Today, I would like to introduce you to a rap/hip hop musician named Aaron Moon.
I discovered Aaron's music this spring when I attended a battle of the bands event that he was performing at, along with the band Fallwell. I was really impressed by the bands performance, so after the show I reached out to Aaron about being featured on the blog.
I was able to interview Aaron to learn more about how he got started and where he gets his inspiration. You can read the interview below, but first be sure to give his song "Grace (feat. Fallwell)" a listen.
Well as almost any musician will tell you, I always loved music growing up. For me though, I learned how to play the piano when I was young. I also grew up with an obsession with urban culture. So between my two passions I really latched onto Hip-Hop in my teens.
I used to write lyrics to the beats I heard on the radio,
and although the radio stars weren't good role models and my lyrics at the time
weren't very wholesome, it was a start for me. Eventually I started becoming
more mature in my faith and began to write Christian based lyrics.
Another major
start for me was the purchase of production software where I started to make my
own beats using my knowledge of the piano and my understanding of music and
theory. I remember talking about how I really enjoyed being in control of how
the music sounded. I went on to produce a song for a KJ-52 contest and had a
family friend from church help me record my vocals who eventually taught me how
to get started with recording on my own.
Who are some of your
musical influences?
I started listening
to Flame and Lecrae early on. I also really enjoy listening to Benjah because I
am a fan of using different aspects of several genres together for great mixes,
and I always felt he's done that more and more brilliantly which each and every
album he's produced.
I have also studied techniques for electronic and dubstep
music from artists such as Avicci, Skrillex, and Porter Robinson. Although I
can't recommend for Christians to listen to everything they write, I do believe
there is knowledge to be gained from their techniques in electronic production.
Where do you get your
inspiration for writing a song?
I get inspiration
from anywhere and everywhere from department stores to nature, from people
watching to reading and studying. Most of the time, I hear a song with an
aspect I like and throw it in a mental repertoire.
Once I have several
different aspects or styles and ideas from several different songs I usually
combine them to make a unique original song of my own. For lyrics, I like to
examine life and ask myself questions to philosophize and most importantly reference
the Bible because there are immeasurable amounts of inspiration within it.
Of your songs, which
would you say is the most personal for you?
I have two songs to
mention here. The fist would be "I'm Coming Home" because I feel I
was able portray my thoughts and emotions lyrically as well as melodically. I
put a lot into that song, and it really hits home with the faith struggle I had
been through.
The other I would like to mention is the song "You".
This is because I wrote this song outside the bounds of an encompassed album in
a real life application. What I mean by that is I wrote this song for my future
wife to whom I am now married to. This song I presented to her on a disc as a
surprise for one of our dating anniversaries. I later re-mastered the track to
make the album version.
What do you hope
listeners will get from your music?
When I write I like
to ask a lot of life questions and I hope it challenges people to do the same
causing them to try to objectify parts of their own lives. I try to convey
things about myself that I believe others can relate to and/or learn from.
I
hope that through my music people will begin to understand me and where I am
coming from. I also hope that through that understanding, people may begin to
relate and gain their own understanding about themselves and their own lives,
and that seeds will be planted and some people will begin to respond to the
call of God in their lives.
How important is your
faith to you personally, and when it comes to creating music?
My faith is of upmost
importance to me. I take God and his word very seriously. As an artist I use my
platform and medium to portray things that are meaningful to me from my own
perspective. And since I have no greater passion than the glory of God being
revealed and uplifted, my art forms of any kind are all synonymous with that.
I
will always naturally write about my passions and so God, faith, and the Bible
will always be the forefront of my music. Yes, as I am immersed in culture just
as everyone else so I may write about other passions such as: love, cars, art,
music, or great individuals, however since Christ is the creator and center of
everything he will naturally be revealed in all that I write.
Do you play any
instruments?
I play Piano and/or
Keyboard, and I also have a minuscule amount of experience with turntables (if
you’ll consider that an instrument even). I plan to Learn Keytar which is
essentially another form of keyboarding, and if I had the time to learn another
instrument I would love to learn the violin.
What band and/or
musician would you absolutely love to tour with?
I have done some
touring with Fallwell already as I am also a member in the band, and have had a
lot of fun with that, however if I had to pick another band/musician to tour
with outside of that I would love to tour with Lecrae.
I grew up listening to his music and he was one of my primary influences way before he was as popular as he is today. So watching him through the years has been inspirational, and I would definitely enjoy traveling around with him on a tour.
I grew up listening to his music and he was one of my primary influences way before he was as popular as he is today. So watching him through the years has been inspirational, and I would definitely enjoy traveling around with him on a tour.
What else do you
enjoy doing outside of music?
I really enjoy
playing video games in my past time. I play a lot of racing games and RPG’s. I
love driving. I also enjoy cooking a lot
along with trying new things. And I suppose I should also mention that I like
to shop and find great deals.
You can listen to Aaron's single "Warning" below, and if you like it you can download it for free HERE. Also remember that if you like Aaron's music, share his music with your friends!
Five Random Bonus
Questions
1. What is something
that most people don't know about you?
If I were to pursue a
career outside of music I would go back to school and get a degree in mechanical
engineering to work in the automotive industry.
2. If you had one day
to do ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, what would you do?
I would absolutely love to drive a Porsche 911 GT3 RS around Nordschleife at Nürburgring in Germany!
3. Who is your
favorite superhero?
I’ll be honest I don’t usually give this a lot of thought, but I would
say Iron man. I like the thought of engineering yourself into a superhero.
4. Camping or Hotels?
Camping, I love being surrounded and immersed in God’s nature.
5. What is the last
CD you bought?
It’s been a long time
since I’ve bought music, but I went through my download history and I’m pretty
sure it was Jor'dan Armstrong's Stronger. Side note I also really enjoyed that album!
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