How I became a crypto savant in only 2 weeks (and one year)
September 26th, 2022

Foreword

Welcoming Ameet Kanon aka Queen George to Showtime ✦

Hi everyone!! Couldn't be more excited about the newest addition to our team: Queen George! Ameet (her real name) is as ambitious with her music career as we are at Showtime! In addition to having an incredible voice, QG has already tried many web3 tools by herself, so we're thrilled to have her represent our community! I hope you'll enjoy her introductory essay as much as I did! -$ALEX

*How I became a crypto savant in only 2 weeks (and one year)*

Yes yes, the title hooked you, I know. I truly wish I could provide you with the secret to becoming a crypto savant, let alone in two weeks. From what I’ve gathered from showing up to events and deep diving into this space as an alien (otherwise known as a musician), if somebody tells you they are a master of this space, they are probably not - as mastering something that is constantly changing would require Avatar air-bending ability, but that’s for a different write up I guess. The true savants are the ones who keep showing up (this is where the ‘and one year’ comes in). Right there is where the beauty of this space resides - in the fact that no day is ever the same, the mounds of vulnerability required of humans to devote themselves to trial and error in uncharted territory - I’ve never seen anything like it til web 3. 

I have been a singer, performer, and die hard music lover since the young age of 7. My parents never pushed me; the music started calling me regularly and I simply picked up the phone. I’ve spent years fine tuning my understanding of the gift that I have been given and making it a point to say thank you every single day for the responsibility of creating and giving it to other people. In 2016, this bright eyed and bushy tailed 18 year old started her music career on American Idol. All my friends either went to serve in the military or went to college but I knew I couldn’t get distracted, I had to start sometime, somewhere if this career is what I really want. When I got booted off the show, some of my confidence went with it. I vividly remember looking at myself in the mirror and understanding deeply that I need to be on stage no matter what. 

I started emailing small venues in LA and NYC knowing that show dates mean new original songs which means needing a band to play them which means finding musicians which means opening up my network. I started booking gigs left and right, I sang anywhere that would take me; pay, no pay, anything to sing for people. Empty rooms, packed rooms, I’ve been background noise just as many times as I have been the focal point in a room. 7 years of countless gigs, multiple day jobs, traveling, self growth, hours and hours of writing sessions all led me back to the drawing board to find my path to getting where I want to go. 

It was April, 2021 when my good friend and one of my biggest inspirations, Adam Levy (@levychain) called me and said I should really learn about web3 because this is the future for independent artists. With no crypto knowledge but a deep, burning desire to get on the map in a unique way, I started spending some time researching NFTs. Frustration flowed through me when music venues were still closed and what I was reading wasn’t registering in my conscience. I reminded myself that I learn best with action so in the spirit of learning by doing, I put on a livestream concert and attempted to sell tickets as NFTs. 

With me holding down the event production (lights, sounds, band, location) and Adam handling the NFT creation, innovative energy filled the room but the key element of this whole production, my loving audience, was absolutely frazzled at the 10 step, gibberish process + wallet required of them in order to collect this NFT. Although this medium of attendance flopped, the show did go on *as it must* via EventBrite tickets. This experience was as terrifying and intimidating as it was charged with curiosity and creativity. The takeaway? FEEL TERRIFIED AND INVIGORATED ALL THE TIME. With that motto in mind, I started to attend conferences and web3 events all by myself. Intimidation *check*, invigoration, *check*. I decided that there was no better way to find my place in this space than to simply exist in it.

Fast forward to May 2022 - a couple music NFT drops, one loyal collector, and a bundle of brand new songs in my hands, I was invited to do a drop with the great sound.xyz. I dropped an NFT of an unreleased song of mine called “BODED” in the dawn of the bear market and had my fingers crossed that my music could still find its space in such a shifted energy. Dedicated to finding my people, I personally reached out to people I admire in the space and opened the conversation about music and my drop. Now that I had some more social activity and new people interested in my art, I started to think about how I can take these seeds and turn them into real bonds. I decided to do this: 

Shocked at the amount of engagement this had, I went ahead and sent the group chat link to whoever sent me their wallet address. Once our group was established, I created POAPs and sent them to each person in the group. To this day I smile from ear to ear with gratitude when I think about how people simply joined to be a part of my journey because they believe in me. It was super important for me to celebrate their attendance somehow and POAPs were the perfect way to do so. Amongst the group chat members was a wild, wonderful, admirable person by the name of Alex Masmej. 

Alex and I started to speak more frequently after my sound drop and POAP distribution to my new friends/super fans. Fast forward a couple of months - with both of our passions and projects in clear sight, we knew we had to be a part of each other’s journeys as key factors in accomplishing our wildest dreams. One month ago, I hopped on a plane to San Francisco to officially onboard to Showtime as head of community. We simplified it and understood that it could be a wise, natural choice to have a creator onboard/communicate with creators in addition to using the product and pioneering new product features. 

My focus with Showtime is creating a home for my music NFTs, enriching my relationships with my fans, and creating new bonds along the way. Through doing it myself and figuring out what works/doesn’t, I will open this avenue of growth to other artists as well. I’ve learned so much from the numerous, great web3 artists that have done wonders in this space and there are still so many artists just waiting to see the light. 

I feel more confident than ever about blazing my own path by walking this fine, beautiful line of old and new. It is an honor and a privilege to work amongst such talented, special individuals that I have learned so much from in merely a few short weeks. As we articulate ideas, try them out, and go back to the drawing board together, I am sure we will continuously unlock new problems that need solutions and become permanent residents at the drawing board. 

If you’re reading this, thank you for making it this far into my story! I will be updating our Showtime family with a recurring newsletter to keep you informed, wired, and hopefully inspired. Cheers to a beautiful new chapter.

Yours truly,

Ameet “Queen George” Kanon.

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