Have I mentioned we love music? And I mean all of us. I grew up playing piano and singing so music has been a part of my life since I was a child. Our range of musical taste is wide too. Our son is always downloading something new or coming to me saying mom, take a listen to this. Both of our playlists are, eclectic… that’s a good word for it. From movie scores to a touch of rap, a bit of country, a dash of rock and pinch of pop. I’m sure I’ve even missed a few. Seriously, we love it all.
A year or so ago, we took a quick vacation to Memphis. We wanted a short trip, close enough to drive in a day. We did a quick search to see what was there beyond Graceland and found multiple music studios, the Civil Rights museum and amazing BBQ among others. We were sold. Sun Studios quickly became the number 2 on my list of things I absolutely wanted to do… behind going to see if we could find Elvis, of course.
Sun didn’t disappoint. Walking in, you could feel electricity in the air. So many amazing people had graced those halls. There was a picture on the wall and immediately we recognized Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewi, but Carl Perkins took a second to remember. The tour guide was impressed that we could name all four.
The whole place was small. I, for some reason, expected a “major” recording studio to be bigger. As we waited in the main room for our tour to begin, it suddenly made sense why they had to limit the number of people per tour. Our group filled the room. The main history exhibit was upstairs and getting there involved walking single file up and down a very narrow staircase. Our guide took us through the history of the studio and it seemed like she called off an endless list of recording artists who had made their start there. As she would say a name, I would find myself recalling a song and smiling, often humming a tune under my breath. I wanted to break out in song on more than on occasion, but I decided to spare the others!
Even though our tour felt cramped at times, I actually loved the small feel. It felt intimate. Like you had gone over to your friend’s house to sit in their living room and record your song. I could imagine how these young guys must have felt, just starting out, writing their first song or album and the excitement of being in a studio for the first time. Spending long nights spent perfecting their sound.
When we walked into the studio itself, it felt magical. The energy was alive. I was literally buzzing. Guitars lined one wall. A piano sat in the corner. A drum kit was in the back. The “keep out of studio” sign still on the door to the control room. The room was all original. Same walls and floors, even old timey microphones dotted the room. One in particular had been the since the beginning. We were invited to take a photo with it before we left. I waited my turn and for a moment wondered what it would have been like had I pursued my musical dream versus the creative design/marketing route.
The thought of standing in the place these great performers had once stood and recording my own words, well it left me a bit misty, I admit. I found myself wanting to stay in that room. I could feel myself long to allow my creativity to resurface. I made sure to inquire if it was still a working studio today. It is…
One of the stories that really stood out to me from that day was about Sam Phillips. He owned the studio and was instrumental (pun intended) in helping some of these guys get launched. The studio guys had their finger on the pulse of what was happening in music and they would help the artists change and adapt to give them a better shot of making it. They would suggest something like a style or lyric change to give them an edge or simply to follow the style that was a hit at that time. And I think we can see that it worked.
Another thing Sam did was once he started recording, he never stopped. These guys would often be there for hours getting records cut and Sam rolled tape the entire time. What resulted was arguably some of the best recorded music ever. See, when these singers and musicians took a break from the grind and just started fooling around, magic would happen. Many of them went back to what they knew, to what they had grown up with, and truthfully at the heart of much of the music that came out of Memphis was gospel. So many of these kids had grown up poor and the one constant in their lives was church and family and with that came singing on Sunday and that equals gospel. They tell stories of Elvis sitting at the piano, completely relaxed and himself, singing the old gospel hymns he grew up on.
I remember standing there with my eyes closed trying to absorb that energy. Imagining these insanely talented performers sitting in someone’s house just doing their thing. Playing around, singing and allowing all that creativity to flow. No pressure, no expectations, just “play”. How could it not be amazing? How could it not be magic?
And I find myself, especially lately, wanting that. Wanting to stop doing what’s expected and just being me. Allowing what comes naturally to flow. But that’s not so easy when we are caught up in the “shoulds” of our lives. When there are expectations and we are trying to be successful. Everyone has the perfect formula: do it like, then no, this way, then wait, I have the winning strategy over here… And before you know it , you’re not yourself anymore.
Standing in that little room, I realized I don’t want a life that’s all “perfect takes” to make others happy, I want messy, off-script magic, too! But what can we do to change that?
Reflection Prompts
1. On-mic vs. off-mic
- Where in your life are you “in the big studio,” trying to get it right?
- Where do you feel like you’re just messing around at the piano with friends?
2. Your off-script magic
- Think of a time something turned out beautifully when you weren’t trying so hard.
- What was different about you or the situation in that moment?
3. Your roots
- When no one is watching, what do you naturally slip back into (music, art, writing, helping, organizing, etc.)?
- How much space does that get in your life right now?
Practices & Exercises
1. 10-Minute “Tape Rolling”
Set a 10-minute timer. Sing, play, doodle, write—no goal, no polishing.
If you want, hit record once and don’t pause it. No replay, just proof you showed up.
2. One “Should” Rebellion
Notice your “I should…” thoughts for a day and jot them down.
Choose one and soften it: what would this look like if you did it your way instead?
3. Small-Room Session
Choose one safe space (a friend, partner, journal, or art table).
Share something unpolished there this week: a rough idea, messy draft, or honest feeling.
Closing Thought
Sam Phillips caught magic by leaving the tape running when nobody was trying to impress him. You don’t have to live in “perfect take” mode either. The off-script, in-between moments—the ones that feel most like you—are where your true sound lives.
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