The Gift of Being Heard

I never paid much attention to Spotify, probably because I’m older than the main demographic of listeners (25-44). If I wanted to hear music, I popped a CD into my CD player. I got rid of my vinyl albums years ago.

My first EP, Narrow Belt of Bay, released in 2015, was on Spotify, but I never looked it up or paid much attention to the platform. When I released my second and latest EP, Shepherd of My Path, in 2025, I realized it was time to enter the 21st century, albeit a little late.

‍I discovered that among the best ways for an unknown artist to get their music heard is to submit it to Spotify playlists. What I didn’t know was that some of these playlist curators were also reviewers. My music ended up being reviewed by blogs around the world.

‍What struck me the most was that these curators not only listened to me — they heard me. Some of them wrote reviews that sounded as if they knew me personally.

So this completely unknown artist with no social media was getting traction on Spotify. This led me to listen to other musicians on the playlists that I was on. Many of these artists are not only exceptionally talented they are putting out music with no obvious nod to the music business. Their music strikes me as expression first, and then whatever commercial aspirations they have comes next.

‍I know that big-name artists are pulling their music off of Spotify due to the payment model (which is pocket change for most artists), but for me, Spotify has been monumental in connecting my music with listeners around the world. Some of the people who have written to or about me have described the ways in which my music touched them emotionally. This is beyond gratifying, as I am able to give back because of those artists who gave to me.

‍One singer-songwriter / producer who sent a message was Eliezer Boyer. I am grateful that he heard me and am honored that he did. Take a listen to his beautiful song Lo haré por ti (I Did it for You) below:

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