Meet René Moffatt

Today we’d like to introduce you to René Moffatt.

Thanks for sharing your story with us René. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in North Central Texas in a city called Wichita Falls. Our household was filled with music.
I sang in the choir during elementary school and took piano lessons for 4-5 years which gave me a good musical foundation. But in middle school, I started playing competitive soccer (later went on to play college soccer). But I kept playing the piano for myself and would occasionally write a song or two. Music was always on whether it was in the car, or at home.

A big turning point in my life occurred when my uncle let my parent borrow “Going Home” the Jackson Browne documentary. I was immediately struck by how powerful his songwriting was and for the first time I understood that music could be a medium for self-expression. I began writing on piano a bit more after that and would pluck around on a guitar my father had laying around. But I never performed live with exception of a song I wrote for a school project my senior year of high school.

Went off to college to play soccer and brought the guitar along to mess with from time to time. Throughout college, I found myself sneaking into the music school’s practice rooms to play piano. I’d occasionally write a song or two for my girlfriend and while attending the University of South Carolina, I took full advantage of Columbia’s music scene seeing countless live shows in the storied Five Points District.

But it wasn’t until after college when I started working a real 9-5, did I start to feel the need for a creative outlet that was all mine. I was in my mid-twenties and living in Virginia Beach and soon began taking guitar lessons, practicing, and writing songs.

The next big turning point was in 2006 when I moved to Washington, D.C. for a job. Once I was settled, I ended up selling my car to pay for guitar lessons at the Levine School of Music. Within a year, I was playing at every open mic in the city multiple times a week and joined a burgeoning songwriting scene. Hundreds of shows later I had a debut EP to my name, a music video under my belt, and co-founded a local music initiative.

After six years in DC, I knew it was time to move on. At one point, I considered moving to Nashville but decided to move to Dallas to be closer to family. During my time there, I recorded a live, acoustic album, held two coffeeshop residencies, and hosted a songwriter showcase. Despite all of that, music was a bit off and on for me as I contemplated my next steps. It was in Dallas where I met my future wife. We shared a love of music and saw dozens of shows and I began to play a bit more until 2015 when made the move to Colorado.

Since moving to Denver, I’ve enjoyed getting into the music scene playing shows, showcases and releasing some new music. I’m working on new EP and am writing songs for my first full-length album.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I began to take music seriously, it was pretty much smooth sailing and full steam ahead. I was new to music and just wanted to get better as fast as I could. In those early years, I was constantly achieving milestones that were a direct reflection of the progress I was making.

Moving to Dallas is when things started to get bumpier if you will. I was wrestling with the question “Why was I playing music?” In only a few years, I’d gone from barely being able to play the guitar to playing full time (while freelancing). That was a big accomplishment on its own. I’d become a songwriter and identified myself as a songwriter. Then, I started to question if playing music was only about self-identification/image. And if so, was that the sole reason I was playing? In addition, it’s very difficult to make a living playing original music. And if I wasn’t able to make a living, could I justify devoting all that time to the pursuit. At the time, I was 7-8 years into a successful career as an art director/designer making good money. It’s the biggest catch-22 of my life. Do I work full time and get all that comes with that, steady income, insurance and just play music on the side. Or do I struggle financially while focusing only on music and just hoping to maybe earn a living one day? I’m grateful for the choice when many musicians don’t have other options or music is all they have without another skill set or career to fall back on. Every artist has their own battles to fight… and one of mine is figuring out how I can ultimately fulfill my musical potential and accomplish everything I want to do despite having started much later in life than most musicians.

Moving to Denver was a good change of scenery (literally and figuratively). We got married, bought a house, and I feel more settled than I ever have. The stability has had a positive effect on my music.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think there are, at least, two kinds of luck. The luck you are born with or into, i.e. living in a free country where we can largely determine our own future, or being born into a family who supports your art. If my upbringing was dramatically different, I wouldn’t be who I am today. We can’t ignore that “luck of the draw” factor in all our lives.

Then there is the luck you make by showing up and giving it all you got. You work hard and you act professionally… things will happen. Those things may not be wealth or even a basic income but things will happen. The goal is to be grateful for what comes your way. Those opportunities and rewards are a unique result to the path you have forged.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://renemoffattmusic.com/
• Instagram: @renemoffatt
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/renemoffattmusic/
• Twitter: @mynameisrene

Image Credit:
Live photo (standing) – credit Billy Kanaly. Holding vintage radio – credit Cameron Whitman. Sitting on stool – credit Jim Darling. Live photo (sitting) – “courtesy of René Moffatt

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