As a self-published author, I am drawn to stories and blog posts that enable me to keep my finger on the pulse of the rapidly changing publishing industry.  With traditional publishers going bankrupt and indie-authors making it big, it seems there is a new development on almost a daily basis.  But this morning, I ran across an inspirational story that opened my eyes even wider.

It’s not just the publishing industry!

Since 2002, singer/songwriter Josh Garrels has charged ahead into the unknown territory of self-recorded, mixed, produced, and distributed records.  His latest effort, The Sea In Between, is a collection of live performances and documentary-style vignettes, described as “a full audio-visual album.  In essence, an LP of sights and sounds.”

This fascinating concept is brought into greater focus on the website for the film (http://theseainbetween.com/), with statements like:

“New mediums must be established to present and distribute art and to re-establish strong bonds between artist and audience.”

“What happens when the ever-narrowing gap between artist and audience disappears?”

While I knew this type of change was happening in other industries, it wasn’t until I watched the trailer that I was able to connect this transformation with a person and his family.  That’s when it began to mean something significant to me.  I resonate with Josh’s story and look forward to seeing more artists—of every medium—connect directly with their audience, without the traditional “gatekeepers” standing in the way.

The production of this film is listener/viewer-supported, relying on donations to bring it to completion.  I encourage you to check out the website, watch the trailer for the film, and consider donating.