Son of old Missouri. Some of you know my story like you know some of my
songs and I’m so grateful for all of the love and support that I have been
given over the years with my musical endeavors and recently with going back to
school to further my education.
The one
big question you always get asked when going to college is what do you want to
do with your life, what’s your dream job? Most of the time when people asked me
that question they were under the assumption that I was a “normal” college kid
between the ages of twenty -one or twenty-five. Almost every time I was asked
that question though I would respond by saying, “I don’t know, I’ve already had
my “dream job” in many ways at the age of 23 so it’s kind of hard to say…” Strange
looks would usually ensue, and sometimes I would tell my story, but the
majority of the time I changed the subject or just kept to myself. To this day
though, it still blows my mind that most people think songwriters sell their
songs to artists for a flat fee.
Today is
truly a full circle moment for me. I feel so blessed to have had so many wonderful
opportunities in my short thirty years on this earth and continue to have as I
move forward. Earning my degree from a great institution like the University of
Missouri gives me a great sense of joy, pride, and accomplishment and no one
can take that away from me.
Some say
there are two paths in life, one being the road less traveled and the other
being paved. Well, I can honestly say that I have experienced both of these
paths and have learned so much from both, which are equally valuable. I am
forever grateful for all of the knowledge I was able to soak up like a sponge
while working as a singer/songwriter in Nashville. I got to learn from some of
the best at Big Loud Shirt and from so many other amazingly talented folks on
the creative side and the business side of things on a daily basis. I didn’t
know it then, but so many lessons I learned from growing as a writer and a
person during that period of my life really gave me the tools to be a better
student once I returned to school.
My
experiences at school were more by the book/paved, figuratively and literally.
There definitely was a big adjustment period, but once I got going I felt I
couldn’t be stopped. Being an older student mixed in with younger students is
truly an interesting and eye opening experience. Your priorities at eighteen
and nineteen are a little different than when you are 29 or 30, understandably.
Needless to say, I felt like I always could learn something from my younger
peers and they could always learn something from me too.
As I am
reflecting today, I really did learn a lot from my time in college. Sure, I
learned how to solve polynomial functions in college algebra, I became decently
fluent with Spanish, memorized a ton of flashcards for physiology, and learned countless
communication and sociological theories…all of these things are very important.
However, the most important thing I learned from my college experiences and my
musical experiences have been within myself — who I am and what I am capable of
as a person and a human being.
I learned
that I am and will always be that dude who can entertain a room full of people
with a couple of chords on a guitar and a sweet melody, but I can also be the
guy that enjoys writing a ten-page paper on Mass Media Theory or debating
political or social issues. Some of the most valuable lessons we learn in life
don’t come from books, they come from living life and figuring things out as we
go. I’m sure I will continue to figure things out as I go and that should be an
exciting thing for all of us. I am thankful for all of my life experiences both
good and bad, they have brought me to where I stand today…diploma in hand and
still plenty of songs left in my heart. I’m not exactly sure what my next move
will be, but you can bet I will be determined, passionate, and optimistic about
the future and all of its possibilities. Sometimes we don’t choose our path,
our path chooses us. MIZ…ZOU!!! -CC
