GarageBand to Greatness: Why You Don’t Need Fancy Gear to Make Real Music

Allow me to ask you something.

Have you ever had that moment, perhaps late at night, when a tune came out of nowhere and you thought, "I should record this." But you didn't. Because the microphone was not good enough. Or perhaps your setup wasn't "real" enough. Or you simply persuaded yourself, "This isn't how the pros do it."

Yeah. I have been there, too.

But here's the reality: that thought? What's with the hesitation? That is the most common reason why artists remain stuck. Not a lack of talent. Not poor timing. Just waiting for the ideal arrangement rather than utilizing what you already have.

Some of today's most important artists did not wait. They started haphazardly. They started tiny. They began real.

D4vd Didn’t Have a Studio… He Had a Closet

You've probably heard the tune "Romantic Homicide." What you might not know is that D4vd recorded it in his sister's closet with a cracked iPhone, wired EarPods, and BandLab.

He was only trying to create background music for his Fortnite clips. He didn't consider himself a singer at first. He just started. No fancy microphone. There is no training. There's no mixing engineer. Just the desire to create and the determination to try regardless.

And that one decision resulted in a hit single. Millions of streams. He had no idea he would end up in this profession.

Steve Lacy Recorded Hits on His iPhone.

You’ve probably heard “Bad Habit” you know, “I wish I knew... I wish I knew you wanted me,” but long before Steve Lacy won Grammys or collaborated with Solange, he was just a teenager with a cracked phone and an iRig. He created his entire first EP using GarageBand. Guitar? Plugged into his phone. Vocals? Recorded with the phone mic. He literally held the pop filter in one hand and the phone in the other. And here’s the wild part: he wasn’t doing that because it was trendy. It was simply all he had.

For me? I didn’t want to wait to be great, I just wanted to make something. Because so many of us are out here waiting to feel “ready” when what we need is just the courage to begin.

Your Tools Don’t Define You. Your Voice Does.

It’s easy to think that better gear equals better music. But the truth? Gear can enhance what you do, but it can’t teach you how to say something that matters.

The music that moves people doesn’t come from plugins. It comes from honesty. From instincts. From trial and error and awkward first takes that make you better the next time around.

When I started, I remember trying to line up background vocals with free software that crashed every ten minutes. I was using my laptop mic and recording under a blanket to keep the room noise down. It felt ridiculous. But it also felt like me. It taught me things a full studio never could have.

That time forced me to listen deeply. To make bold choices. To stop relying on filters to fix things and learn how to feel what was working and what wasn’t.

And eventually, I got better. So will you.

Start Where You Are. Not Where You Wish You Were.

There is power in limitations. Not because struggle is glamorous, but because it sharpens your vision. When you don’t have access to everything, you make the most out of something. That’s where style is born. That’s how a sound becomes yours.

D4vd didn’t build an entire studio to make “Here With Me.” He sat with the emotion and sang it into the tools he had. And people felt it. Steve Lacy didn’t wait to learn a thousand DAWs before dropping his first demo. He used what he knew and made it count.

If you have something to say, you don’t need to wait until your equipment is better. The best time to start is always now. Not because it’s easy, but because now is real.

Fear Wears a Lot of Costumes

Sometimes it shows up as perfectionism.
Sometimes it sounds like “I just want to do it right.”
Sometimes it even looks like research or planning.

But underneath it? It’s fear.
Fear of sounding bad.
Fear of being judged.
Fear of finally trying, and finding out we’re not as good as we hoped.

But you’ll never know until you try. And if you keep showing up, you will get better. Everyone starts somewhere. Even the people you look up to.

If You Needed a Sign, This Is It

Maybe you’re reading this on your phone.
Maybe you’ve had that beat idea in your head all week.
Maybe your mic’s busted or your space is loud.
Maybe you’re scared.

Start anyway.

Because every great artist you admire, every Steve Lacy, every D4vd, started before they felt ready. They didn’t wait to feel confident. They started, and confidence came later.

Let This Be the Moment You Begin

I can’t promise it’ll be easy. But I can promise this: it’s possible. And it’s worth it. Every rough draft. Every night, when it doesn’t sound right. Every time you've to figure it out with what you’ve.

Because one day you’ll look back and realize: That was the beginning of everything.

And when you’re ready for guidance, for community, for tools to match your growth, Sollis Sound Academy will be here.

But for now?
Hit record.
Say something real.
Start where you are.

Your story doesn’t wait.
Neither should your music.

Master your sound. Forge your legacy.