Expanding Man by Brett Armstrong

This series of recordings represents a year that I’ll never forget, as will probably no one who passed through it. It was a year of change for me which went beyond the topsy-turvy nature of all that was 2020. This EP is part of that change which helped me through this year. It gave me growth, comfort, and connection with the people in my life that were making my year better.

In 2019, I was pursuing a D.M.A in classical music performance on the Double Bass. As I was starting to plan out my dissertation, I began redefining what I wanted to do with music and realized the answer involved me making my own music. However, I felt like I first had to become a better bassist, a more successful musician, or get more education before I could start. This is a mindset many of us fall into, one that emphasizes specialization and values perfection, and it was easy to see that it was stifling my creativity.

Seeking support to get past these blocks I enlisted a teacher/coach who is a model for hybrid musicians, having years ago who had actually transitioned into a performer/composer/producer himself. I also entered into an online summer music program called Amplify This :: Creative Expansion Lab, which brought together artists committed to broadening their vision.

Despite it being such a difficult and complex 2020, I found myself learning and creating more than I ever had. I was introduced to Ableton Live, a music and recording software program which fosters creativity and allowed me to compose more freely and improvisationally. As part of the Expansion Lab, I was challenged to write a song a day for a week, which helped me produce a lot of compositions in a short amount of time.

Each of these short compositions documents and celebrates that time and the inspiring relationships and collaborations fostered inside that program. It also represents a personal pivot. Creating music, recording it, creating community online - for me, this is a new way of thinking, an expanded way of being a musician in the world, a path which in a very short time has proved to be full of possibility and satisfaction.

I am a Double Bassist and music producer living in New Brunswick, and previously Denver Colorado. I use the sounds of my bass as well as samples and field recordings to create electro-acoustic music, often live improvised.

brettarmstrongmusic.com