We recently had the chance to connect with Canon Herring and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Canon, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
When I wake up in the morning, the first things I do is grab a cup of coffee and read my Bible. Spending some quiet time, nurturing my soul, is important in making sure my head and heart are in the right space. After that, I get ready for a productive day!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Canon Herring, and I am a composer. I compose for film and any kind of video or audio media. I work with social media influencers in making perfect fitting music for their content. My goal is to create high quality, emotion packed music that makes people feel something. As a Christian, I let the Holy Spirit fuel my creativity in hopes that others are lead to Christ. I think what makes me unique is the special relationship I have in Christ and how that overflows into my music.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As I child I believed that who I was depended on how well I performed, or how well I was loved. I drew my inspiration, motivation, and self worth from what I thought people were thinking of me. I grew up to realize that my worth and motivation isn’t and should never be from people. The closer I got to God, the more I knew who I was. The Lord has taught me what it means to be confident in who He’s made me to be. Although I can still struggle with this at times, I am a different person and that’s what’s important.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Success is rewarding but it’s also enabling without a strong foundation. Suffering teaches us what it means to persevere through pain in order to reach a goal. I believe that to be successful means to suffer through failure. A reward is sweeter after hard work. I have struggled with an autoimmune disease for over 10 years. It creates intense pain and other issues in my body. But it was through this suffering that I learned strength, diligence, and perseverance. I encourage everybody to admit their faults and suffer through transformation.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the music industry is that success comes from the public perception of your branding. These days, quality as an artist is undervalued when compared to the “success” of your image. I would argue that success doesn’t come from how good you look, but rather the quality of your craft. Success as a music looks like growing your skill to produce a quality that satisfies your own creative desires. It doesn’t matter how many followers or likes you have, it matters how much effort, discipline, and quality you put into your art.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
II want my legacy to be one that glorifies the Lord. I hope my music, my character and the way I live my life will be an example to others on how to approach a relationship with Jesus. Ephesians Chapter 4 says “I beg you to live a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” I will not live a perfect life but I hope people will look back and say I lived worthy of my calling. If my name fades in order to glorify the Creator, then that is sufficient enough for me. I have dreams and desires I would love to fulfill in the industry. I have put hard work into perfecting my craft, so if I am remembered for being good at composing too, that is fine with me! All glory to God who created the creativity in me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://CanonHerring.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/canonherring
Image Credits
Kaelyn Harris
