Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Ma’ae. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
John , so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
Thank you and thanks for having me.
Discipline & practice.
Writing songs, however wondrous and mysterious an act as it may seem to be, boils down to putting something on paper. And so if the creative juices aren’t flowing on any given day, I spend that time practicing.
Practicing is a discipline that is also part of ones work ethic. I see them as part and parcel to one another.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name’s John Ma’ae and I sing, play guitar and am the principal song writer in The Pollen Collective.
Being part of a Band is something I’ve been doing since I was 15. It’s as natural and makes as much sense to me as playing on a sports team does. It has that same feeling of camaraderie.
The Pollen Collective has been together 5 years and has played over 250 shows at over 60 different venues. Not bad for a non-touring Band.
The Pollen Collective is…
Dave Nelson – Guitars, Mandolin, Harmonica & Vocals
Kristi Frisby – Violin & Vocals
John Kelley – Drums & Percussion
Rolf Abro – Bass
David Harper – Sound Engineer & Producer
One of the things that makes playing in our Band exciting for me is that our live shows are almost always recorded. Knowing that how well (or not well) we play and that the interaction we have with our crowd is being captured live is a super special thing. We produce most of our songs that are available online through our live shows.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
As individuals and as Bandmates, you have to be able to maintain a sincere sense of flexibility, vision & focus on particular goals, while applying determined hard work.
My advice for folks who are just starting out is to have fun and fall in love with what you do. And while that path is different for everyone, flexibility, vision/focus and hard work all apply in growing that love.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My wife has been my most helpful soundboard and cheerleader in overcoming challenges with my songwriting and the Band has been the true testing ground for every song I’ve ever written. They’re the ones who’ve helped me build the essential skills I’ve needed to be successful as a songwriter as well as a bandleader.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thepollencollectiveband.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepollencollective/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePollenCollective/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC4fuVDN4Bb9nrSbUwdTvOA/videos
Image Credits
Photo by Julie “J-Wu” Morey
