Self-discovery is something touted in lyrics across all genres, in every sphere of the music world — a far-off concept that everyone is someday hoping to finally accomplish. However, how many musicians actually go out and create living examples out of themselves and their music?
USC graduate and Summerville, S.C.-born musician and entrepreneur Allen Smith is dropping his office job, packing his bags and traveling halfway across the world with a backpack and a guitar, on a mission to bring light and change to the world.
A year and a half ago, in Denver, Colo., Smith founded Good Vibes, a company dedicated to bringing a message and a new way of thought to college-age students and young adults across the globe.
“It’s all about living our lives to the fullest, doing what we love, following your dreams, following your passions and doing something that you don’t have to regret,” Smith said. “A lot of times, we’re so scared of jumping off and having that leap of faith when it’s really what you want to do — whether that be a writer, a musician, a football player, whatever.”
Smith started his college career as a walk-on placekicker at the University of Alabama before transferring to USC his sophomore year. After graduating with his degree in management entrepreneurship, the part-time musician packed up and headed to Denver, where he worked for the Colorado Rapids.
But, it wasn’t long before he got the itch to travel, and started framework for Good Vibes.
“I realized I have to do something different. I had to make sure I didn’t get stuck in this rut of what everybody does,” Smith said. “So, I took off to teach English in Korea, and that was a whole new world in Asia. I thought, man, this is just a small piece of what this whole planet is like. Let’s keep going.”
Smith is living out this mission, selling T-shirts with the Good Vibes Rastafari logo and spreading his message through his music. He hopes it will expand from country to country, when he brings his inspiration to Europe this fall. On Aug. 29, he is setting off for Athens, Greece, and from there traveling to Barcelona, Paris, Munich, London and various places in between.
“When I’m there, I’m going to find out what the communities are all about. My music kind of goes along with the company; it’s all about finding yourself,” Smith said. “The album is called ‘Self Discovery,’ so our goal is to look within yourself to find out what you’ve got going on, and what you’re really all about.”
Smith studied abroad in London as a student at USC in 2008 and got the extra push of inspiration to go backpacking across Europe after reading “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss.
With the help of friends in London, he is booking radio time and shows while he’s abroad, hoping to live out the dream of Good Vibes through his acoustic music.
“My good vibes is music. I’m like Tracy Chapman. If you listen to some of the songs she sings, they’re very inspirational songs, and one question she was asked is, ‘Can music change the world?’ She answered, ‘I don’t know if music can change the world, but it’s a driving force.’ I want to change the world,” Smith said. “That’s a huge dream, but it’s what my music wants to do. My goal is to take the music and get the ball turning.”
Smith, having spent a lot of time at open-mic nights and playing cover songs, has never been a part of a band, but has instead focused his stripped-down, acoustic music on personal experience.
“All of my songs are really written about where life’s taken me so far — the journey from adversity. There are songs about adversity, songs about inspiration. I’m trying to tell people to come do this, come have fun, because at the end of the day, it’s all about being happy, right?”
And, although it is all acoustic and not pumped up with instrumentals and backing beats, it has a clear message.
“It’s not rock ‘n’ roll. It’s not going to blow your feet off, but it is music that will soothe your soul,” Smith said. “It’s much like James Taylor, in my opinion — Jack Johnson, Paul Simon, some of the greats that inspire me. Their music is a message. I don’t write music that doesn’t mean something.”
With a new album under his sleeve, and an inspiringly ambitious journey ahead, Smith is ready to make his mark on the world and make the message of Good Vibes heard through his music.
Although he has set a time frame of three months for his trip through Europe, it is all really up in the air.
“I think this guitar is going to take me a long ways,” Smith said. “We’re really just going to see what happens.”
Follow Smith’s trip through his biweekly video blogs, web-series video and Twitter @LiveGoodVibes at www.LiveGoodVibes.com.