What is life teaching us and where do musicians fit in? While the music industry mechanizes new music releases with algorithms, distribution timelines, and A.I., New England based singer-songwriter Aaron Bear turns to spiritual ceremony to inspire his songwriting. “Lessons” is Bear’s third release from The Singles Sessions, a batch of five singles recorded early ‘21 with producer & engineer Tommy Hazerian. The track brings listeners into sacred convergence with lyrics written down during a 3-day fast and shamanic ceremony. Released on the Full Dark Moon of November 8, 2022, this song speaks of calling on heart wisdom when faced with life’s challenges.
A lot has happened for Aaron Bear since writing the first emanation of the song in November ‘20. With the debut of his full band performances in 2021, Aaron Bear & The Forest Collective has packed breweries, sold out clubs, and played their way into the festival scene.* Bear was recently nominated for The New England Music Awards / Songwriter of the Year, showcasing his growing musical prowess and a commitment to the music community at large.
“Lessons” teaches us that we’re allowed to feel bad when we experience hardship, and that leading with the heart is the only harmonious way through it. “Things are not always going to be easy or comfortable. We will be faced with challenges no matter what. But how do we respond?” he asks his audience. Despite the pain points of the song (i.e. sadness and anger), it’s an uplifting transmission of hopefulness. “Fear holds me back from being the fullest version of myself. I think we all struggle with this in some way or another. I doubt myself, and I let my fearful mind hijack my actions. But this song is about dropping that doubt. Releasing what no longer serves us and living life fully.”
Living life fully means surrounding ourselves with people we love. That’s how Aaron Bear creates his heartfelt, organic sound. Collaborating once again with producer and engineer Tommy Hazerian opened the song for creative textures, lyrical layering, and mixing wizardry. Tommy also tracked the bass and synth. The song was sent to longtime friend Tucker Landis (LandEye) to provide sampling and editing, and keys were laid down by Jaime Hazerian. Vaishnavi Kumar added a visual element by blending imagery with pages from Bear’s journal. Together they helped Bear create a song that is natural, immersive, and captivating.
We aren’t meant to hide from life’s challenge, but instead can learn to embrace each moment (good or bad) with grace and harmony. It’s why we’re here - to feel all of life - to experience it all.
