{"id":2327,"date":"2026-03-04T00:17:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T04:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlylove.art\/?p=2327"},"modified":"2026-03-08T18:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T22:08:17","slug":"discovering-yourself-through-music-with-paul-hansen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlylove.art\/ja\/archives\/2327","title":{"rendered":"Making a Life, Not a Career: Listening for the Life That Wants to Grow with Paul Hansen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Aine Fujioka<\/a> | Feb 26, 2026 | Music<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, Paul Hansen. He is the person who inspired me to explore this theme I call Art of Life<\/strong>. When we last talked on Zoom, he said something that stayed with me: artists have to find their own way to live because no two lives unfold the same way. While searching for my own next step, I wondered if I could learn something by asking my friends how they made their life decisions\u2014how they shaped a way of living that felt true to them. In this interview, Paul repeated that the essence of life is a long chain of decisions made based on one’s own aesthetic sense, and that is what it means to be an artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to my close friend Todd Marston \u2014 whom I interviewed in my first article \u2014 Paul is \u201can endless fountain of enthusiasm for life.\u201d He founded the beloved Boston indie band The Grownup Noise<\/a><\/strong>. Their melodies carry you somewhere else \u2014 sometimes to a dreamlike, parallel world. We played together for years and toured across the U.S. Whenever Paul brought a new song, it always felt familiar to me, as if I already knew where the music wanted to go. He writes with deep care and a kind of quiet observation. He watches where a song wants to grow, instead of forcing it. By the time the band hears it, the music already flows naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, after nearly a decade apart, I returned to Boston and played a house concert with them. The original members\u2014 Katie Franich on cello and Adam Sankowski on bass \u2014 also came back after their own long breaks. They\u2019re rehearsing regularly again, playing shows, and even working on a new album. I felt a mix of jealousy and inspiration watching them reconnect so effortlessly. Their reunion reminded me that leaving a city or a band doesn\u2019t close a door forever; music has its own timing. When I played with them again, I was surprised by how immediately I felt at home \u2014 even with the new songs. The music evoked memories and emotions in me and overwhelmed me. That band holds a special place in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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