Who am I?
If you weren’t sure by now, I’m Aren. I’ve been making noise since I was a toddler, and I’ve been making music for going on 15 years. I’m a guitarist/singer-songwriter by trade (though my heart is in the songwriting), but my roots are in worship leading (gospel/Christian-contemporary) and private event performance (RnB/Pop/Soul).
What I do & what I do...
Music has always been a full-time passion of mine, but never quite a full-time job. I prefer it this way because it’s easier to set boundaries with work and avoid worrying about my bottom line.
People usually want to hear popular music (it’s the common denominator, after all) so most of my work comes from playing cover sets at bars, restaurants, and private events like weddings, parties, and singing telegrams.
I write and produce my original music, and I share it when invited to perform concerts at high schools, colleges, and church events. It’s my opportunity to share my story, get listeners thinking about deeper things, and build community.
I daylight as a web developer (think spider webs, but completely different), and when I can, I love to perform for fun in public places like beach boardwalks (Ocean City, MD) and farmers’ markets.
Instruments & influences?
Guitar is my primary instrument of choice, but I also play the piano, ukulele, electric bass, and even dabble in some world instruments like the charango (Andean stringed-instrument) and the cajon, bongo, djembe (Afro-latin percussion). Last but certainly not least, I play a mean mouth-trumpet, because outsourcing is expensive.
I grew up listening to mix of gospel, contemporary christian, jazz, and world music along with the popular hits I’d hear on the radio. Bryan Duncan, Steven Curtis Chapman, Yolanda Adams, John Stoddart, Kirk Franklin, and Gloria Estefan were among the most played artists growing up. As I studied guitar, I began to get into more mainstream artists like Jason Mraz and John Mayer and familiarize myself with classics from Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, and John Legend. Some of the more recent influences on my sound and stylistic direction are Chance the Rapper, Jonathan McReynolds, and Madison Ryann Ward, to name a few.
Why this? Why now?
Music is a powerful tool, and tools are useful in meeting needs. The greatest need of the world (in my humbly poetic opinion) is for time to think about what matters most and to live intentionally with that in mind. I know it takes more than music to change people’s lives, but music can plant seeds that sprout into thoughts that bloom into actions that change people’s lives. That’s what I aim for in the songs that I write, the music I perform, and the life I live beyond the stage.
Click here to view my extended bio (the nitty-gritty).