INTRODUCING: ‘Today Is Gonna Be A Good Day’ by InnovatorsBox Studios
Who else misses spending hours in coffee shops? Even if you’re not a cafe person, you probably like to chill out with your book, computer, or other activity that allows you to unwind, focus, and feel good. Since the pandemic, I’ve been putting more cafe music playlists on repeat for meetings and my days to add a little of cafe atmosphere and calmness, which is how I became addicted to lo-fi music. The gentle jazzy beat of lo-fi beat puts you in a groove and helps you develop a rhythm of focus and awareness. It’s so calming and soothing.
As I became more interested in low-fi music, I learned more about it. There are a lot of low-fidelity music playlists on YouTube, Spotify, and even artists who will produce lo-fi GIF artwork, which I see as a strong signal for people creating and engaging in low-fidelity music. And as I learned more, the stronger my interest in creating lo-fi music became. So off we went to create some too, with our own InnovatorsBox spin!
But what is Lo-fi, and how can it help you focus better? Here are a few interesting facts about lo-fi music and why it has been such a popular genre in recent years, especially since the pandemic when everyone is searching for a mini oasis at home with their music.
Lo-fi music is a subgenre of indie rock that has been around since the 1980s. It was popularized by Beck and Sebadoh, among others. One defining characteristic of lo-fi music is its use of home recording techniques like four-track cassette recorders or low-quality microphones to create an unpolished sound. Lo-fi musicians often prefer natural sounds over artificial ones to capture their raw creativity.
Some people call it “honest” music because it makes no pretenses about being anything but imperfect. And for some listeners, that honesty is what they love most about lo-fi music–the way you can hear all the warts and mistakes on tape just as if they were sitting in the room with the artist. Many would argue that lo-fi music is not merely a style, but also an entire lifestyle–one filled with lots of reclusiveness and introspection.
In the early 1980s, lo-fi music had a cult following of followers who enjoyed its raw sound and unpolished technique.
The movement was popularized by Beck and Sebadoh among others. Since then, it has gained a more mainstream audience and become a popular music form, thanks to groups like the Microphones.
The response to low-fi music is pleasurable, which can help you concentrate. When we are in a pleasurable situation, this causes the release of Dopamine, a neurotransmitter which elicits a focused response.
Lo-fi music’s compounding, imperfect qualities have been linked to offering to its listeners, Increased Brain Activity, Improved Cognitive Ability, Elevated Mood, Reduced Anxiety and Calming and Restorative Effects.
Now that we’ve covered a few things about low-fi, I’m eager to tell you more about why we recorded our album “It’s Gonna Be A Good Day” for you. We know what a rollercoaster the past year has been for you, like it has been for me. I’m doing well, but I’m aware that we’re all exhausted, weary, burnt out, and stressed. No matter how hard we try to take care of ourselves at work, health has proved to be difficult to balance as the workload grows. This is why, as we work on providing culture and leadership programs centered on creativity and mindfulness as well, we wanted to create this album so that you could find a bit of peace, ease, and joy in your daily routine.
If it can help you discover some joy, focus, or calm in your day, or even a smile as you begin your morning or evening, that would be a success. We need more courage and ease of assistance each day as we battle new challenges and changes ahead.
For this specific project, I’m delighted to introduce you to our newest member Isaiah Weatherspoon, a drummer and musican who enjoys telling stories with rhythms. As part of InnovatorsBox Studios, Isaiah is bringing in his drum, beat, and creative music storytelling while creating a lot of music under his own artist’s name too. So as you listen to our new Lo-fi album “Today Is Gonna Be a Good Day,” I thought I’d take you behind the scenes and tell you more about how we collaborated!
Meet Isaiah, one of our composers, producers, and drummer!
Monica: Why is music important to you?
Isaiah:
Music is important to me, because it’s a way of expression and it can be a valuable resource in living up our day-to-day lives. I honestly couldn’t imagine a world without music.
Monica: What was the inspiration for this album?
Isaiah:
A few interesting tools that gave me extra inspiration for this album were checking out animation that InnovatorsBox has recently been developing, looking at art, and taking time to drive and look at the world around me. All of these examples helped me to create internal pictures that can then translate into musical ideas!
Monica: Amazing. Isaiah, I love how this album really came together. I’m curious… What was your favorite part about developing this album at InnovatorsBox Studios?
Isaiah:
My favorite part was that I feel that I was given an absolutely huge amount of creative freedom to express myself musically. This helped me to create the Lo-Fi tracks at a much faster pace than normal because I felt satisfied with what I was creating for this awesome project.
Yes! While we ideated on what the message was to be, I’m so happy to hear how the creative freedom permitted you to bring out the best in you. Still, there are probably moments that could feel challenging. Tell us more about that journey too.
Monica: What part was the most challenging aspect to make the music come to life?
Isaiah:
I think avoiding the process of overthinking was the most challenging aspect of this project. Once I reminded myself to have fun and just create what was on my mind, the music production process came much easier for me.
I hear you. Overthinking happens as a creative all the time and it’s not always easy to know when to pursue and stop our ideations. Though your details to every moment in this album really came together.
Monica: Thanks for tying all the musical stories and also, the nature sounds. I love the journey of the album of how it really captured the flow of a day for an innovator. What about you, do you have any favorite moments?
Isaiah:
This album is very special to me because I feel that I was able to mix and blend many different musical genres to create a serene but fun journey throughout this project. I am looking forward to sharing this with the world!
Yes! Yes, on the journey! I love that when we dive into deep thinking, we hear the water and in exploring our minds, we hear the forest. Speaking of imagery, I wanted to invite Rowanne Chang, our Studios Graphic Designer to share more about her journey in finding all the unique visuals for our album as well.
Monica: Rowanne, welcome back. Love all the work you created. Tell us a bit more about what gave you inspiration for this particular piece and how was it for you in the process?
Rowanne:
We did a lot of research! Lo-fi for me is chill, gentle and, of course, we combined it with our own InnovatorsBox’s style: creativity!
Q: What is your favorite track and why?
Rowanne:
I liked “Thank you, Monday” when I saw the title. I mean, it is a great mindset for Monday when everyone tends to think negatively about it.
Q: Why do you like lo-fi music in general?
Rowanne:
It suits every situation! When you study, when you work, when you play games on your phone... you can play lo-fi music all the time.
Monica: Curious to dive further. How would you say this work to be different from some of our other recent projects? What stood out to you?
Monica: Curious to dive further. How would you say this work to be different from some of our other recent projects? What stood out to you?
Rowanne:
What we had was singles before, so I only needed to focus on the theme of one main song. This time we released a whole album, how to tell the story through multiple songs, which means multiple visuals was a challenge. However, I had so much fun! Imagine the connections between the album cover and the characters in different songs. I am so excited to see people’s reactions!
Monica: Love it. Thank you Rowanne. Isaiah, back to you. Curious to dive further with you too. You develop music for yourself as well as for others in other places too. How is the work at InnovatorsBox Studios different?
Isaiah:
I absolutely love the creative freedom that InnovatorsBox offers for endless musical possibilities! I think this very reason is what makes InnovatorsBox special and different from a lot of other places.
And thank you for bringing out your creativity and curiosity through this journey! Your care for storytelling and the beat really made this come to life.
Monica: Were there any stories or artists that you were listening to to get more inspiration as you were developing “It’s Gonna Be A Good Day”?
Isaiah:
I’ve actually listened to many genres during my creative process for the album ranging from Gospel to Jazz and Neo-Soul. Although I come from a strong Gospel background, some of the most recent musical artists that inspired me however were Kiefer, and Moonchild
I love this! Diverse conception opens our minds to various tunes and ideas! It’s a core part of creativity – the more we diversify our input the more we could diversify our output and opportunities to connect new dots! Lastly, would love to hear your intentions and thoughts during the making of the album.
Monica: What do you hope others would feel and think when they listen to this music?
Isaiah:
I really want the listener to feel the joy that I’ve experienced during my creative process of this record! I hope that this album can help brighten many people's days and make them feel a sense of internal peace and joy.
Monica: Thank you. Rowanne, what about you? What do you hope people feel or see in this artwork?
Rowanne:
I hope people would feel the warmth we tried to deliver. I want people to feel: wow, I want to treat myself better today, I am gonna make myself a cup of tea and enjoy this album.
The joy is really felt throughout the music, design, and flow. Thank you both for all the creativity and care you’ve put into this project – from ideation to full development. And also for taking a moment to share your development journey.
We look forward to celebrating more joy and creativity with others together through InnovatorsBox Studios!
“Today is Gonna Be a Good Day” is now out on all music streaming platforms!
About the Author
Monica H. Kang
Monica H. Kang, Founder, and CEO of InnovatorsBox® and Author of Rethink Creativity is transforming today’s workforce through the power of creativity. She helps companies rethink culture, leadership, and team development by making creativity practical and relatable regardless of industry or job title. She has worked with clients worldwide including Fortune 500 companies, higher education, government, and nonprofits. Monica’s work has been recognized by The White House, Ashoka Changemakers, National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Prior to InnovatorsBox®, Monica was a nuclear nonproliferation policy expert. She holds an M.A. from SAIS Johns Hopkins University in Strategic Studies and International Economics and a B.A. from Boston University.
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