ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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MusicalGrowth.com was founded by Chase Chandler on January 1, 2018, to help all levels of meditators, yoga enthusiasts, and anyone looking for material related to Buddhist-inspired activities and the culture of spirituality.

Credibility

All the information presented on this website is the best, thoroughly researched material and will always be thoroughly researched at the time of each article’s publication on this website.

Article updates will, of course, be a priority as new information presents itself or new discoveries take place after the release of this website’s material.

Chase singing an excerpt of his opera, Reverie, in front of a live audience.

About the Author

My name is Chase Chandler, owner and founder of MusicalGrowth.com. First and foremost, my main priority is to be as transparent as possible, because by reading material on this website, you are entrusting me and the “MusicalGrowth.com” brand with your time and attention (something that is very valuable in the information age we live in). By reading this far into this article, you’ve already given me another chance to prove the quality of this site – thank you.

Though I am young, my level of productivity has always been higher than most. I have experienced performing operas, conducting orchestras and choirs, recording albums and professionally mixing them myself, learning from globally recognized private music teachers for voice, piano, trumpet, and composition for several years, and routinely practicing almost every day for the last 20+ years.

Newgate Orchestra was a huge part of my life – giving to the community only made working hard that much more rewarding. Here I’m conducting the ensemble with the old 1922 film Nosferatu recycled into a new story performed at a mortuary in Southern California.

I spent so many years learning how to act and express myself through live-performance so that I could inspire my audience to “feel.” After about 5 years into private teaching my own music studio of 20+ students, I came to a realization –

The Mind of a Musician

The lifestyle of a professional musician involves meditation on a daily basis.

Whether they realize it or not, practicing every day for multiple hours on their craft alters their frame of mind. Repeating the same material over and over begins to blur time and the “now” becomes the only importance as muscle memory takes control.

Meditation can be roughly defined as “a practice technique to focus on the now.” Musicians take hours every day to focus on the moment, hone their movements, learn to “feel, ” learn to organically express themselves on cue, and balance their true inner being on a technical and emotional level. Musicians learn to practically “meditate” on the spot during a performance and if done properly, when the idea of “self” is forgotten, the world is drowned out, the people watching disappear, the universe takes hold, and the music evolves into art with every breath and every vibration.

Conducting is one of my favorite forms of musical involvement. My Graduate composition recital was a highlight in my life at CSUF.

My practice time has always been valuable to me. The time I spend sitting at the piano or warming up my voice is precious to me, but until now, I never knew why. I accounted it as productive (which it is), but mentally, personal practice is my chance to ignore the world and focus on each little movement I make to produce sound.

If I go days without practice or without performing music, my anxiety increases and I begin to stress out about the non-stop world around us.

But when I sit down at the piano, I feel the walls fade and time escape me. Minutes go by – sometimes 30min, sometimes hours! And I don’t think twice about how what I’m playing or improvising will be lost forever in the universe never to be heard again as the moments pass.

I’ve also relied on traditional meditation numerous times throughout my life, where I sit down and calm the mind without music. But it has only been the last few years that I’ve noticed the inarguable relation between practice and meditation.

My Credibility

I am not a practicing Buddhist, nor am I going to publicly state my religious views (because this is not the objective of this website), but I am and always have been spiritual.

Buddhist-thought circled around my home growing up as my dad read new material every week and coined the phrase, “being a bad Buddhist” – where you might study Buddhism and Buddhist spiritually, but don’t practice it 100% nor adhere to all the rules.

Spirituality is for everyone. We could all deserve to think more about the world and where we fit within the levels of consciousness and I’m sure there are many people we all know who could use some time to slow down.

So the purpose of this website is not to convert or persuade, but to expose and spread information that could be deemed useful by a percentage of the population.

Resumé

As far as a more traditional resumé, I have earned some recognizable (and expensive) pieces of paper (degrees):

• Associate’s in Liberal Arts at Saddleback Community College (2012)
• Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance and Music Education at Concordia University, Irvine (2014)
• Master’s in Music Composition at Cal State University, Fullerton (2017)

I account a lot of my ideas and thoughts on life, people, and emotional-balance to my wonderful private teachers and University professors:

• Tim Hall (Trumpet Performance)
• Dr. Norm Weston (Music Composition)
• Richard Chasin (Trumpet Performance)
• Dr. Scott Farthing (Vocal Performance)
• Peggy Duquesnel (Jazz Piano)
• Diane Elias (Vocal Performance)
• Dr. Michael Busch (Choral Conducting)
• Dr. Jeff Held (Music Program Management)
• Dr. John Koegel (Musicology)
• Dr. Ken Walicki (Music Composition)

Other notable experiences:

• Taught music theory and aural skills as an adjunct professor at Cal State University, Fullerton for the fall semester of 2017.
• Owned my own non-profit orchestra, Newgate Orchestra, for two years when I managed program development, public events, wrote compositions, rehearsed and conducted the ensemble, while learning entrepreneurship and marketing
• Graduate Composition Area Award 2017
• Member of National Music Honor Society, Pi Kappa Lambda, Beta Omega chapter
• Performed lead roles in the full production of L’elisir D’amore and in scenes of La Cenerentola, Romeo et Juliette, Street Scene, and others
• 1st Place, 8th Annual POSA Vocal Competition (Jan. 2014)
• Principal Trumpet in Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (2008-09)
• Performed religious choral music in the Vatican as a first tenor in CUI’s top choral ensemble in 2014
• Performed in religious services around Southern California since 2010, including denominations such as Catholicism, Christian Science, Mormonism, Lutheranism, Methodist, and others.
• May 2017, I wrote my own hour-length opera entitled, Reverie (yet to be performed)

On a more personal level, my wife and I live in Southern California with our two dogs, Flapjack and Mishka. I am considered a workaholic to most of my friends, but most people don’t know I practice every day as a way of meditation and “cooling” my stress.

Why MusicalGrowth.com?

My hope is that I can help people through the culture and thoughts of meditation, yoga, and relaxation.

The benefits I’ve received through taking the time to focus on the “now” through my form of meditation has and will continue to help me “survive” the hectic experience we call life.

Throughout my 7 years of college education, I’ve written numerous research papers on varying topics including music philosophy and musicology. By creating this hub I call MusicalGrowth.com, I’m able to release valuable research on topics, products, ideas, and music to the public.

Because I work at home for most of the week and work on the computer producing or composing music for hours on end, I find the atmosphere I work in is vital for a mental health. As soon as I moved into my current apartment, I got to work.

My personal in-home office is ideal for me:

• Custom wood wall from recycled pallets (built by yours truly)
• WoodWick candles
• Small desk fountain
• Earthly colors and wick furniture
• 5 acrylic paintings resembling mountains and trees
• Calming incense at the ready and stored in a wooden, handmade box
• A Himalayan pink salt lamp to counteract the effects of my computer screen
• A vase with a real bamboo plant (unfortunately, it recently died after two years)
• Gaiam Balance Ball Chair

Chase’s Personal Office

I’m always fearful to play into the “consumer society” we live in here in America, but I do find this combination truly helps me feel less trapped and more at home in my workspace. Of course, it all comes down to individual subjective opinions and personal taste. But definitely try improving on something (see if it helps you), before giving up on the importance of your personal office space!

Why help people?

MusicalGrowth.com is a place to discover new music, materials, and meditation to aid in improving at-home or at-work environments. Desk jobs are said to be disappearing, but I still don’t buy it and every little addition to the desk of a 9 to 5 worker can make a world of difference. MusicalGrowth.com provides a community “think-tank” in which interested people, meditation enthusiasts, and/or yoga instructors can read, discuss, and inform through comments on the site or branded social media threads.

It’s important we all help each other find a more positive and uplifting lifestyle or atmosphere.

My father grew up working for Netscape and worked in a cubicle. He, of course, has a far better situation now, but I remember him bringing me to work when I was young and showing me his grey, 5-foot tall cubicle space he called “home” while at work for 8hrs a day. Though I was young, I remember thinking how it did not look like a “home.”

Space and Lifestyle

Through this website, people in every situation can find ways to make their space (whatever that may be) feel more like a “home” and less like a cage. My wife and I have two wonderful dogs: a golden retriever and a chihuahua. We take them out twice a day for 30-minutes to 90-minutes, because otherwise, they become anxious cooped up inside.

Why don’t humans feel “cooped up” being inside? Is it because we have evolved in some way – or because we ignore our instincts? I’ve had a desk job before, for about three-years. And I remember arriving at work as the sun was rising, sitting and staring at the computer screen for 8 to 10hrs and then leaving at the sunset. All I felt was an urgency to find time outside, alone with my thoughts, soaking up the sun.

As we grow older though, we sometimes find not all of us can live the famous “Instagram life” and travel the world on someone else’s dime. BUT. we can improve our atmosphere and daily lifestyle a little at a time.

My hope is that MusicalGrowth.com can add some valuable suggestions on how best to go about improving your life.

After all we only have one life – so let’s do what we can to make the best of it.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading the “about” page. I’m grateful and humbled you considered it a worth-while read! I look forward to our continued relationship as I release more research in the years to come.

Please remember that this site, although maintained by myself, is not about me. I invest my hard work and time in hopes to ignite a new community that focuses on improving our lifestyles in any way we can.

Need to contact me? Click here!

If you’re curious how I built this site and was able to build an online business, I invite you to read my article by clicking the image below!

If you have a thought in how to improve this site or my approach, or just have general thoughts in reaction to this “about” page, PLEASE don’t hesitate to chime in by commenting below. I promise to read everyone’s comments and hope to start a conversation with you.

If you’re curious about joining the newsletter or have questions about the newsletter, I’ve provided all the information you need!

Thanks for reading!

Chase

chase@musicalgrowth.com

http://whoischasechandler.com/

January 1, 2018