Maejor, is a renowned artist, producer, and creative visionary in the world of music. Known for his chart-topping hits and a fearless approach to pushing artistic boundaries, Maejor has made a significant impact on the music industry. Beyond his musical accomplishments, his story is one of passion, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence. In the Maejor Podcast, listeners can expect to explore the behind-the-scenes stories of his music, the inspirations that fuel his creativity, and the wisdom he has gained throughout his remarkable journey. Whether you're a dedicated fan, an emerging artist, or someone seeking inspiration, the Maejor podcast offers an opportunity to dive into the world of Maejor and discover the power when music and creativity and spirituality meet.
Title: Exploring the Connection Between Spirituality and Creativity with MAEJOR
Shownotes:
In this episode of Peak Mind, Michael Trainer sits down with the incredibly talented artist and producer, Maejor. With Grammy nominations and billions of listens to his songs, Major has made a significant impact in the music industry. But his journey took a profound turn when he was diagnosed with cancer, leading him to explore the healing power of music. Maejor shares his insights on creativity, the arts, personal transformation, and the importance of creating music that resonates on a deeper level. Get ready for an extraordinary conversation with Major on this week's episode of Peak Mind.
Highlights:
Episode Timeline:
00:06:35 - Questioning the status quo in creativity
00:13:23 - The unpredictability of artistic resonance
00:19:47 - Artists should embrace versatility
00:22:10 - Sound frequency can affect consciousness
00:27:14 - Music unlocks hidden aspects of ourselves
00:33:02 - Embrace the present, surrender expectations
00:43:02 - Choose positive energy and forgiveness
00:54:43 - Consider how your art is received
01:03:12 - The power of sound and tuning.
01:10:49 - Importance of intention and guidance
01:14:14 - Seek advice from experienced individuals
01:20:07 - Embrace challenges and redefine success
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Resources Mentioned:
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TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00 Michael: Welcome to Peak Mind, I'm your host Michael Trainer and I'm extremely excited for this week's episode with the one and only Major. Major is an incredible artist and producer. He is Grammy nominated, his songs have billions of listens. He has a gold plaque for his production on Bun B's album Trill. He is also Grammy nominated and has worked with artists like Justin Bieber on his album Purpose. He also has an incredible podcast called Major Frequencies where he tuned after his cancer diagnosis into the healing power of music. I think you'll find this episode extraordinary. Major is a delight and he has some really profound insights to share about creativity, about the arts, about the personal work of transformation and about how to create great music both literally and metaphorically. I think you'll get a tremendous amount of value. Please get ready for the one, the only Major just after a word from our sponsors.
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00:04:47 Michael: I did an episode with Philip that goes deep into the science. I've done double blind controlled studies, but it's been incredible principally for mitigating against the risks of EMF radiation in my home. He also goes deep into quantum energy and the quantum field, which I'm fascinated by. I think most notably by the research of quantum energy as it relates to water and some of the microscope testing that has been shown as it relates to the energetics of water. And we are obviously composed mostly of water, but quantum energy is something incredible to look into. And I highly recommend you listen to the episode below. In the interest of time, what I'll say is do a deep dive into LilaQ's website, LilaQ.com. And if you're interested, you can use the code peakmind for 10% off your order. Again, that's LilaQ.com code peakmind. And without further ado, let's get into the episode.
00:05:52 Maejor: But I started to just from a purely creative, I just was like, “What, why, why would I want to go on the same frequency that everyone is using?” Like what, when I found that out, I was like, I have to break off of it. And it just was kind of like, in my world was like a far out thing because everyone, but it's not that far out. It's just literally a different tuning, but it's just somehow we've gotten conditioned, right? And it's just the language that everyone speaks and it's just what you know. So you just don't question, don't even try, don't even change it.
00:06:36 Michael: All right. Welcome to Peak Mind. I'm your host, Michael Trainer. And I have the distinct honor of sitting with my man, Major. Major, it's a pleasure.
00:06:45 Maejor: Blessings, brother. Thank you for having me, man. Thank you.
00:06:47 Michael: It's a… We already actually had half a podcast. We even had one before we started. Before we kicked off. But…
00:06:56 Maejor: We dive right in, you know?
00:06:56 Michael: We went right for the deep end. No playing around.
00:07:00 Maejor: That's like the pop production formula now. It's not really a long intro. It's just like, boom, like the hooks right away, like you catch them in the first second. So yeah.
00:07:10 Michael: I like that. Actually, I saw randomly Gary Vaynerchuk. This was a while back. But he was talking to… I'm trying to remember which artist it was. But he had this idea of like, yo, you know, so many people get caught up in the creative process where they're like, “Oh man, you got obsessed about…” He's like, “What if he just literally created and published a song every day?”
00:07:33 Maejor: Man, I had that idea a few years ago. I should have did it. I think that that… What was his thoughts about it?
00:07:40 Michael: Well, what he said, and I think this could resonate with anyone out there that's creative, is we become too precious with shit. It's like…
00:07:47 Maejor: We overthink, yeah.
00:07:48 Michael: We overthink. And that's not to say, by the way, like there isn't a place for creating a really produced, well thought out… But what he said, the way he was talking about it is, so many people get caught in the mental masturbation, basically, that they forsake all the creativity.
00:08:09 Maejor: Paralysis analysis.
00:08:11 Michael: Paralysis. And I'm writing a book right now and I interviewed this guy who I love. You may have read his work, Steven Pressfield. The book, The War of Art. Yeah. And what he talks about, he's like, “Yo man, you just got to get in a place where you put your boots on the ground.” He's like, the muse comes to me, but that's because I show up every day at my desk, 9 AM.
00:08:530 Maejor: No, I couldn't agree with that more yet. It's almost like… It's like that reminds me a little bit of that, when Kobe Bryant was talking about, when he's shooting that final shot, for everyone, it's so amazing. Wow, he's doing it. He's like, “I shot this 10,000 times.” I came and showed up so many… This is just another shot for me. The work's already been done. And it's kind of like when you're showing up, that's the part of it. And even in that, you get something that, like you say, we might not be our most polished piece of work, but could inspire someone else.
00:09:02 Michael: That's it. And you just mentioned Kobe, and now I remember it actually was talking to Nipsey Hussle. And it was like, okay, he tragically met his end way too early. But I think, wow, like what if… What, as did Kobe, but like what if there was every day, for that two years, he had created a song, the legacy of all those pieces that live on. I mean, for me, it's personal. This isn't about me, so I'll keep this real short because I want to hear about you. But for me, this podcast, I thought about it. I started recording this 10 years ago, but I was in my head about it. I waited five years before I published. Even though I had episodes with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to epic people, because in my mind, I was like, “My ego messed with me.” I was like, man, you can't go from hosting Beyonce on stage to some cat in his living room having conversations. That's like a major career step down. And so for five years, I didn't record until I went to a date. I took myself on a date with the city Fleetwood Mac, and there was a tribute to Tom Petty. And I realized Tom Petty passed away. And I was like, that dude left his music in the world. You know what I mean?
00:10:09 Maejor: That reminds me like that quote, “Don't die with your music still inside you.”
00:10:12 Michael: That's it.
00:10:13 Maejor: And it's true. And I mean, you're inspiring me even in some way. I mean, I have this vision of like, I've been creating a file and I haven't really shared it, but great time. I've been creating a file just like, and when I'm no longer in this realm, I want my music to just be available for free for everyone to have like stuff that I've created, even ideas and demos. And I've been like, you know, passing to my family, my sister. But you've inspired me to, I had an idea of what would happen if someone came out with a song every day. And I create so much music all the time. And you're right, a lot of it, we think so much about it and it never sees the light of day, but it could have its own life.
00:10:54 Maejor: And when I think about it, a lot of this music I've made, some of the early mixtape music I made that was strictly for the art that wasn't even available to be clear because it had samples and copyrighted things, it was just strictly on the internet. It actually got me some of the clients that I ended up producing, you know, great pop artists, like massive hits later, but because of those initial bursts of creativity that were like unregulated and unstructured and, you know, weren't put out the proper way, they didn't have the top distribution. They kind of like you were saying, just from my room, from my house, just putting out stuff and it ended up leading up to things. So you're right, there's something there.
00:12:52 Michael: You know, it just reminded me, man, I think that's beautiful because I thought about, I watched this documentary about the Grateful Dead, right? And those cats, you know, they just finished their farewell tour, but you know, to have that kind of longevity, right? You're talking 50 plus years of music, that's incredible. But what actually blew them up, you know, from these dudes playing in the Haight-Ashbury to like, you know, playing stadium shows around the world was they actually, one of the things they pioneered was the ability to let people tape their shows, right? Which was unheard of and to share it freely. And so that created that cult and that culture because people were so about the music and then they felt like they had kind of like a role in it, you know? And I think like-
00:12:21 Maejor: They were playing a huge role, yeah. And it grew it into a movement.
00:12:24 Michael: Absolutely.
00:12:24 Maejor: And so,
00:12:25 Michael: And I feel like, so I feel like someone like you who's so prolific and also by the way, like, I mean, probably outtakes with some of the artists, just for those listening, I mean, you know, you've worked with some of the biggest artists in the world, right? Like, I mean, I don't know how many download, but you're not, you're over a billion downloads. You know, Grammy nominated, you know, like you're crushed in the game and you probably have, I have no idea, but I would venture to guess a ton of music that you've not released. Like your sketchbook.
00:12:54 Maejor: Yeah. And I think about, I mean, it's like a balance thing I think about too, because it is like a certain, I don't know, I don't know if quality is the word, right? Because to someone else, there's been songs that I've been a part of that I didn't think were that awesome and they ended up getting hundreds of millions of streams. And it's something that I maybe thought was awesome and didn't get barely anything. So it's not always like, you don't know always as the creator what will resonate and when and why. And I was thinking about two things that you said right there. For an artist to last long, maybe, and maybe this is just from the old era, maybe in this new era there will be a new mold. There maybe needs to be some sort of quality control. Your whole thing is just going to be that I'm doing a song a day and you keep that consistency because then consistency I believe can capture momentum, right? And momentum of energy. So you have to do it for long enough to really do that.
00:14:03 Maejor: And then there's also something that I think about. So there's some balance between what do you present? What stays in the sketchbook? But I think that you're right. There are a lot in the sketchbook that would be amazing for people to hear. And maybe there's some new way with all of these new forms of technology that are coming out and ways to share. You're right, things don't have to be as precious as this huge rollout campaign for this thing. Some things can maybe live in a more of a digital diary type of form or sketchbook type of space that's for that. Maybe would help a lot of artists too, something like that. This is understood that it's like a rough draft.
00:14:46 Michael: What hits me, and I think you said that so beautifully and eloquently, is I do think there's a right space for something that you put a lot of time and effort into. It wouldn't be right with my book. I've spent five years on it. If I just published my process every day, it would kind of dilute it. And still there's other things where it finds its moment in time. I think about Rodriguez. I don't know if you ever saw. He was an artist back in the '70s. Cat, actually from your neck of the woods, man. Detroit, from Michigan. And he was massive in South Africa. Had no idea. Dude was literally like, I think he was laying brick. He was an amazing musician, but he didn't even know that he was the Beatles in a certain country. I love his music. But just like, I think the essence of what I'm trying to share is I think there's ways in which our song, in your case, literally, but both literally and metaphorically, we don't know who it's going to resonate with or when. Some stuff hits 30 years later.
00:15:58 Maejor: I have a great example of that. I did a song, right now it's my number one top. Spotify does trending. It'll rank which songs of yours have the most upward momentum. I released this song over 10 years ago, right? And it had about, I want to say 20 million or something streams. Ten years, stayed there. 20 million, 20 million, 20 million, stayed there. Last year, TikTok somehow catches a song. Someone does a remix, a dance goes viral. Now that song, just on Spotify, has over 100 million. On all the other channels, it's growing. It's 10 years old, over 10 years old. And there's songs that I've tried to put today that can't grow as fast as that. So to your point, it's just like, you never know when it will resonate and what. But it's like a wave, right? It's going to go up and down. And at some point, the thing about an artist is you got to be like, if you're really an artist, I believe you have to be comfortable even just like, some of the greatest artists didn't even get the recognition through their lifetime.
00:17:01 Maejor: If you think about even visual artists and stuff, sometimes they didn't even, their value wasn't really seen until they were even there, but their art resonated long after. And then sometimes I think about what you said about the Grateful Dead, which is great about, are they a jam band?
00:17:17 Michael: Yeah, totally.
00:17:18 Maejor: So something like that, it's like they know that they are, because that's a flow state, right?
00:17:24 Michael: That's right.
00:17:25 Maejor: They know that they're connected to that and they can get back to that. So there's no fear of needing to hold it. They want you to share it because they're going to play something different. The next time anyway, it's going to be a little different, maybe a little, you know, but it's just like, and that's what I noticed with great creators and artists. And even like I have example of Martin Garrix, who I work well with. We have a group, awesome DJ, one of the top DJs in the world. Of course. Will literally, when he's producing music, will sit me right here next to him, like with the screen right there, all the settings, like show me everything. He's like giving. And then you'll meet a producer maybe like, you know, who hasn't had like their success. And they're like, y'all don't look at my, look at my settings, you know?
00:18:11 Michael: Yep, I know those people.
00:18:05 Maejor: So it's like, it shows you like when you are, when you are connected to that, you don't have to hoard it like that. And like, you know, that's inspiration for me even thinking like you can put it out. And if someone is, you know, you can make another one like you can always make another one, Nick. We can always make another show. We're creative. So we don't have to, like you say, be so always so precious to it.
00:18:34 Michael: I think what you just said is super beautiful. And also there's a depth to what you're sharing that also is hitting me right now. Because, you know, you mentioned like, for example, a song from 10 years ago. So like, for example, you know, like Lali, huge song of yours went all over the world. It's close. I think we're probably getting close to probably 10 years in. And yet you just released major frequencies. Now, those are two very different frequencies, let's just say. And both, by the way, have a beautiful place, you know? Like I love 90s hip hop. I also love salsa. I also love classical music, you know? I'll get down to some grateful days. So it's like every type of music has its place. But when you see one artist that is producing at that variety, to me, that's super inspiring. I think about like Bob Dylan, you know, like, yeah, he was like, you know, considered the godfather of folk music, but then came to like the folk festival and brought the electric guitar, which was considered like, considered like, yo, like blast me in a way. But yet he was like, yo, don't define me by one thing.
00:19:44 Maejor: No, you know, put me in a box.
00:19:46 Michael: Yes. So talk to me a little bit about that, right? Because you had profound success, have profound success with what I would call more popular music. And yet you also are creating, this is my words, but my understanding is your own version also of medicine music, you know? And so how do you think about that creative process and the versatility of your production?
00:20:11 Maejor: Yeah, well, I think the evolution came like, pretty much naturally, you know, I think about one of the catalysts for this kind of transition, just even thinking about is zooming out and thinking about purpose, you know? And for me, the way that that happened was, well, I always had a vision, even when I was making like in my initial kind of music industry songs was really not thinking much about like consciousness or effect of the music or anything like that. It was more like, wow, this is fun. I'm making some beats and get him, you know, to work with great people, get him to travel and get money for me and my family. And this is great. You know, making music for the kind of the mainstream audience.
00:20:59 Maejor: And through my experience, after I got diagnosed with cancer, when I was like on the journey of already producing music that was reaching a lot of people. And through that experience. So before that, I had a vision of I was going to use the proceeds and the money and everything I was doing from the music to make a program. That was my vision. It was but it was down the line. So I was thinking, you know, this is going to help these kids and this is what it's going to do. And I had this kind of set up vision for what I saw for my future, what I was going to do. So I was thinking, you know, the music is having its purpose, but the music wasn't really connected to the purpose. It was just like a vehicle in a sense to get the foundation to do this.
00:21:44 Maejor: And then as I started to go through that experience of just my own health experience, I started to get exposed to many forms of alternative wellness and different things, that ideas from science and spirituality that I hadn't really heard before. And some of them still are a little bit far out for me. Some of them didn't resonate. But certain things I started to realize that there was a connection in the sound frequency itself and us. And also one of the things that first showed me that was I started learning about mantra. And it was actually Jay Shetty told me he was like each he was a monk. And he told me before I didn't really understand what mantra was, he told me each mantra was a unique frequency set designed to change them to a specific state of consciousness.
00:22:33 Maejor: And through the repetition of that sound, they go to that consciousness. So I was like, oh wait, the sound is the frequency of the sound is having an effect, put you to it and that's been passed down to these traditions. So I was like, oh, that's really cool. Kind of like put a light bulb right there. And I was like, that's cool to the connection and that. Then I started going to like, I started hearing about binaural beats, which are, you know, came from a science perspective where it was two different frequencies and your brain basically syncs to the difference in it. You could change your brainwave state, you know, measurably through like not like an idea. Like, you know, we have different frequency states of our brainwaves, you know, alpha, gamma, da da da.
00:23:11 Maejor: And so when I started to learn that the frequency could change your brainwave state, I was like, wow, that's really cool. Like, you know, I started like, wait, there's a connection in the sound. And so I started to dive in at first, started getting introduced to things like, you know, sound bass and all these things. And I didn't know exactly how it works, but I felt good when I was in it. But what kind of also connected me altogether was when I started to get confirmation from my friends who were some scientists and I got connected with this group, Resident Science Foundation. And Robert Grant gave me a paper about why he had 432 hertz as the frequency that he felt would be more resonant for humanity and, you know, for the body and all these reasons why and geometrically. So I started looking at it from that perspective and all of these things kept coming into my world. And I was already producing music for, you know, a wide audience, right? So I was like, okay, this needs to connect. You know, it was a natural, like it just makes sense to connect it.
00:24:12 Maejor: And then just from a straight creative thing perspective, I started learning that everyone, every song is made on A equals 440. Right. So that's a standard tuning that is music uses right now. So regardless of genre, if you hear a pop song, you hear an EDM song, you hear a rock and roll song, artist, tempo, whatever it is, they're using the same frequency. So I was just like, hmm, I started to, you know, there's some people I don't want to get too far down that side, but there's people who have like conspiracy theories about why that's not the best for humanity. But I started to just from a purely creative, I just was like, what, why, why would I want to go on the same frequency that everyone is using? Like what, when I found that out, I was like, I have to break off of it. And it just was kind of like, in my world was like a far out thing because everyone, but it's not that far out. It's just literally a different tuning, but it's just somehow we've gotten conditioned, right?
00:25:10 Maejor: And it's just the language that everyone speaks and it's just what you know. So you just don't question, don't even try it, don't even change it. And so that kind of led me into what I call like, you know, I would say intentional music. And I put sound healing in the quotes a little bit because even when you say medicine music, because I really believe that we are connected to healing potential already, like infinite healing potential, you know, like we already have that. And I use the music like another tool, you know, just like when you drink right water, when we get the right exercise or whatever that is, sunlight or whatever that is, our body gets in the right state to, you know, dial itself back in. And so the music, I look at that as extension. So being really intentional and be able to be like, okay, the music acts as something that helps put us in that state where we really start to heal ourselves, you know, or comes through us, you know, in some way. And yeah, that's already was given to us and baked into us already.
00:26:10 Michael: That's what they say true healing is, right? It's like you already are your own healer, right? And I think actually in many ways, that's where things get in trouble, right? With the kind of guru complexes or thinking like someone has the power and you don't. Whereas, at least in the way that I've been taught by a variety of different indigenous elders, you know, it's like the healing lives in you and what, you know, I'll give an example. So there's this beautiful man. Love to introduce you to him at some point named Jerry and he's a Dene Navajo elder. And he's a road man, profound. But I would describe it like this. Imagine you're sitting next to like Ella Fitzgerald on the bus. You'd have no idea what she's bringing until she sang, right? Like if you didn't know who she was, right? Jerry was like that. Jerry was like he had keys.
00:27:03 Michael: Now, it wasn't Jerry that was fixing you, but Jerry had keys in his music that were like he would unlock a part of you that you didn't even know existed. And by the way, like he's not even he's not wearing the regalia. Dude had like t-shirt, trucker's cap. But when he started to sing and move that rattle, it was like, no, man, it was like Ella Fitzgerald. It was like, oh, man, this is like. Like unlocked, like took a key, put it right in your heart. And you experience aspects of yourself you didn't even know were alive.
00:27:41 Maejor: Absolutely. Yeah.
00:27:41 Michael: And that to me, that's what's up. Like I shared with you a little earlier this quote I just discovered that I'm blown away by, which is that Beethoven quote, right? Which is music is a higher revelation than all wisdom. You know, music is a higher revelation than all forms of wisdom. And to me, I'm like. Preach, you know.
00:28:05 Maejor: I love that. I love that. I mean, I think about also. That's where language is tricky. It's also why music is powerful as well, right? Because for some people, they will hear you are your own healer and the word you have like words mean different things to each person, right? So they will hear it and they won't. And they might. Maybe some people, they need it to come through the lens of God is healing me or the universe is healing me or. And whatever lens that is, I think that getting in touch with that is what will actually heal the person.
00:28:51 Michael: That's what's up.
00:28:52 Maejor: Like whatever lens that is. And so like, it's funny, like I have these conversations kind of like some of my friends who are doctors, right? They will say like they will say a lot of the stuff that we'll say here that you can we can talk about, but. You know, publicly, they won't be able to say it because behind the scenes, one doctor told me he said that a lot of times my patients, some of them just want to hear. A doctor say you're going to be okay. And because that's the lens that they view, their healing is going to come through. The science, you know, someone in that position, saying that to them, they literally something happens and their healing begins. And so it's like finding that, you know, each person has that different thing in it kind of maybe related a little to placebo. But I think placebo also is a tricky word because it kind of makes it seem like it's not real in a way like it's but there's all that to say there's like more and more the power of our mind and the power of our thoughts and ideas are becoming more and more evident, right. And that comes through different forms for other people. But maybe potentially why Beethoven even said that quote is because music can kind of transfer through all of that, you know, where words can kind of like can be a little bit barriers depending where culture you're from, you know, especially language.
00:30:17 Maejor: That's something we think about, like even with the music, like one of the rise, I believe one of the reasons for the rise of dance music in the way that it was is that a lot of it was instrumental and it removed a barrier of language. So now this guy from France and this guy from Africa and this guy from, you know, Germany and this guy from London or wherever can all right there and there's no barrier to entry. They're all right there. And that's what you guys did great with global citizens, just all of those things, bringing these kind of like worlds together is something that music can do for me. So like that's why I love interviews. I often feel like tough to say what I'm trying to exactly say. Whereas a song I could say it pretty good, but I can only speak. They're both important because a song is like it's a different. They're both like packets of frequency information.
00:31:14 Michael: That's right.
00:31:15 Maejor: And it's like they're delivered in different ways. But it's funny, like with music, it's like you kind of get paid to like manipulate invisible frequencies. It's kind of weird. It's like what? And it like these frequencies that you manipulate a certain way will have an effect on people's mood. It's like kind of like a magic or something.
00:31:37 Michael: It is magic, man. That's exactly what it is. You're orchestrating magic.
00:31:41 Maejor: It's weird. Like I never thought about it like that until like way into it. I was like, wait a minute. It's just invisible things. And because of this certain collection of frequencies organize a certain way. Adele organizes her frequencies a certain way and we crave that and we love that. And that organization of it around her makes us feel a certain way and gives us resonance.
00:32:03 Michael: That's right.
00:32:04 Maejor: Like when you hit the guitar string and if the other one's at the same rate, it'll literally pick up its frequency without being struck. It's resonance. That's what that is.
00:32:14 Michael: Resonance is so this is the book I'm writing is about this.
00:32:21 Maejor: Wow.
00:32:22 Michael: Exactly this. What is the song that wants to live in the space between two people? And how do we become instruments for that song? You know, because I think that's it, man. Like what is the music that wants to live? And because I think where we get in trouble on this, I think is somewhat analogous to what you're sharing about why words are imperfect is oftentimes we have this notion of how we think something has to be and we try to manipulate people with our words or we try to control things or we have. And so one of the principles I talk about is like, it's beautiful to have intention, but what if you surrender expectation, right?
00:33:07 Michael: Like I come in today, like I'm pumped to have this conversation with you, right? But like if I had a whole dot point list of, yo, I got to talk to Major about you know, like it's got to go like this and we got to talk about this. It's like, okay, well, then there's no room for what wants to live, what wants to emerge, you know? And so what I love about what you're sharing is like, man, it's evoking for me that notion of like that is what we can do, whether it be music or, you know, at times words, you know, is we can evoke a sense of what is possible, you know? And that's what you are. You're an alchemist, you know, you're a magician.
00:33:49 Maejor: Same with you. Yeah. The mirror's--
00:33:52 Michael: Yeah. And I think that that is something that is both beautiful and is a responsibility. Because like you said, you were talking earlier, and we don't have to go too deep into this, but you were saying, you know, most music exists in this particular frequency. And in a way, you were choosing after your diagnosis, there at least, and I'd actually like, let me not make assumptions. Let me ask how, when you were diagnosed with cancer, and I have tremendous empathy for that. My father had cancer. How did that, to the degree you're willing to share, how did that journey impact your decision to change frequency?
00:34:39 Maejor: Well, first, thank you for asking that, because I forgot to connect that point. It made me throw, my old plan was to do something far in the future. It made me look to right now. So being like, you know, focused, when you're, I'm grateful to have made it, you know, still be okay during the journey. But at that time, with something like a diagnosis like that, you don't know what time you have, you know? Right. So any far out future plans is kind of out. So for me, it made me think of versus how can I use the, you know, for lack of better word, use the money from what I'm doing for this. How can I use the impact of the sound to do my mission and my purpose to have intention? And that's where I started to say, okay, if I could put these things I'm learning about sound healing into music that is reaching already a wide audience, now I can have an impact that doesn't have to wait until I'm old.
00:35:41 Maejor: Now this can be starting to work and do things now. And the journey that has put me on has been beautiful and like I've been able to get, be inspired and inspire a lot of people along the way. Whereas before my thing was farther. So what the cancer did and anyone kind of had maybe faced like any type of medical emergency or anything is like it makes you think about like, it reframes everything. A lot of times we think we'll be here forever. Kind of, you know, we just don't even think about it, but you know, it lets you know that there's like someone turned over the clock, you know, and that's the truth for everyone. You know, everyone's kind of clock ticking down a little bit and it, not to put it in a bad way of pressure, it was a beautiful experience to be had, but just to know that let's be more active now into what I can do. So that's, yes, that's what shaped it.
00:36:33 Michael: That's beautiful. There's actually a saying, I had a gentleman named Ryan Holiday on the show. He wrote a book called The Obstacle is the Way, which I love.
00:36:42 Maejor: Beautiful. I like that book.
00:36:44 Michael: I like it a lot.
00:36:46 Maejor: It's so true.
00:36:47 Michael: It is, right?
00:36:47 Maejor: Yeah.
00:36:448 Michael: The Obstacle is the Way, I can, because it sounds like that tremendous challenge, which I wouldn't wish on anyone, was the impetus for you for new music, new perspective, and a genuine transformation. And he gifted me a coin that said, memento mori, and that's the stoic saying you likely already know, but for those listening, that is basically use death as an impetus for living, right? Not in a morbid, morose sense, like in the West, we don't like to think about that, but I just got a calendar called Weeks of Your Life, and every week I actually cross out a week. And it's wild, man, because when you look at a picture of how much life you've already lived, and God willing, I'm able to live to, you know, a nice, healthy, long age, you still see, yo, like, okay, like, wow, all right, like, the clock is ticking.
00:37:42 Maejor: You turned it all the way up.
00:37:44 Michael: Exactly, man. I took it far.
00:37:46 Maejor: Yeah, you faced it right head on, but no, I'm sure it's been transformative for you, yeah?
00:37:51 Michael: It is, man. Exactly right, because I think, unfortunately, and I'm still guilty of this, I think any of us, right? Like, you scroll on social media, you get in that little rabbit hole, you're mindlessly, or whatever, but like other stuff, like where you're just like, you know, like, I'm going to choose not to commute to work, because I don't want to spend two hours of my day sitting in a car, man. That is not, my time is too precious for that. That's a small thing, you know? Or like, you know what? You know, I know I've been saying I got the golden handcuffs, this job is comfortable, but fuck that, man. Like, this is toxic. I'm out, you know, like--
00:38:29 Maejor: What I need to do. Yeah.
00:38:30 Michael: Yeah. And I think that we all have those things where we're like, we know at our core, it's not right. It's not right for us, let me say. Let me make it personal. Certain things in my life where I'm like, you know what, this isn't my song.
00:38:44 Maejor: Not resonating. It's not resonant. And then when you look at it through that lens, as you just discussed, when you look at it through that lens, then you're like, all right, if this is the one precious life we get to live, and by the way, in my own view, if you have, which you now I can imagine appreciate more than most, but if you have your health and you've got time ahead of you, you won the lottery. You know what I mean? Like, we talk about like, oh, you got to get money, like, you know, Steve, you and I were off camera talking about Steve Jobs. That cat would have given up all his money, all at Apple stock, everything to have one more year of life.
00:39:22 Maejor: We all would, yeah.
00:39:23 Michael: Anyone would, right?
00:39:23 Maejor: At that last moment, yeah, if someone says, yo, you give it up or you even give it up. You're gonna give it up. But it reminds me also of what something which you said about like, and you're talking about earlier, we're going with flow and you, and I was going to mention the book Surrender Experiment from Wacken Singer. And you said to surrender. And I was like, yes, because it's really, it's really that it's really when you're able to trust, you know, that comes with trust. And a lot of that comes with the stage you're in. So through meditation, all these things, then you can start to use your purpose for your highest good, use your life, your one life that you have, start to think about what can I do to, you know, what is the.... what do I really want to do? What is purposeful for me?
00:40:05 Maejor: And then from there, it's just like, you know, starting to do it, you know, starting to do it. And like you said, a lot of us, we put it off so long and we're all guilty of it. You know, we like, ah, do it later. But oftentimes when we get to it quicker, it's like, so rewarding show up, just even showing up, you know.
00:40:27 Michael: It's one of the most powerful things you can do. I'll also, I like that you shout out Surrender Experiment. One of the other things that I just did this week that was a game changer is, I don't know if, are you familiar with Ho'oponopono? Have you heard of it?
00:40:41 Maejor: Ho'oponopono? Yes. I forgive you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I love you. Thank you.
00:40:47 Michael: Yes. That's it, man. You hit it. You hit it. Hawaiian prayer.
00:40:40:52 Maejor: And that's a great prayer.
00:40:54 Michael: Man, I'm going to tell you what, you know, so my father, you didn't know this, but my father had dementia after he got cancer diagnosis. He then went out to dementia diagnosis. Best thing I ever did was I actually then knowing that he had a limited time, I said, “Dad, I'm going to take you anywhere in the world you want to go.” And he, he was a humble man. Like, like you were from the Midwest, grew up in Chicago and, and he, he would, you know, he wouldn't, he wouldn't, he don't want me to spend my money, you know? So he would have been like, you know, like take me to Wisconsin or like, let's go for an ice cream or something, which would have been meaningful. But I was like, you know what, I want to, I want to do something special. So long story short, I took him to South Africa because I knew he loved history and I knew he loved nature. And I'll tell you what best gift I ever received. My dad gifted me long walks. Oh, so I, I gifted him long walk to freedom. Cause we, we, we went to, we visited, uh, Nelson Mandela's probably Mike Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, those are like the, you know, those that's it. And so we visited, Robin Island. We traveled all through the country and, and, uh, and, and I gifted him that book for that year for Christmas. And, and as he lost his way, you know, he read that book so many times and he regifted it to me, you know, as he was losing his, his cognitive abilities.
00:42:12 Michael: And for me, it's like my most prized possession because I think about like, you know, our time together and that gift. And when, when he was, when he was making his transition, you know, I did that whole Pono Pono with him and, and, and I just sent a letter to my mom's where I was like, you know, we were in a bit of like, uh, you know, we had, we had hit a challenge, you know? And I was like, let me take a moment and just be like, go through this, you know, here's what I appreciate about you. Here's what I love about you. You know, please forgive me. I forgive you. And for anyone listening, if you've got, you know, I will just say from personal experience, let me tell you what, that is a reckoning. Cause you just release all that weight. Now I'm not saying it's everything's perfect hunky door, but, but what I will say is you take those real steps of like letting go of the stuff that we, cause I think a lot of our disease, I'm not, I'm not in any way, you know, taking out actual like biological causation, but, but I do think a lot of us carry, you know, stuff that doesn't serve us in resentment and whatnot. And for me, um, you know, those, that prayer really, man, it worked magic.
00:43:24 Maejor: Absolutely. And, and often in, um, I was, I was listening to like the power of forgiveness, right? And like, what is, what comes with that? And like you said, we're holding onto a lot of energy that we don't even know sometimes. And just by, by expressing that and being, and being, being able to forgive others and ourselves, which is often hard for us to forgive ourselves. We need to say that, say that poem to ourselves. But when we do that, we let go and they talk about like, that's one of the things to the layers of, of kind of healing and also allowing your, you know, yourself to heal and inner healing is like when you release that, they say stress is one of the biggest things that causes, as you say, disease, right? Like stress is a huge contributor to bodily function breakdown, you know, like it's just huge. And everyone knows it and everyone feels it. So just by simply releasing to that and reducing that you're going to feel better.
00:43:31 Maejor: So, and you're going to feel better. So, and then from there, um, you know, can't pour from the empty cup. So the more we're enriched and feeling good and thriving, we can help more. So it's actually like, sometimes we get to this thing where we don't want to be selfish and we don't want to take care of ourselves. We want to help everybody else, but it's just like the airplane, right? Like if you don't put your mask on first, like you can't put their mask on you, you ran out of oxygen. So that like, we just have to always remind ourselves of that. And I think it happens to a lot of us too, who have a compassion and we want to help so much people, right? And we're always going out and we drain our whole battery and now there's nothing to help with. So..
00:45:08 Michael: Yeah, you, you hit it right there, man. It's like, uh, the battery. So one of the things, this concept that I've been playing with in the book is this notion of battery and black holes, right? Which, which, which goes to the medicine of people, right? Because I think a lot of us have, we're trained with this notion of givers and takers. Like, you know, like you've been in the music industry, I'm sure there are people that they just want to take from you, you know, but then there are people probably who give you like, it sounds like, like, for example, you know, Gary X or Bieber, whoever it is in your life, like they dig, they bring you energy that are, that are, that are, that are source for you, you know, like the sun, I think about that, like the sun gives us light, but doesn't ask for anything in return, you know, it's, it's a cosmic battery. And to me, like in life, there are people who are batteries, like, and to me, the barometer for that is how do you feel when you're around them? You know what I mean? And then there are black holes and certain people, you know, no matter what, they just, you don't feel good when you are, you know, around them. And that to me is like, all right, well, you know, some of that, you can't control some of it, you can, but, but by and large, the more that we can be batteries and also surround ourselves with batteries, I feel like that, that to me is also the juice.
00:46:23 Maejor: Yeah. It reminds me of that book, The Celestine Prophecy.
00:46:28 Michael: Yes. I love that book.
00:46:29 Maejor: And they talk about energy vampires and stuff. And some people, even some people is subconscious, like they don't even know that they might be taking energy. Some people, you know, some people even subconsciously create a conflict or something to get energy from the situation. So the more aware we are, you know, the more we can be in tune with that and know what frequencies harmonize with us and which ones are dissonant. And what I started to look at, even something related to what you said earlier about dissonance and like, you know, it's just maybe it wasn't in my song.
00:47:06 Michael: I mean, in a way, but yeah.
00:47:07 Maejor: It wasn't in my song. And I think about that with people, right? Instead of, oh man, that guy's an asshole or that guy sucks. You know, it's just like a note, right? And maybe this note and this note together doesn't sound so good. Maybe it sounds a little clashing, but if you keep that same first note and add another note, maybe it sounds like a beautiful chord, right? It matches. So maybe that person's frequency, whatever they are now and the energy is just not resonant with your chord. It sounds, you know, it's a dissonant energy with whatever we're doing, but not a bad note. You know, bad note. Maybe it sounds great with someone else. And so viewing it like that has helped me as opposed to kind of like looking at it like, oh, this guy sucks. And then you never know also if our frequencies can change. And so later on that note may be harmonious, you know, with us with where we are at that point and where they are at that point. And they may work well together. So that's the way I've been viewing it lately.
00:48:03 Michael: Man, you just hit, you just literally like hit the nail on the head. To me, that's it. And that's actually the exact topic that I've been thinking about for the last five years is like, what if instead of it being personal, right? Like, you know, because so many of us, like the number one regret of the dying is that they never took a shot living life on their own terms. You know, they never took a chance of living their own life in the way that was their own song. They never sang their song, their unique song, you know? And to me, I was like, how do we encourage people to like, yo, take a shot and sing your song? And many people don't do it because they're so afraid of what the judgment of other people like, that's the thing. And I was like, you know, I had that for many years, clearly like even in launching this podcast. But then I was like, you know what? Sometimes people resonate with us, sometimes they don't. And like, just as you said, it takes, then it takes the thing of being personal out of it. You know, it's like, look, you know, you might like Metallica and respect to Metallica. It's just not, it's probably not the music I want to be hearing on a day to day basis, you know? But like, you're playing, you know, like Beethoven or you're playing like Tribe Called Quest or you're playing, you know, that's my kind of music, you know, like it resonates.
00:49:23 Michael: So it's like someone who digs Metallica doesn't make it any bad, but like, it's just to say like, that's maybe not my kind of party right now. So, so then it's like, okay, if you just think about it, like, hey, you know, you sing your song and the people that are resonant will find you. You know what I mean? They will come to you. And that's the beauty of what you're an exemplification of, right? Because you have actually, and not, not that you do it because of that, but you've been, you've created a song that's resonated and literally, you know, reached over a billion people, you know, like, and to me it's like, wow, okay. You know, and yet you're always, you still have the courage. And this is the other thing I think many people to continue to reinvent your song, to not just stick with like, cause like a lot of people have that like sophomore slump, right? Whereas like, you know, Elizabeth Gilbert has a book called Big Magic and I'll be, I'll be honest, like for me, even, you know, after we created global citizen festival, it was so big, like for her, the equivalent was when she wrote you pray love, it was so big that book. You're like, yo, next thing I create probably never going to be that big. And then if you get in that mindset, it keeps you from ever creating,
00:50:35 Maejor: Ever creating. Yes.
00:50:36 Michael: Right. But like what she said in that book, which was healing for me was like, right, right. A kid's book, right. Make a coloring book. It's not about, it has to look the same way. It's like that you stay in the muse and that you keep creating, you know? And so to me, I just feel like if we can stay in our creation, that, that is everything.
00:50:57 Maejor: That's it. And, and, and thinking about like what you said there is being childlike.
00:51:02 Michael: Yes.
00:51:03 Maejor: Right. You brought up a crazy point with that, a childlike and, and a child is open to dream. They're open for what's possible, you know? And a lot of times the judgment or why reasons why we stop things is like, if you look at a kid and you ask them to sing or dance, right, you really get a little kid, they'll do it. They'll do some silly dance. They will have fun and use their voice. They'll sing. But there's some point that usually happens where someone says, ah, you're no good at that. Like there's one point, usually people can remember one point. And they stop. Most people like have a point or drawing or something happened that they like doing. But then someone said, I, this thing's no good. And some people stop. And then, you know, like you say, afraid of, afraid of judgment. And it happens to all of us is we've all been there. But when you can turn awareness on and say, okay, that's where that came from. Now I can know that it's, it's, and you can take away the personality, the personal bit of it too. Like maybe that person was going through their own thing or like there's a Jay Z was talking about that. Like he showed, he showed his uncle his rap demo. And he was like, suppose his uncle said, “You'll never be as big as LL Cool Jay.” And I believe he said it cause Jay remembered it, right? So I believe he, cause you know those moments. Those moments when somebody said like, but luckily for him, he kept that child like dream, right? Didn't let it stop. But for a lot of us, it does end up blocking our path. And so when we can reconnect to that childlike spirit.
00:52:40 Michael: I asked you a question while we were on our walk that I would love for you to share. Because we were talking about, you know, music and optimizing music and where people listen to music. You know, we were talking about, I think it was like a Jack Harlow song was, was popping out of this car stereo. And you're like, you know, now we, now I plan for that, right? Like, so you're thinking about how, and I share that not just literally, but I think metaphorically, like how are people going to receive and where are they going to receive your music?
00:53:14 Maejor: Yeah. So what happened was we were walking down and we heard this song playing. And as I was listening to the song playing out of the guy's stereo, I was listening to the frequency range, like the response and I'm hearing it. Like it was very, very light on the low end of the frequency range. Like it probably stopped, like not to be too nerdy, but his thing maybe stopped at like, I don't know, 200 or 300 Hertz, which is like not getting the full low end. So I was thinking, it's interesting, like we will sit in these studios, you know, with all this massive equipment and best speakers and best immersive sound systems and creating all of this stuff. Only to sometimes double check the mix on an iPhone or on a laptop or, you know, like the little computer speakers, you know, try to, or like a car with a limited system, because you want to be conscious of where the listener will be listening to it. You know, a lot of mistakes that, a mistake that sometimes I see like, mostly like, I would say probably newer producers coming in is like not doing that check, right? So they get it sounding great. The mix sounds great. It's banging in the studio and these big speakers is found in fire and then it goes out to the world and it maybe doesn't translate. The mix doesn't, because, you know, people aren't listening to it. So that's like really a metaphor for being intentional for how your art is received and being like, almost being kind to the receiver of it and letting them receive it in a way that sounds good for them and in their world and works for them and, you know, whatever it is that your art you're creating, try to really meet them where they will be receiving it, I think is a great tool to connection.
00:54:56 Michael: I couldn't agree more and what it evokes for me, and again, everything you're hitting is like things I've been thinking about for the last five years and what it hits on is the notion of the love languages. I don't know if you're, yeah, clearly you are familiar, but for those listening, you know, the notion of like what is someone's love language? And that can be, of course, romantic, you know, like there's quality time, gifts, words of affirmation, experiences, but it can also be platonic. And I think it's a game changer when you start thinking about where is someone going, how, where and how is someone going to perceive this? You know, for example, in the context of interpersonal music, you know, I shared like my mom loves gifts, like that's her love language, right? For me, I don't really care. I'm not much of a gift guy, you know, but, and I, you know, I would fly in, you know, and you're from Detroit, I'm flying to Chicago during Christmas and whatnot. I'd be like, man, I took a week off, you know, like I'm, I'm flying in for me. These are all like my love languages. I'm like, yo, I'm showing up. But for her, it was like the token of the gift. Like whatever I got her for Christmas was more important than, so what I mean to say is it's not about me speaking in my language of what I value. It's about what she values. And that's the thing, right? It's like, that's the thing. Where does your music hit and how are they going to be receiving it?
00:56:21 Maejor: Yeah. And that's also like a thing people think about with like, I don't know if you're familiar with that term, you heard of code switching? You heard of that?
00:56:29 Michael: Yeah, of course. Absolutely.
00:56:30 Maejor: And I think there's some people who will laugh at someone who's like maybe talk super professional at the job and then what their friends like, yo, what's up, man? You know, like completely different. But I think it's a little bit like also, you know, it's a little bit of like respectful in some way of like considering who you're speaking to. Like you speak to your grandfather a different way and it's considering how they will receive the information. Like it's it can be a little bit like, “Oh, I'm just going to say how I say it. I don't care how they receive it. God, I'm being me.” But you're a little bit robbing yourself of the opportunity to be considerate of like how are they best going to if communication is really to like exchange, you know, if you really want them to get it, it may be thinking about what form they will get it best in is good. And sometimes for music that might be this song needs to be wrapped in a beat of this style, right? For this genre, because these people seem to resonate with this, whatever it is, wrapping of it. And maybe you could take that same song, strip it down, you could produce it in a whole different way that will resonate with a whole different type of people. It's like the production is like the clothes, almost like the jacket, you know, and you can put it in a different style that so depending how you want to translate your message or put it out there, you can choose the appropriate structure.
00:57:54 Michael: Yes, I think that's I think that's super beautiful because I think people don't think enough about who's listening and how they're receiving something, you know, and I feel like, like what you're talking about, even with code switching, it, look, it makes sense. And matter of fact, like, you know, like, I'll tell you what comes to mind, this is not to be political at all, right? Like I think about someone like Barack Obama, and to me, I have a huge amount of respect for him, but I think he was very good in all different environments. He maintained who he was. In other words, so the challenge with code shifting is when someone tries to be something they're not, you know, and you can tell they're, they're, they're fronting, you know, they're coming a little too strong. You're like, okay, man, like you put a little too much season to go out there, right? But, but, but, but when you think about someone like Obama, what I like is there's a guy, obviously he's in the white house. He can speak to anyone, but he maintains who he is regardless of the environment and circumstance. And he'll give you a little sauce, but, but, but, but he, but he knows, he knows the room he's talking to.
00:59:08 Maejor: I'm thinking about that clip right now. You said Obama, have you seen that clip where he's, where he's handshaking everyone and then he daps the one guy. And the guy, like, you know, they connected on that handshake. It was smooth. It was like, maybe it was like, no, this is the best, this is the best communication method right now. That's it. Which is what they call good emotional intelligence.
00:59:29 Michael: Totally.
00:59:30 Maejor: Cause you gotta be able to kind of, like you say, read the room and know like you can't talk to someone's grandmother the same way you could talk to your best friend of 10 years.
00:59:39 Michael: That's right.
00:59:40 Maejor: You got it. You don't have to, but if you want to be respectful, you know, then you maybe would consider how they, how they take it.
00:59:45 Michael: That's exactly right. Okay. I want to talk about mindful of time. I want to talk about a few things. I want to talk about tuning and I'm, and not just tuning in the context of, of, of music, although I'm, I'm very curious about that as well. You know, I asked you on our walk, I was like, what's more important, adding or, or subtracting. And I think that that's a metaphor for life. I'd love your, I'd love your take on that. And then I'd love to hear you talk a little bit about tuning. What are some of the things, practices, elements of your life that bring you back into tune?
01:00:18 Maejor: Into tune. Wow. So that's great. So in regards to the question about adding or taking out, I have a saying that I tend to say to myself, often when I'm producing a lot, I say it is, when in doubt, take it out. So it's like, if I have a question, does this element need to be there? Should I add it? You know, then I go to reduce. And part of that lesson was learned, like I give credit to great people I've been able to work with. One of them is who's become a friend now, but they're the producer Stargate and Mikael is my good friend from the group. And one of my first times working with them, we produced this beat together, right? So they played some sounds and then I co- I produced, and I threw all these crazy sounds in there. That sound is so cool to my, you know, to me. So cool. So many layers, right? I pass it back to bro, I'm like, here's what I did. And immediately they pull up the files and listening, keep, keep, delete, delete, delete. Delete's like, I want to say 60 to 70% of the tracks.
1:01:27 Michael: Wow.
1:01:28 Maejor: And kept only, so part of me initial, it's like, your heart is like, yo, it's like, dude, you know, it's like someone you write in your book and someone's like, ah, rips this one off. Yeah, just cross it off. But then you go back and you read it and you look and I listened to it. I'm like, oh, they kept the elements that were necessary to make, to get the essence off. And it actually gave space now for everything else. So one of the things like, you know, if you're starting to produce a lot of times and most like we want to impress, I think artists, we want to impress so much that we keep adding, adding. And a lot of times it overwhelms, like it's talking about being considerate of the person consuming too much information is going to overwhelm, it's going to overwhelm their brain. If you give it to someone slowly, it gives them a chance to digest it, to breathe, to understand it. We're talking about space and we're talking about builds and you think about music, like it's like a, there's a, there's a build and release, you know, it's like a tension and release.
01:02:31 Maejor: And there's always that when you're giving someone information, if you give them just small bits, it's easier for them to process. And if you look at a lot of the great pop songs and hit songs, they'll give you information, you know, and it might be spread out. You may be right here, the drums will come in and then a couple bars later, the bass might come in a couple of later, the voice might come in and they don't just put everything right there at the beginning because your brain is like, whoa. So I definitely believe in the simplicity is the essence of elegance approach. And then as far as tuning, I believe that it relates and that you want to get like, for me, tuning is very important because like we're talking about the frequency of sound and I've been, I just had a conversation with someone, I believe like frequency is everything, you know. The reason why we see certain colors is because of the frequency that holds on. Let me start, get a little water. Yeah.
1:03:38 Michael: We'll get our cocoa loco break real quick.
1:03:43 Maejor: Okay. So for me, tuning is everything. The whole world is frequency. Everything we experience, even more than the world, but everything that we experience is primarily kind of as a result of our senses reaction to those specific frequencies. So you're hearing my voice right now because of the sound wave frequency hitting your eardrum and being translated into your brain and to say a certain thing because those frequencies mean a certain thing. We see the light that we see because the color reflects that, the frequency of that color reflects that and then based on the frequency rate is what color we perceive things. And so that's a tune, right? It's a vibration. There's ones that we don't perceive with our senses, but are very real, like a microwave, obviously heats your food. It's a certain frequency tuned to that thing. Boom, now shakes the water molecules in the food and now it's vibrating, now it's hot. Telephone frequencies, so everything for me is all about tuning. So when I think about like going back into tune is one of the first things that comes in is with all of these external things, these are all about senses, all about looking at what's coming in is going inward, so going inside and almost in a sense, shutting out those sense things. So for me, that looks like meditation. It's a daily practice I have where I'll sit and I literally will focus on my breath, focus on connection with whatever that part of myself is that is telling my mind to sit down, which is not my mind. We're usually identified with our mind. So connecting with that and just being there gives me a huge re-tone and everything just seems to flow after that
01:05:37 Michael: It's so important. I think when we find our center, then we're able to come back. Tuning practices, I think, bring us back to center. Meditation for me is one of the most profound. The other thing that came up was evoked by what you were sharing was cymatics. Are you familiar with cymatics?
1:05:59 Maejor: Absolutely. It's beautiful.
1:06:01 Michael: Yeah, man. So for those listening, there's a Japanese gentleman by the name of Emoto who visualized the frequency of music as it's played through water, which in my view, water is one of the highest and most beautiful spirits on the planet. It's the source of life. We are all composed predominantly of water. And what he showed was how frequency affects water and intention and words and music. And you see it visualized in this way that is so profound because you see how our words, how our thoughts actually contribute to the wellbeing of others.
01:06:44 Maejor: Absolutely. Yeah. And even if there's those cymatics that they show, there's the Emoto ones where they show hateful words, create a dissonant pattern. And then there's also the ones where there's vibration applied to sand or a plate and water. And depending on the frequency, it creates beautiful different shapes and variations just naturally by the vibration. The water will form a certain frequency or certain shape. And it's amazing, the power of vibration and sound and what's really going on.
01:07:15 Michael: It really is. And anyone listening, I highly encourage you guys to go deep down the rabbit hole on cymatics. It's what's up. Okay. So let me, because we started the conversation, but we haven't gone into it yet. Tell me about this new project. Obviously we got Major Frequency. Now you would just tell me about maps and sort of this new project to the degree that you're able to share. Please share a little bit about what you're about to create.
01:07:45 Maejor: Absolutely. So we made the show Major Frequency with Audible and my partners from Audio Up. And it was a great show about the power of sound for healing through the spiritual and science community and with music, power of sound. And had a great response. And because of that, we're doing another season, a show with them. And one of the things that I've been passionate about and just feels like needs to be explored just today in this current time is it's called psychedelic frequency. So with the rise of just many things, during COVID, a lot of things came up with mental health, as far as anxiety, all these things came kind of more into the public conversation. And one of those things was also things like microdosing and things like psychedelic therapy and treatment. And there's a lot of people, it's long been connected with the creative community. And through my experience with the show, I just started to discover how it's been in a lot of religious traditions. It's been a lot of spiritual traditions through time, psychedelics and the going in and through different states. Because some of those are activated through ourselves through meditation, through breath work. Some of them are through working with therapists. Some of them are through psychedelic substances. But these states have long been places where people have gone for spiritual exploration or for wanting to grow or wanting to advance in some ways. So we just really made a show about the connection of it to creativity, to music, to the brain.
01:09:25 Maejor: And then also some kind of information around it, a framework to give people a safe space, give people information from people that they can trust and give them the kind of tools to navigate and to have success with what they're doing in exploring all of this whole world. So it's really a guide and just an act of something I felt was kind of necessary too. Because even if you just look out there, even in terms of a lot of like, there's no real information. How much do I take? How do I do this? One of the things they talked about that I thought was very important for each medicine that they talked about was set and setting. And having the right environment. And these are things that I feel like people started to explore these and people who have long been on this path makes a huge difference. We talk about intention. We talk about all of those things. And there's a definite, I've come to believe there's some type of intelligence connected with these substances, spirits, whatever you want to call them. And they are medicines, drugs, people call them many different things. And when we direct it with intention, it works more powerfully. That's been my experience. So one of the shows, just intentional look into that.
01:10:45 Michael: I think two things you mentioned so powerful. One is there is a bit of a renaissance happening, I think. I personally draw a distinction between psychedelics and plant medicines just based on age, right? Like many of the plant medicine, this is my own distinction, but many of the sacred plant medicines have been used for millennia. You talk about whether it be peyote, which has been used in records over 6,000 years. Same with San Pedro, Wachuma, Ayahuasca. Tough to get the records, but they found a pouch from a shaman over 2,000 years old. So these plants have, I say that because to pay respect to the heritage and the people from whom these medicines have been stewarded, right? Because I think that's another important aspect to the set and setting that now we're currently recording in Venice, California. A lot of friends curious about psychedelics, but I don't think enough do put the right intention in my own view into how to do it in a safe way, in a beautiful way, in an honoring way. And also honoring the medicines, the traditions, the cultures from which they come, as well as preparing themselves in a safe way. You know, like, yo, if you're going to go sit, I'm just going to be extreme.
01:12:09 Michael: But like, if you're going to go, you know, we were talking about this earlier, like medical care, like if I need surgery, I'm going to the cat who went to Harvard that's been practicing surgery for 30 years. If I'm going to go for psychic surgery, I'm going to the equivalent, AKA the Paget, the curandero who I have huge referral from, over 10 people have recommended they've been practicing their whole life for you. I'm not going to my friend who was a model that had a crisis in conscious went to Peru for a week and now thinks she could serve ayahuasca. That is not who you're going to. Those are doors you don't want to open with those people. So I think it's, I think obviously we could have, and I'd love to have a conversation with you about this another time and go deep when you launch this project. But it's so important and you're bringing up such powerful distinctions that aren't, unfortunately, spoken about enough when you talk about the intention with which you approach these these medicines, the reverence, as well as the set and setting, you know, where and how you take these have huge implications on your experience. So absolutely super beautiful that you're putting this forward.
01:13:17 Maejor: Thank you. And to just go off what you're saying there, I think when you're thinking about like, who do I take it from? Right. I think that's almost the same way I look at it is almost the same thing. Like who would I take advice from? And I look at is usually someone who is in a state that I want, right? Or they have something like I think a lot of times, like, and I've done this before, we've all done this, like sometimes taking mistake, like advice from people who have no idea the thing I'm trying to do, like they're telling me about like, I don't know if it's say I'm trying to get into the music industry, somebody who's not in the music industry and has never been there, no, don't do it is telling you do this. And we take the advice and it's like, why would you, you know, so it's like you get, like you say, you want to find somebody that maybe is like exemplifying what you want to be more of real time. And you see that in them and you and you say you get the experience, you get people other people's recommendations, and they say, no, this is this, okay. And I think that that's a good to follow for psychedelics and just also for just in general, like in general, like follow like getting advice from people who have what you're trying to ask them about, you know, I'm not going to get business advice from someone who doesn't know business, I'm not going to get.
1:14:36 Michael: That's right.
1:14:37 Maejor: Haircut advice from someone who doesn't know how to cut hair, it doesn't make sense, you know, but we do it all the time, and oftentimes people will throw their advice in and they don't know what they're talking about.
01:14:46 Michael: That's exactly right. And I'll add to that because I think that that is so beautifully said, right? Like, don't seek advice from someone whose life you don't want to emulate, you know, like, and also that someone who hasn't done what you're looking to do. Number one, like that's the first principle. And then two, I think as it relates, especially I would say, I'm just going to go ahead. I'm not going to go off on a deep tangent, but like, let's, I'm going to talk like shamans. If someone calls himself a shaman on Instagram, sorry, that's probably not who you need to go to like most of the people who are true people, what I would call true people that work in the field of, at least in the plant medicines, obviously psychedelics, you have an immersion science, Johns Hopkins doing research, you've got a lot of people who are now like psychotherapists. And that's why I draw a bit of a distinction, but in my experience, those people generally lead with humility and they lead from a place of service. And if someone's trying to push something on you for a cost and they're trying to sell you something, that's another thing in my view to do your odd distinction. And there's a lot of dudes out there also, and women, but also they're like, you know, take the, you know, like just like there's dudes in the clubs trying to get the models in the clubs. I hate to say it, but there's also dudes who like wear the clothes and they want to, you know, get the beautiful women who you gotta be real careful is all I'm trying to say. And generally speaking, rule of thumb, humility, grace, and get a lot of referrals from people you trust.
01:16:18 Maejor: Absolutely. Cause when you're dealing with something like spirituality and things, you know, people are really vulnerable in that state and they really come in to really be better. And you unfortunately do get people who take advantage.
1:16:29 Michael: That's right. That's right.
1:16:31 Maejor: So you want to make sure, you know, to, to protect yourself from that and to work with people who are going to keep inspiring you, lifting you up, not trying to, like you said earlier, drain you and take.
01:16:40 Michael: That's it. The black holes, you gotta find the batteries in your psychedelic exploration. There it is. I love it. I love it. Let me ask you, cause we didn't touch on this earlier, but we talked about it on the phone and I think it's super beautiful. Just as it relates to major frequencies. One of the things you did that I thought was super beautiful was you chose to record sounds endemic to these regions that you felt had healing. Right. And, and, and that was across the board, right? Like I think Japan, Egypt, but even also places in the U S I, I love that you are, are, are grounding your music in sounds endemic to that place. What inspired you to do that?
01:17:25 Maejor: Yeah, we thought it was really important to honor the traditions of each, you know, of the music that were of each place where we travel. Right. And because I've got so much wisdom downloaded, like you talk about music wisdom, right. Like went to these places and got so much A for, for honoring the tradition and then B for storytelling. Like you can take someone directly to a place through sound and through sound design. And so that was one of the main things we wanted to do was utilize the power of technology to capture some of those real moments there and really engaging with the, the, the essence of being in that place and bringing that to someone wherever they are. So almost the sound can act as a kind of transportation device into this location was how we viewed it. So a lot of times you didn't, you know, immersive sound design, there's things padding from this ear to this ear. As this person walks past you, you hear the bugs, the raindrops on the rooftop, you know, all of these things to give you that real feeling that you're there and to be authentic to, you know, those places and the traditions and how they, you know, how they represent themselves through music.
1:18:43 Michael: Beautifully said. Where can people find you and your work? Where's the best place to find you?
1:18:52 Maejor: Yeah, absolutely. So I'm on all social media through M-A-E-J-O-R. I'm a major and I spell it like that. My grandmother's name was Edmund May. She passed away. My other grandmother's Annie May. So M-A-E-J-O-R for grandma. So just retype that in, you'll pretty much see most of what I'm doing. The show is a major frequency. Type that in, you'll be able to get an insight into kind of what led me on this journey. And then, yeah, I also have a band Area 21. You can check that out on Hulu right now. It's with Martin Garrix and we have a whole kind of outer, out of this world experience that's there. So yeah.
01:19:31 Michael: Beautiful, man. Yeah, I'm excited to see, I've not seen you on Martin yet. So I'm looking forward to that big time.
1:19:37 Maejor: Area 21, live on planet earth. Yeah.
01:19:40 Michael: Okay, cool. I'm going to check it out. I'm going to get, I gotta get my Hulu on. Man, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge you Maejor because, you know, we haven't known each other that well, but I've known you for a few years and I'm always inspired by someone who has achieved what is perceived of as success in a certain field. And the gravity, I think of staying in a particular way of how that could look is so strong. And for you to have confronted your cancer diagnosis and used it instead of as an opportunity to shrink, but, but use it as an opportunity to expand and to redefine also your own notion of what that music is that you want to share and to do so in such a way that it evokes the possibility of, of what frequency can live in and through that space between you and those you share that music with is, is truly an incredibly beautiful, I think legacy. And I just want to honor you for your commitment both to reinvention, but also to the music, right? The music that wants to live and, and your ability to continue to adapt yourself, to continue to be open to the, the deep listening of that, which, which moves through you as a vessel. So man-
01:21:10 Maejor: Thank you for saying that, man. That makes me really happy, brother. Thank you.
01:21:14 Michael: Yeah, man. It's a real pleasure. Thank you for taking the time and I'm honored for the conversation.
01:21:19 Maejor: Thank you. Blessings.
01:21:20 Michael: And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode with the one and only Maejor. Please give us both a shout at M-A-E-J-O-R, Maejor and at Michael, M-I-C-H-A-E-L-T-R-A-I-N-E-R, Michael Trainer. Let us know what you got from the episode. What value were you inspired? Please also take a moment to leave a rating and review. It helps me get amazing guests and I am committed to adding as much value to you guys as possible. So please go ahead and hit the subscribe button. If you're watching this on YouTube, if you're listening on Apple podcasts or Spotify, go ahead and take 10, 15 seconds to leave us a review. If you found the episode meaningful, please also feel free to share it with a friend. And as always, you can support our great sponsors. We're so grateful for your time and attention. Thank you for sharing that time with us. I hope it was meaningful and impactful, sending you so much love. Until next time.