It's All Downhill From Here: On The Road With Project 86

By Lead Vocalist Andrew Schwab

Relevant Books

www.relevantbooks.com

JOB.

CAREER.

PROFESSION.

OCCUPATION.

VOCATION.

These are words that hit guys pretty hard. When introduced to someone for the first time, what are we asked? "What do you do?" It's like we are obsessed with what each other do.

I had two conversations with friends this week. One attended a wedding where they knew that one of the newlyweds had been asked to surrender a longstanding career aspiration at the request/pressure of the other. The other left a very secure (and mind-numbing) job to take a risk to do something that was out of his comfort zone. The question in both situations was "what do I want to become and what am I doing to get there?"

In the middle of this, I finished It's All Downhill From Here. I met the author Andrew Schwab in April, and I wish I had read this book before meeting him. The book is a great read, not only for musicians, but also for those who do, or want to, pursue their God-given vocation.

Project 86 has had a solid run in the music business, from indie band to Atlantic Records then back to semi-indie, so when Andrew speaks, you can be assured that he has seen all sides of show business. His candor and sense of humor carry through the entire 200 pages, and he is very real about his experience of being a man of faith on the road with his band.

So many times, he wants to quit and get a more stable job, but on his journey, he looks for signs that he is where he needs to be. And he finds them and shares them with the reader.

He relays a story of having the band vehicle robbed followed by his confrontation with the thief, wanting to pummel the guy into next week and realizes:

"Then I hear that same voice in my head, you know the one that reminds you of all the shady, dishonest things in your own heart? No, not now. Go away. I don't need to hear any of that right now. I seriously just want to let my anger well up in me. I want to bathe in it.

No.

That voice keeps reminding me that I am no better. That mercy triumphs over judgment."

This type of honesty seems to be the trademark of Relevant Books. And this honesty is refreshing.

There are also some great lines in the book like:

"I want to be on tour with Queensryche for the rest of my life."

"I can't stand these guys most of the time, and I am sure they can't stand me, but we will push on from here. These are my friends no matter what happens, no matter how much we battle."

You don't need to know anything about Project 86 to relate to their desire to pursue their passion. It certainly inspires me to do the same.

Next time I meet someone, instead of asking the standard "what do you do?", maybe a better question is, "what are you becoming?"

Project 86

...And The Rest Will Follow

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