It's been a while...an explanation! (Patreon)

I'm known for taking breaks from YouTube, but this has been the longest break so far.  I guess you could say I've been on a journey of sorts.  I'll explain.

When I started making "Smooth McGroove" music over five years ago, I had no expectations of what it would be or even sound like.  I had a fun, open mindset every day when I began the music process.  Responsibilities like work and school took up lots of my time, so I absolutely relished the time I had to create songs.  As my YouTube channel grew and grew, I felt so fortunate to be able to make a living doing this.  But at some point I slowly found myself feeling more and more boxed in by the expectations of myself and all the fans.  It's an overwhelming feeling to have hundreds of thousands (or over a million) people looking at what you make!  I began feeling constricted, so I started taking breaks to allow my mind to relax and regain the creative spark.

These last seven or eight months I've allowed myself to delve into books, games, movies, music, and anything else I felt drawn to, just to allow any inspiration to pop its head up.  I can say this break has done me immeasurable good to my mental, spiritual, and even physical health.  Inspiration has definitely been kindled again in a big way, and for over a week I've been working on music every day.  Feels great!

Thank you guys for sticking with me and for all the kind messages I've gotten during this long break.  New music is coming your way soon.  Let's just say it may be a bit of a Smooth McGroove rebirth.

Lots of love to all you guys,

- Max