Episode 242 – Songwriting Revelations in Nashville and Jackson Hole with Isaac Hayden
Isaac Hayden is a singer, songwriter, husband and handyman. From his humble beginnings as a preacher’s son on the San Juan Islands and in Jackson Hole, to his emergence as a rising star in the vibrant music scene of Nashville, Isaac’s trajectory is one of passion, perseverance, and artistic growth.
In this episode, Isaac takes us on a journey through his life, starting with his childhood in Sacramento, California, before moving to the picturesque San Juan Islands. He shares how his father’s job as an assistant preacher led their family to Jackson Hole, where they played a crucial role in starting the first Presbyterian church in town.
Growing up as a preacher’s son in a tight-knit community had its perks. Isaac reminisces about the supportive church community and the joy of playing the piano in the church auditorium. Music played a significant role in Isaac’s life, leading him to explore different places such as Spokane, Southern California, Tallahassee, and Nashville.
Nashville became a turning point for Isaac’s music career. Through connections and talent, he immersed himself in the thriving songwriter community. Isaac describes the awe-inspiring experience of attending the famous Bluebird Cafe and the profound impact it had on his songwriting craft. He shares his musical highlights of performing in songwriter nights, making connections, and even opening for renowned artists like Keb’ Mo’. Isaac also sheds light on the process of getting his songs performed by other artists.
The conversation wraps up with Isaac reflecting on what his next goals in life are and how Jackson Hole has lit a fire inside of him to succeed and build a future for his family.
Learn more about Isaac and buy his music at IsaacHaydenMusic.com
This week’s episode is supported in part by Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling, reminding residents and commercial businesses of Teton County’s food waste programs; the next frontier material in the quest to achieve the County’s goal to reduce, aiming for zero waste. More at TetonCountyWY.gov or at @RoadToZeroWaste.JH on Instagram.
Support also comes from The Jackson Hole Marketplace. The Deli at Jackson Hole Marketplace offers ready-made soups, sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and hot lunch specials. More at JHMarketplace.com
Want to be a guest on The Jackson Hole Connection? Email us at connect@thejacksonholeconnection.com. Marketing and editing support by Michael Moeri (michaelmoeri.com)
Transcript
You are tuned into the Jackson hole, connection, sharing, fascinating stories
Speaker:of people connected to Jackson Hole.
Speaker:I am truly grateful for each of you for tuning in today and support
Speaker:for this podcast comes from:
Speaker:I begin today's episode with a quote from Maryanne Williamson.
Speaker:Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities
Speaker:were used in a way that served others.
Speaker:While I'll have you folks, before I begin this episode, get out there
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Speaker:you would like to see on this podcast.
Speaker:You can do it through our Instagram channel, Facebook,
Speaker:or send us an email to connect.
Speaker:At the jackson hole connection.com and welcome to episode number 242.
Speaker:Today's guest is a singer, songwriter, handyman, a guy who knows how
Speaker:to survive here in Jackson Hole.
Speaker:Isaac Hayden.
Speaker:Locals should recognize his name and maybe some no non-locals do as well.
Speaker:Isaac has played the circuit here in Jackson Hole at the
Speaker:bars here in the region.
Speaker:Weddings, corporate events.
Speaker:Well, Isaac has taken the leap.
Speaker:In his past to create his own album and has actually published
Speaker:several single releases too.
Speaker:And in my humble opinion, allowing yourself to be on stage.
Speaker:And be vulnerable to an audience.
Speaker:Takes enormous amount of confidence and bravery.
Speaker:I give it a to anybody who gets up on stage and performs, cuz trust me, you
Speaker:don't want to hear me sing on stage.
Speaker:And I tell you what, Isaac has done it and continues to do so, and he shares
Speaker:with us today what you don't see from the stage, but more of what is behind
Speaker:the curtain of a person giving it all to make life in Jackson Hole as a musician.
Speaker:Hey Isaac.
Speaker:Thanks for joining me here today at the Jackson Hole Connection.
Speaker:It's delightful to have some of your time today.
Speaker:Thanks for having me Stephan
Speaker:You're very welcome.
Speaker:And I like to begin, I have begun every single episode of people
Speaker:sharing where they're born and raised.
Speaker:So let you start off by sharing,
Speaker:where'd you come into this world and,
Speaker:get to run around and get dirty as a kid.
Speaker:All right Yeah Um well I was born in Sacramento California 1980 and my dad was
Speaker:a preacher's like an assistant preacher at a church big megachurch down there
Speaker:he ended up getting a job up in the San Juan Islands uh Friday Harbor to be more
Speaker:specific And so we moved up there when I was about a year and a half And I had
Speaker:most of my formative childhood years there on Friday Harbor all the way till I was
Speaker:13 And then my parents decided uh the island was a little too small for myself
Speaker:and my two younger twin brothers and they started looking for another church And
Speaker:turns out Jackson Hole Wyoming didn't have a Presbyterian church at that time So we
Speaker:came out visited and everybody liked it and my dad decided to pack us up and bring
Speaker:us out here And so I went to my eighth grade year and then high school here
Speaker:in Jackson And yeah that's how I got in the valley And now I'm back after living
Speaker:all around the country And now I'm back
Speaker:welcome back Isaac.
Speaker:Thanks
Speaker:So your dad helped start the Presbyterian church here in town.
Speaker:He did Yeah Yeah With a group of uh local Presbyterian supporters
Speaker:I guess they banded together and hired him on as the first preacher
Speaker:what's it, what was it like growing up,
Speaker:around here in this area as a, the son of a preacher?
Speaker:Well I don't have a lot to contrast it to but it was it was great I mean every
Speaker:Sunday you know you have a community of people that you see every week and that
Speaker:are interested in you and Interested in supporting you and encouraging you to grow
Speaker:And I think the coolest part for me was when I got a little older the the church
Speaker:had a piano and I had a couple buddies and my dad would let me come down after
Speaker:hours at night and play the piano and just sing in the in the whole auditorium
Speaker:And that was really fun for me I think a big part of my musical development was
Speaker:uh having access to that I'm a terrible piano player but it was fun to just like
Speaker:bang away and come up with stuff you know
Speaker:But you got to play.
Speaker:That's all right.
Speaker:Yeah totally
Speaker:And,
Speaker:I've heard a lot about the San Juan Islands, but I'm not that familiar.
Speaker:Could you describe the San Juan Islands a little bit for folks?
Speaker:sure well it's There's a whole bunch of killer whales up in that area The movies
Speaker:Free Willie were filmed up there and actually when I was a kid me and some
Speaker:buddies auditioned for one of the free Willie movies be like some hillbilly
Speaker:background kids We didn't get the part But uh that was big time for us And I
Speaker:mean it's very small It's it kind of reminds me of like Hobbit land in Lord
Speaker:of the Rings and uh it's like that but a fishing village as well it's small it's
Speaker:a lot of tourism a lot of boating and sailing I I spent a lot of time on the
Speaker:docks catching shrimp off the side of the docks and it's it's it's small and it's
Speaker:a little bit rural feeling But uh similar to Jackson with so much tourism you get
Speaker:a lot of diversity that rolls through So it's a wonderful place It's super super
Speaker:beautiful uh worth a visit if you're in the Seattle area You know it's like an
Speaker:hour ferry ride an hour drive and an hour ferry ride from Seattle it's really cool
Speaker:Sounds like the place where you could just leave the house during the day
Speaker:and show up at night for dinner, and
Speaker:it was all
Speaker:That was it Yep
Speaker:Yeah I've got in a lot of trouble Good Kind of trouble you know
Speaker:but yeah little kid trouble
Speaker:Yeah
Speaker:I, grew up in a small town and we would show up to our house and my mom would hose
Speaker:us down before she'd let us in the house.
Speaker:Sometimes we weren't in trouble.
Speaker:She's just
Speaker:you're too in the house.
Speaker:It's a full day right there
Speaker:was,
Speaker:Nice work
Speaker:just be able to hop on your bike and just go for it and not worry
Speaker:about much of anything else.
Speaker:Totally
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah
Speaker:And so you said you've lived around the country in other places.
Speaker:Where else has your heart taken you?
Speaker:Well um in college I I went to Spokane Washington for a year and I played some
Speaker:college basketball up there Um that was great And then after that I dropped outta
Speaker:college and started pursuing music I it took me down to Southern California Um I
Speaker:lived in San Diego and Costa Mesa LA area for a while and then I re-entered college
Speaker:back in I went to Florida State University at Tallahassee My best friend was there
Speaker:and he I was looking for a place to land and he invited me so I lived there for
Speaker:a minute And then back to Jackson And then uh I moved to Nashville for about
Speaker:10 years and I lived there from about oh nine to well off and on from oh nine
Speaker:to the late you know 2018 somewhere in that area And uh and then I came back to
Speaker:Jackson So that's been mostly where I've lived with maybe a few short stints in
Speaker:other spots But yeah I've been to Jackson now about six years since I came back
Speaker:And I, I take it.
Speaker:What took you to Nashville?
Speaker:so it turns out it was music the island I grew up on Friday Harbor the lady
Speaker:who babysat me ended up marrying a really really great uh music engineer
Speaker:and when I recorded my first two albums here in Jackson my dad sent 'em out to
Speaker:some family friends one of which was her family and she passed it on to her
Speaker:husband And he he ended up being like a multi Grammy winning uh mixing engineer
Speaker:we started a correspondence and I would send him everything I had wrote all the
Speaker:time you know just I'd send him a batch of songs and he was kind enough to respond
Speaker:you know with critiques generally mostly critiques saying like this isn't very good
Speaker:Or keep trying you know keep riding it's this is getting better or whatever we did
Speaker:that for maybe two years And then finally he said you know you should you should
Speaker:come out here man You should move out here And so I did I I dropped everything
Speaker:and a chance and moved out there I lived in his studio for a couple months before
Speaker:I found a place to live And um I just I learned a lot from him It was really great
Speaker:And that that's basically why I went to Nashville or how I got there Anyway so it
Speaker:turned into a whole bunch of other stuff but that was my foot in the door anyway
Speaker:Well
Speaker:we certainly have some time for you to describe what that other stuff was.
Speaker:Sure Well I'll say you know I guess my first experience that I
Speaker:remember was I went to the Bluebird Cafe have you heard of that
Speaker:I think I have from when I was in Nashville and I was on the strip.
Speaker:Okay
Speaker:Would I have, seen it on the strip?
Speaker:not on the strip but it's as well known as as the strip is uh it's it's more like
Speaker:off in a side part of town but it's a really famous Songwriting cafe basically
Speaker:and what they do is they put four artists in a round and they go around and one
Speaker:artist will play a song Then the next artist will play their song And it's it's
Speaker:really famous for all all the songwriters in Nashville will go play there So the
Speaker:people you've never you know you've heard the big artist Tim McGraw sing a famous
Speaker:song but then go to the Bluebird and you hear the guy that wrote it sing it
Speaker:and I went there and I I sat through four songs one from each artist And I remember
Speaker:there's a guy named Eric Pasley He played a song and after he played it I was just
Speaker:like can I swear on here What's the what's the deal with swearing No swearing I I
Speaker:on the podcast,
Speaker:I
Speaker:didn't asking about, you asked him about,
Speaker:Oh no sorry
Speaker:Um
Speaker:I wanted to emphasize my
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You can throw a word out every now and then.
Speaker:okay sounds good Well I I was basically just like holy shit this is the real
Speaker:deal These guys are amazing I actually left I sat through four songs and then I
Speaker:left I I went home and immediately started trying to write Better songs because I I
Speaker:realized that the level of artistry there and songwriting craft was just it was it
Speaker:was new to me It was a whole different level than I was used to And so that
Speaker:took me to uh I just started playing in different little they're called songwriter
Speaker:nights and And you know they have stuff for famous people and then they got stuff
Speaker:for nobody's like me And uh I I played a bunch of those all around and you sort
Speaker:of I sort of organically began meeting people in the city and being invited to
Speaker:different songwriting nights And then eventually uh I sang a few songs in front
Speaker:of a artist named Shelly Fairchild and she was kind of a Nashville staple and
Speaker:she invited me to open a couple shows for her And that was sort of how I branched
Speaker:out even further And I don't know kind of just kept going like that You you
Speaker:meet people they hear you songs If they like you they might invite you to do
Speaker:something And I really enjoyed Nashville a lot of people think of it as more of a
Speaker:competitive community but I found it to be more uh an embracing community it was
Speaker:a cool experience I love Nashville still
Speaker:And where did you know that introduction where, you were invited to open
Speaker:for, that singer?
Speaker:Where did that take you?
Speaker:Well not too far but you know just I I then I got some more opportunities like
Speaker:I guess I gotta open a couple shows for Ke Mo out of that Um ke Mo is a kind of
Speaker:a famous blues artist Have you heard of him Yeah and I mean it it's a strange
Speaker:community there because you have all these really influential people tucked away and
Speaker:you know you wouldn't know that they're there but There's 20 people in the room
Speaker:and one of them's a famous songwriter an artist And So that was one thing And then
Speaker:on the side of that I found a really cool artistic community that was based out
Speaker:of a venue called the Building and did a Monday night open mic night essentially
Speaker:But there would be a featured artist every Monday and the whole group of us
Speaker:probably 30 or 40 artists would go there every Monday and we really developed a
Speaker:strong uh chemistry and community and um through that became a lot of connections
Speaker:And don't know just friendships Some of those people went on to be successful
Speaker:Other people quit and our realtors now or whatever I don't know There was a
Speaker:lot of different little many adventures in my time in Nashville that were that
Speaker:were served different purposes and yeah
Speaker:And.
Speaker:Do you see yourself as songwriter and singer?
Speaker:I guess that's what I've been is I write my own songs and I perform 'em as
Speaker:an artist but I've I've had some songs recorded by other people as well which has
Speaker:been really cool an honor yeah primarily I I'd say I'm a songwriter artist would
Speaker:be what I've been uh for most of my career
Speaker:and how do other artists find your songs to perform?
Speaker:there's so many songs that are out there.
Speaker:Totally.
Speaker:I think most of it is, uh, word of mouth through the community or, you
Speaker:know, maybe they come to a show and they see you perform, or you have a
Speaker:friend who's their friend and they say, Hey man, you gotta hear this song, or
Speaker:I think this would be perfect for you.
Speaker:that's one way.
Speaker:And then another way is through a publishing company.
Speaker:if you have a publisher, , I, I had a publisher for a few years, and
Speaker:what a publisher does is they'll pitch your songs to artists.
Speaker:they try and find a good match, kinda like a, you know, a, a cupid
Speaker:of sorts of artists songwriter.
Speaker:But yeah, for me it was always just place, right time, and a friend
Speaker:of a friend, that kind of thing.
Speaker:For the most part.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:What's it feel like when another artist picks up your song?
Speaker:it's really cool It's I think it could be uh like a dual I mean first it's a
Speaker:it's an honor I think a songwriter to write a song that someone else connects
Speaker:to enough that they might wanna record it for themself And then it's also maybe
Speaker:a little unnerving because you you're not sure uh how their version is gonna
Speaker:suit your own personal expectations for that song But I don't know I think that's
Speaker:a lesser lesser thing I I think mostly it's just exciting that you want it's
Speaker:cool to hear somebody else's version of something that you created So I think
Speaker:for me it's always been an exciting thing regardless of how it turns out
Speaker:did you cut a or reach some goals of of that nature
Speaker:yeah I did I I had a few goals I first I had a a mutual friend here in Wyoming
Speaker:that connected me to a guy out there who had a a a recording or like a live
Speaker:music venue in his in his loft apartment really strange but he would have would
Speaker:do concerts in his apartment and um he ended up Putting a stage in and all this
Speaker:stuff So we ended up doing a live live album in his apartment And uh I invited a
Speaker:bunch of my friends and and they brought their friends and we recorded a whole
Speaker:live album with a live audience And was super cool and that was kind of like
Speaker:my my uh business card for the next few years to give to people And then through
Speaker:that I met another guy ended up being my publisher and we we recorded a studio
Speaker:album together and that was in 2014 I think we completed that So it's been a
Speaker:minute But yeah so that was really really great I gotta do a Nashville studio
Speaker:album and it was super educational for me I learned a lot a lot of stuff and
Speaker:yeah there there's just so many amazing musicians in Nashville It's it's truly
Speaker:remarkable how many people have dedicated their life to becoming super proficient
Speaker:at a instrument or a craft So it's it is cool It's just cool to see all that
Speaker:like Nashville's of those I mean I've been there and it's It is amazing to
Speaker:see the the amount of music but from somebody who just enjoys things versus
Speaker:professional level Like you different experience when you hear the the
Speaker:different level of writing that you were experiencing say at the the Bluebird
Speaker:Cafe or being around of those other folks
Speaker:Yeah
Speaker:it just don't know is it An environment where everybody lifts each other up
Speaker:I think so I I'm sure there's different corners of the community where maybe it
Speaker:doesn't feel that way but my experience was that uh it's like it's seeing
Speaker:you know when you see somebody who's better at you in something you can
Speaker:either be mad at 'em or you can be like uh appreciative of their talent and
Speaker:try and learn from it So yeah I mean everywhere you turn there's somebody
Speaker:doing something amazing it seems like
Speaker:Hmm
Speaker:It can be daunting for sure I think you go through some bouts of
Speaker:uh depression because of it Maybe thinking what am I doing here You know
Speaker:everybody's so good But um I think we all have something unique to offer so
Speaker:I try and come back to that thought
Speaker:Have you and what it is that you have to offer what it is or why
Speaker:is in this in the world of music
Speaker:Yeah I think I'm in that place now actually I think I'm uh yeah I mean
Speaker:I guess maybe to transition away from Nashville the the the other side of
Speaker:Nashville is you know all the music everything you go Experiences generally
Speaker:in a bar So there's a lot of drinking and there's a lot of kind of that side of life
Speaker:that obviously you don't have to partake in But for me I definitely partook in all
Speaker:that And when I left I decided to quit drinking I've been five years now without
Speaker:drinking and I think I just needed to hit a reset button And so yeah I think I'm
Speaker:in that phase right now trying to still trying to recover in a way and redefine
Speaker:myself and out what my voice is as a as somebody who's just sober don't know I
Speaker:don't have an answer in terms of I haven't found the answer yet but I'm trying
Speaker:Well
Speaker:you're doing it You know you're not In a
Speaker:night
Speaker:Right
Speaker:I'm sure it's a lot of peer pressure in a in a town like that
Speaker:Yeah I mean I think most people are just doing their own thing and you
Speaker:get wrapped up into it Not not so much like Hey you gotta drink with us but I
Speaker:mean you know rock and roll music it's long been associated with alcohol and
Speaker:partying and all that stuff but yeah there's there's a lot of people too who
Speaker:go the other way I think especially now nowadays there's a lot more people trying
Speaker:to pursue mindfulness and consciousness and present maybe than there have been
Speaker:in the past That's just my opinion I don't know if that's true or not but
Speaker:Is
Speaker:you would say that you practice Uh mindfulness and
Speaker:Yeah I'm a novice meditation er
Speaker:I as well
Speaker:so
Speaker:Yeah
Speaker:Yeah so you know it's kind of challenging but rewarding Do
Speaker:you do you find it rewarding
Speaker:I
Speaker:I do my mind and thoughts are always going so fast and bouncing like a pinball that
Speaker:that one moment during the day where I can call my thoughts or might not clear
Speaker:'em all Common mall But I'm working on it
Speaker:totally Yeah It's hard
Speaker:It is hard
Speaker:Yeah
Speaker:but you only get better at it practice it
Speaker:Totally
Speaker:mm-hmm
Speaker:Yeah
Speaker:so being in Jackson now how has this Community influence where you are now
Speaker:in your in your life and your career
Speaker:Well I think it's because it's a challenging community to in I'm not to be
Speaker:complacent and I've I want to you know I want to become independent again I think
Speaker:When I was younger I was independent because I didn't have anything you know
Speaker:I was broke and I didn't need much Um now I have a wife and working on a family and
Speaker:I think this community I mean it lights a fire under you a little bit Like you gotta
Speaker:figure things out How are you gonna make money And for me and my goal has always
Speaker:been to do that with music So I write a lot of songs I I'm trying to get better
Speaker:at songwriting and I would love to have some songs that were known on the world
Speaker:stage it's a tall task but a guy can dream you know And I think professionally just
Speaker:trying to become a better musician this community has has helped me with that I
Speaker:think a lot of opportunity to play here so
Speaker:Let's take a quick break to get from one of our sponsors and I wanna
Speaker:learn more about how the community has helped you fulfill what your are
Speaker:All right Cool
Speaker:Isaac welcome back We're talking about how Jackson a challenging community and
Speaker:you're working on Make it a go at being a musician songwriter is your full-time
Speaker:providing income source cause you have a family now and working on a family
Speaker:you married and um you said Jackson can challenge you and provide you with
Speaker:different opportunities What are some of those Challenges you as a in the musical
Speaker:world singer songwriter world experienced
Speaker:Hmm Well say the the music opportunities in Jackson are more for playing at
Speaker:weddings and Corporate events playing in the bars you're entertaining people
Speaker:and trying to find the right vibe for a room I've learned a lot about that
Speaker:in the last six years you know and also transitioning from being a performer of
Speaker:my own songs trying to perform them for me to being more of like a jukebox where
Speaker:just trying to set the right right mood for people and not necessarily draw too
Speaker:much attention to myself that's been a good challenge I I think it's been
Speaker:helpful for me to I think before I was really nervous a lot when I performed and
Speaker:now I I'm not so nervous I I'm a little disconnected from the result of the
Speaker:audience response which has been a good thing I think for me it's I I'm learning
Speaker:more to perform for myself rather than perform for some kind of result So that's
Speaker:one way I think performing here around Jackson is has helped me as a musician
Speaker:What do moved you from performing for the audience You know their
Speaker:response to performing for yourself
Speaker:a little bit necessity so
Speaker:you know when you when you play a song here in these environments and
Speaker:there for the for the people they're not necessarily there for you you
Speaker:know they didn't show up and buy a ticket to come see you specifically
Speaker:play It's more that you were hired to provide some ambiance for their party
Speaker:Uh
Speaker:huh
Speaker:And and when you sing a song and like nobody claps or when I was younger uh it
Speaker:would it would like kill me to my core Like oh God I suck I'm terrible But what
Speaker:you realize is no people are actually just sort of in their own world and they're
Speaker:you know they're not thinking about you just trying to have a good time with their
Speaker:friends And so I think tr that transition of realizing it's not all about me when
Speaker:I'm performing It's it's about all of us together and I'm here for them as a more
Speaker:of a a service than a performance I think that's what helped me going through that
Speaker:You know just thinking about how you made that transition that
Speaker:you're there to you know provide the ambiance and no longer frustrated if
Speaker:nobody applauds for for a song was that a grounding experience for you
Speaker:Yeah definitely I it's just taught me a lot about myself and you know the ego
Speaker:and am I am I performing just to get a positive response from people or I
Speaker:doing it because it means something to me individually and I I think yeah I
Speaker:had to be honest with myself I I think a lot about it even when I'm performing
Speaker:like trying to uh stay grounded and not focus too much on my own personal maybe
Speaker:egoistic to be acknowledged yeah So it's super grounding I would say Humbling
Speaker:Hmm
Speaker:Yeah
Speaker:And
Speaker:in a good way
Speaker:when you have a a schedule what is your schedule in life look like for work
Speaker:When
Speaker:When you're performing it's it's gotta be different than somebody
Speaker:who's got eight to five job
Speaker:Yeah Well actually I have one of those too yeah Yeah I do a lot I mean it's
Speaker:Jackson so a lot of people have have to be multifaceted to survive yeah when I
Speaker:got when I moved back here I got a job as a property manager for Teton Science
Speaker:Schools So I'm basically like a a handyman type person So a typical day for me in the
Speaker:summer will you know I'll bring sometimes three changes of clothes I show up to
Speaker:work at seven and then work till three and then I'll change and I'll drive to
Speaker:whatever event I'm playing at and uh set up play for three hours or four hours
Speaker:and then know clean up everything Get home around 10 And then sometimes do it
Speaker:all again or do it three or four times in a week yeah so it can be a lot but
Speaker:it's it's super full It's full days It's fulfilling it's fun and it's good to be
Speaker:busy I'm grateful that then something we haven't talked about is I also uh I
Speaker:coached high school basketball for the last five years as well it Yeah Uh that's
Speaker:that's my other passion I'm a huge I'm a basketball nut I I love basketball
Speaker:I'm an addict of basketball I would say So yeah So it's a it's a lot I like it
Speaker:like
Speaker:like when I travel Anywhere I go I call every single gym in that city and try and
Speaker:find a pick up basketball game On the days I'll be there like that I watch a lot of
Speaker:college basketball I you know I'm right now I'm watching the NBA playoffs and
Speaker:here in Jackson uh we have a really good crew of basketball players and we play
Speaker:three days a week I wish it was more but three days is good So yeah just you know
Speaker:it's a community basketball it's similar to a music community It's just different
Speaker:What do you get out of students students
Speaker:I mean it's really challenging to take knowledge you've assimilated
Speaker:as a player and put it into words to express to somebody else that that
Speaker:was my main challenge with it It still is I think because I can understand
Speaker:everything perfectly just by doing it but communicating that to somebody else
Speaker:who's younger and more inexperienced Is a great challenge but I I loved it I mean
Speaker:it's it's fun And then to see the kids grow and to be a mentor and to be there
Speaker:for them not just for basketball stuff but life stuff I mean high school's hard
Speaker:all remember it's it's you go through a lot of things So cool to be a big brother
Speaker:in that way and give back a little bit to the community So super rewarding I'd say
Speaker:That's awesome
Speaker:were you happy with the outcome of the n ncaa uh championship this year
Speaker:I was I thought it was I thought it was an amazing tournament of
Speaker:twists and turns How about you
Speaker:I kept up with bit I was amazed I went to Alabama I'm in
Speaker:Oh no
Speaker:far that team made it I
Speaker:were good
Speaker:I did not follow them through the season And then I think it was close
Speaker:to the playoffs people Somebody said to me yeah ABA your your Bama
Speaker:team's doing well They're number one I was like you gotta be kidding me
Speaker:Yeah would've thought
Speaker:Who would've thought
Speaker:But myself and many others picked one to win the the national championship you know
Speaker:I
Speaker:think a lot of people a few people did pick them
Speaker:I
Speaker:would say not many picked who won the national championship
Speaker:Yeah not as many No
Speaker:diehard fans
Speaker:Yeah they were a good sleeper team Yukon but uh yeah definitely unexpected I'd say
Speaker:So what's what's on the the dream of you want to accomplish Isaac
Speaker:Well I'd like to release some more music I haven't released an album since 2014
Speaker:I've released a few singles so yeah I have a bunch of songs that I'm trying to
Speaker:wrap up and find a cohesive unit to put out there in the world I'd also like to
Speaker:be more prolific in what I release I tend to hold things pretty tight and not put
Speaker:'em out there so that's a goal of mine to let go a little bit And then yeah I got
Speaker:some other things up the sleeve that if we ever talk again maybe I'd tell you about
Speaker:but I'm still in the works and yeah trying to build a family with my wife and just
Speaker:become a better person that's it right now
Speaker:And you were talking to somebody Who was bouncing around from colleges playing on
Speaker:the music circuit and saying that they gonna go and be a musician and record
Speaker:an album or reflecting back and seeing yourself you know 20 years ago what
Speaker:would what would you tell that person now
Speaker:I would probably say to trust yourself to trust your gut and go with your spirit I
Speaker:was surrounded by a lot of really amazing musicians and music minds And there was
Speaker:I mean it's a fine line between taking the advice and then knowing what you want
Speaker:that I guess that was just something I had to go through and maybe everybody's
Speaker:gotta go through that But I wish sometimes I would've voiced my opinion a little
Speaker:bit stronger and and pushed for the things that I wanted a little bit more I
Speaker:wouldn't know that unless I'd gone through that experience So maybe everybody does
Speaker:I that that'd be my advice Just trust yourself Believe in your your inner quiet
Speaker:voice It's got something good to say
Speaker:Isaac
Speaker:Cool Yeah
Speaker:how can people find your album in some of those singles put out
Speaker:Uh you can find 'em on Spotify
Speaker:Uhhuh
Speaker:My website's just isaac hayden music.com and there's a bunch of different
Speaker:links and videos there as well but yeah and I I'm on Instagram and those
Speaker:things but it's all on my website so
Speaker:That's awesome
Speaker:reach reach out say hi I'd love to hear from you
Speaker:Okay
Speaker:Isaac I appreciate you taking time to sit down and talk with me today and
Speaker:share some background of who you are and.
Speaker:let us all get to know you a little bit more, and this has been
Speaker:Thanks for having me Stephen It's really cool I'll keep listening sir.
Speaker:Bye.
Speaker:To learn more about the music of Isaac Hayden, visit the jackson hole
Speaker:connection.com, episode number 242.
Speaker:Thank you everybody for listening today Get out and share this
Speaker:podcast with your friends and families, Instagram and Facebook.
Speaker:If you know, if somebody would like to be a guest, send us their name.
Speaker:We'd love to have.
Speaker:Take care everybody.
Speaker:Look forward to seeing you back here for the next episode of
