(Original Photo By: Jasper Suyk)
When we begin to chase our dreams it’s likely that something will hold us back from fully plunging into our passion. Maybe you are in high school or college and spend your spare time making music. Or perhaps you are working a full-time job and spend your evenings and weekends on an entrepreneurial endeavor. We might not want to be in school or have a full-time job unrelated to our purpose, but both may be necessary to satisfy our parents’ expectations or to make a living. If you’re in this position right now or will be in the future, don’t fret…you are not alone. In fact, many successful musicians, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs were in the same boat at some point. One such example is Dutch producer/DJ duo, DubVision.
The two brothers, Steve and Victor Leicher, are eight years apart and were at different stages of their lives when they decided to drop everything and pursue music full-time. Victor had been involved with music since he was young, but Steve never had the intention of becoming a musician. Victor went on to study economics at university while his older brother was making a successful career as an architect. Both produced music together in their spare time, and soon realized that school and architecture were holding them back from being successful musicians. Though this was a frustrating time, they didn’t just want to drop everything without some assurance that they could have a thriving music career. This moment came after Swedish House Mafia discovered them and began supporting their productions. Once they became the protégés of the legendary trio, Steve immediately quit his job and the brothers plunged into their musical journeys full-time…one of the best decisions of their lives.
Since that day, not only have DubVision performed at some of the most prestigious festivals and nightclubs, and collaborated with the likes of Martin Garrix and Sander van Doorn, but they are also impacting their fans. For example, a recent encounter with one of their fans proved that their uplifting, euphoric music has been a light for individuals enduring dark times.
“A few weeks ago we played in Moldova and this girl came up to us after the show. She told us how much our music helps her to express her emotions and gives her hope when she is struggling. These messages are amazing to hear and it’s honestly one of the things that make us so grateful to be doing this as our career.”
As creatives know, there will be times when finding inspiration for your product is very difficult – aka writer’s/producer’s block. In the beginning, Steve and Victor had a hard time working out all of the ideas they had in their minds. When this happened they would write their ideas down, use trial and error, turn to each other for help, and remember fans who have been impacted by their music. This combination inspired them to persevere and has resulted in many beautiful productions.
Though DubVision have been around for several years, they want their legacy to last even longer. Many people say dance music has died or is going to die soon, but the truth is this scene is only going to evolve into something better. To stay relevant, electronic musicians need to be willing to shift with the scene. The Leicher brothers seem to understand and embrace this fact. For example, Progressive and Electro House dominated the dance scene for years, but now groovier and chiller subgenres like House, Bass House, Deep House, Indie Electronic, Pop, and Indie Pop have taken over. While Steve and Victor are known for their uplifting Progressive House anthems, they want to experiment with various genres and still maintain their unique, melodic sound. By doing this they hope to reach and impact a bigger audience.
Victor’s schooling and Steve’s architecture career may have held them back and slowed their initial progress, however, dropping both to pursue a full-time music career has been nothing but worthwhile. So if you feel like you’re behind and something is in the way of living out your passion, just remember that you are not alone. Be patient and strategic with your decision, but also a time will come when you will feel the need to take a huge risk. Though it’ll be a grueling challenge, say YES to overcoming your fears and plunge into the purpose that life has set out for you.