Exposed Vocals Interviews Patrick Rupert

I got my first guitar around ten years ago, although I’ve only played thoroughly in the past six or so years. I’ve never been professionally trained for it, but singing is my other love. I play some other instruments as well; including bass, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, keyboard, and a little bit of drums and banjo.

Music is my ultimate passion, whether I’m practicing by myself or playing for a room full of people. I have been a partner with YouTube for a couple years now, releasing covers and original songs. It has given me a way to share my love of music with others, such as family members, whom I may not regularly see or play for.

Music is just music to a lot of people, but to me it’s an outlet. I’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression in my past. Through it all, music has always been there for me, even when nobody else was. It just has the power to understand any mood you’re in and make things at least a bit better.

From going through anxiety and depression, I try to help others so that they don’t have to feel how I have. Music aside, I tend to entertain and be the focus of attention in the room, trying to make whomever is there laugh or at least smile. Not only do I love playing music, but if I can make somebody even a tiny bit happier than they were, I will.

To sum me up, I don’t think life should be wasted on trying to earn the most money or having the nicest things. I believe that instead, you should be as happy as you can with the things that you have, and you should spend time with the people you love.

Thank you for this opportunity.

My channel is youtube.com/patrickr444, and here are some links to a couple videos I did!

Kodaline – Big Bad World (Cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCGyENIfoNI

Love Yourself (Original Song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xar8aO5yBSU

Blake Shelton – God Gave Me You (Cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDolyOFYmwg

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

 

Patrick: I grew up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with my parents, my older brother, and various cats and dogs. I had a pretty typical childhood – playing outside, riding bikes, or whatever else my friends and I could do for fun. I remember being younger, around 6 or 7, in Ontario visiting with family, my dad would always being playing guitar and singing his original songs for everyone. At one point my Great Aunt looked at me and said “Your dad is very talented,” with a big smile on her face. The way it could add life to the room was just amazing to me. When my brother and I got our first guitar, a red Stratocaster, I was around 10 years old, and I was stoked. I never played frequently until about 5 years ago, when I lost a good friend who loved music. I learned Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” in memory of him and from then on guitar, and music in general, has been a way to express my emotions.

 

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

 

Patrick: I think that online music sharing is great. It is an awesome way to build a small audience or even be discovered. I share my music online because it lets my family and friends hear it, and it helps me work on my marketing skills because I can review the stats of my videos and make decisions on how to grow my personal audience. For those reasons, and because it’s mostly a hobby, I don’t mind making only pennies or sometimes nothing off my music.

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Patrick: I would say just go to as many bars or cafes that have an open mic as you can. It gets you used to performing for small crowds, it’s low pressure for screwing up, and if somebody likes your sound, they might start paying you to gig there. Don’t make money the goal though. Instead, think of the number of people you are influencing with your music and aspire to make more connections that can increase that number. The other thing is to stay humble. If you get a bad review or mess up at a gig, don’t whine about it or let it shake you. If you do well or make a lot of money, don’t gloat and be a jerk about it.

 

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

 

Patrick: I usually get my song inspiration from things that have happened in my past, or ways I’ve felt. Whether it’s a love song for a girl, or a depressing ballad, I try to get my true feelings on the topic into my lyrics. Usually, I’ll play a random chord progression on guitar or keyboard that feels suitable for the mood, and then I basically just close my eyes and sing whatever comes to mind first. Typically that results in less than a verse, but it gets you past the initial writer’s block and really gets the ideas flowing.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

 

Patrick: Not to knock any other websites, but YouTube is the only platform I use to upload my music. I find it familiar and very easy to navigate. After I have uploaded the video to YouTube, I share the link on Facebook, Twitter, and I send it to friends and relatives.

 

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

 

Patrick: It’s never really been about money or having expensive things to me. In my house we were taught to work and save for the things we wanted, and that sometimes you have to go without. That being said, I would try to find a way to make a positive impact somewhere. I would travel to places where I could meet and share my music with interesting people, I would pay off any of my parents’ and brother’s debts, and I would make sure I’m not the only one enjoying the money. Also, I’d buy a sweet double-neck guitar.

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

 

Patrick: I promote my music mostly through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I try to promote it to an audience to which it appeals, and the best way that I can target certain audiences is by sharing it on Facebook.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

 

Patrick: I don’t have anything set in stone, but I have wanted to do some multitrack recordings and I’ve recently bought a looper pedal for guitar, so I’d like to make a cover or original song using that. I’ve also been exploring different styles like the blues and also funk slap guitar, so there might be something there as well.

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

 

Patrick: Honestly, if I weren’t able to play music, guitar in specific, I probably wouldn’t be alive. I’ve had to deal with some dark times and when nobody could say anything to help, just playing a few chords on guitar and feeling its humming made me feel at least somewhat understood. Music is the one thing that is always there for you free of judgement or bias.

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

 

Patrick: It isn’t too bad for me right now where I’m not working because some personal stuff, I’ve actually been able to focus on my music more. But when I have a lot going on, it can be difficult to keep up. The best thing you can do to stay ahead is be as consistent as you can with posting and do your best to connect with your audience.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

 

Patrick: This year is going to be big for me. I plan on releasing more content and on a more consistent basis, I plan on improving my guitar playing to do intricate soloing, and I hope to be taking voice lessons at some point. Last year was a rough one for me and I couldn’t release as many videos, but my audience growth in the past few months – although slow – has made me really excited for what’s to come.

 
 

Bio: Patrick Rupert is a 20 year old singer songwriter from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is strongly committed to improving life for others through music and humour.  Patrick has been playing guitar for over 5 years and singing his entire life, and also plays mandolin, ukulele, and drums. Compelled to explore different genres and musical instruments, music is Patrick’s true passion.