Written by Lauren Bucher
Guitar music has been drifting out of Keller 301 and filling the hallway since the beginning of the semester. The music has been a personal project for sophomore Christian Yoder. The self-taught musician wrote and recorded songs in his dorm room for “An Awkward Introduction (an EP),” which was released Monday, Feb. 15, 2010.
“I hope that people enjoy my music and are, in some way, encouraged by it,” Yoder said. “That’s basically why I am releasing it.”
The songs released on the EP are “Crash Course,” “Never Die,” “Just like a Villain,” “My Tree,” “Grave Digger” and “Man on the Moon.” The music is a combination of folk and rock music but does not clearly fall into a genre, according to Yoder. Most of the songs of the EP have been written this semester, with the exception of “Never Die,” which he wrote in high school.
Writing songs has been a hobby for Yoder over the past several years. Even before he learned to play guitar, he was interested in instruments. On the Internet, he found Reaper, a music editing program, which let the user pick instruments and compose music virtually. He experimented by digitally combining instruments.
During his senior year of high school, he wanted to learn how to play a song on the guitar, so he began teaching himself.
“I just got pictures of chords and where to put your fingers and stuff like that,” Yoder said. “It was terrible at first, but then it finally got to be all right. I didn’t write any songs then that I wanted to share with anyone.”
By playing songs that he liked from other bands, like Nickel Creek or Switchfoot, he continued to improve. As he learned, he wrote his own songs.
Although the guitar is the only instrument on “The Awkward Introduction,” Yoder also plays the ukulele and said that he has a general desire to “fiddle around” with a variety instruments.
The process of creating music has become an outlet of personal expression for Yoder.
“If I was in a creative mood, or feeling down, or had something on my mind, I would write a song,” Yoder said. “In a sense, it’s kind of like therapy too. Or just having a diary.”
Initially, he was reluctant to play for people. As he continued to write, Yoder began to play his music for close friends. He saw that people enjoyed it and that opened him to the possibility of sharing it.
Making the EP release public was not Yoder’s idea. Although he wanted to make a record of his music since he began playing, his intention was to record it for himself. Eventually, friends started wanting copies of songs and suggested an EP release. They encouraged him to share the music. He chose to produce and release the EP now because this is the first time that he had the means to polish it enough that he was willing to share it.
The formal release of the EP was not a money making venture for Yoder. He is giving the music away — downloading the EP is free.
Some students have said that they want to pay for the album. If they decide to, all of the money will be donated to Haiti.
Yoder is also part of the band Emancipastries. They have played at four benefit concerts so far, including the In Tents Night. Yoder plans to continue his involvement with the band. The EP release, however, was a solo project.
There are no physical copies of the EP available for distribution. The Web site www.jonyoder.com/anonymous has the EP available for download.
