Welcome my dear Southern Avenue fam!
Welcome to the road diary of a touring musician in a rock 'n' roll band! lol. My name is Ori Naftaly and I play guitar and much more for my band Southern Avenue. For the past 6 years, we've been hitting the road, traveling from city to city, and playing our hearts out on stage. Being a touring musician is not always easy, but it's definitely one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. From the thrill of performing in front of a live audience to the camaraderie of being on the road with my bandmates, there's never a dull moment. I've decided to start this blog to document our journey, share stories from the road, and give you an inside look at what it's like to be a touring musician. So join me as we hit the road and rock 'n' roll our way across the country!
Being a touring musician can be an exciting and fulfilling career, but it also comes with its own set of unique challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the constant travel and being away from home for long periods of time. Touring musicians often spend months on the road, playing in different cities and towns every night. Another challenge is the physical and mental demands of performing night after night. We are always expected to be in top physical and mental shape in order to perform at our best. This can be especially challenging when dealing with jet lag, irregular sleep patterns, and the stress of being on the road and making it home safely. But all of the above is nothing compared to the rewards! The opportunity to share your music with audiences around the world and connect with fans on a personal level is truly unique and special. Additionally, touring can be a great way to build a fanbase and gain exposure for your music.
We have been writing as much as possible, which is a truly magical and powerful experience. It is a way to express oneself, to connect with others, and to create something that will last long after the songwriters are gone. It's about the love of the craft, the joy of creating something new, and the connection to others that comes from sharing your music with the world.
Confidence is something that I've been building for a long time. Over time, I've learned that confidence is something that can be built and nurtured. One of the biggest things that helped me was reminding myself of my strengths and accomplishments. I wrote them down and kept them somewhere where I could see them every day. It sounds simple, but it made a huge difference. Another thing that helped was surrounding myself with positive and supportive people. I made a conscious effort to distance myself from negative influences and to spend time with people who believed in me and encouraged me, or just stayed out of my way haha.
And finally, I learned to embrace failure and to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. I stopped being afraid of taking risks and making mistakes.
Building confidence is a journey and there are going to be setbacks, but it's so worth it. I now feel more empowered, more in control of my life, and I'm excited to see what the future holds. If you're struggling with confidence, know that you're not alone, and that with time and effort, you can build it too.
Embrace your creativity, be true to yourself, and never lose sight of the love that brought you to this beautiful craft in the first place. That's what I tell myself everyday. For some reason in 2022 I found myself looking for a lot more life advice than before...! As a group we feel stronger than ever, we feel more locked in than ever before. We really love playing together and finding our sound from show to show, from album to album.
Thank you all for supporting us in so many ways. Sharing content, coming to the shows, buying our records and streaming our songs. I don't take it for granted.