From Isolation to Inspiration

When I stumbled upon Pianobook, I was early in my career as a plugin developer. My days were filled with working alone in the basement of a start-up with no guidance. The discovery of Pianobook’s lively community reignited my passion for sound and the desire to build tools that helped others make music.

What I found here wasn’t just a website with free sample libraries. I found:

• Collaborators
• Mentors
• Friends

I found a community that celebrated experimentation and highlighted the beauty of sounds with character.

Creative Breakthrough of Rookies

The leaders of this community publicly recognized my knack for product design and allowed me to assist members far more talented than me.

One of these creators is my dear friend Hunter Rogerson. Our first commercial product was placed on a website competing with fancy orchestral libraries recorded on expensive microphones in exclusive studios.

In contrast, Hunter’s library was recorded in his small apartment, during hot summer nights, while he cooled his overworked laptop with frozen vegetables. (True story)

The resulting library, Hearth & Hollow, thrived in a sea of professionally recorded music libraries. This experience proved something crucial:

                Creativity and character matter more than price tags or pristine studios.

That project gave two nobodies (sorry Hunter) the momentum to pursue our passions full-time.

Stepping into a New Role

So today, it’s with a lot of excitement (and a healthy dose of humility) that I share this news: I’ve accepted the role of Creative Director here at Pianobook.

A Community of Hidden Gems

This community is filled with talented artists that have yet to hit their big break.

This is not from a lack of skill. More frequently, this comes from our need to pursue “normal” jobs that pay the bills. Our daily responsibilities take priority over our bank accounts and drag us away from our piano, guitar, or drum kit.

Pianobook helps fill that gap by giving you new sounds without asking you to reach for your credit card.

This will remain a core value of Pianobook.

Supporting the Creators

As a developer myself, I naturally lean towards focusing on the happiness of library creators. You deserve:

• Recognition for your hard work
• Tools that help you share your voice
• A place to connect, get feedback, and grow

This platform helped me turn free projects into paid gigs. Now, I want to help you do the same.

I’ll be focusing on giving you more resources, education, and pathways to creative and professional success.

The Future is Collaborative

I have my own ideas for how to move this community forward, but more important than my ideas are yours.

• How can we improve the website?
• What new features should we build?
• Who deserves to be highlighted?

Your feedback is key to shaping Pianobook’s next chapter.

I’ll be working hard to support your work, champion your ideas, and ensure Pianobook continues to be a place where musical passion and creativity can thrive together.

Owen Bolig

*** HERE’S a community thread welcoming Owen to pianobook as creative director, a place for you to wish him well and start the conversation we are all so eager to have about the future of pianobook ***