Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Hardwick.
Hi Tyler, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our studio, Conscious Effort Creative, started in 2018 with myself and Ryan Barber as a recording and rehearsal space. We have recorded a handful of albums, EP’s, and other productions since then, but there was much less music happening around us in the wake of COVID: bands broke up; people moved away; our local music venue closed. With less production happening, we began trying to find and promote as much Indiana music as we could – seeking out artists and venues across the state that were making music happen.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has gotten smoother along the way. Changing gears post-COVID was challenging, because we had to find a new path in the music and entertainment realm. Previously, we focused on making music – which we still do – but highlighting the music around us and what we love about it has helped us find a new path and connect with artists and fans all across Indiana.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Conscious Effort Creative currently is known by most people for publishing our Indiana Show List and highlighting new Hoosier music releases.
Each month we publish an updated show listing on our website. It’s organized by date and North-to-South so fans can easily find what is happening in their area.
Each week we catalogue new Hoosier music releases. Every release is compiled in our Spotify playlist, “New Releases | Indiana”, and organized both chronologically and alphabetically throughout the entire year. We also compile genre-specific playlists to further highlight unique facets of the Indiana music scene.
Mondays we share new music on our Instagram stories, and Tuesdays through Saturdays we share upcoming shows. I will spend the weekend preparing for the following week – doing it all over again, 52 weeks a year.
In 2025 we have published over 2,700 shows across the state of Indiana – from South Bend to Evansville – and we have catalogued over 1,500 new music releases from Hoosier artists.
Beyond that, we specialize in music production. It is where we started and what we have done the longest.
Ryan manages the studio at our physical location down south in Loogootee, IN. Audio engineering is his expertise, as is everything else technology-related.
I roam further north toward Indianapolis and tackle the social media content: photo, video, artwork, etc.
We have worked together for well over a decade and are very much the “ying” to the other’s “yang”.
Of all we have done in the past seven years, I personally am most proud of the kind messages and warm response we have received from the Indiana music scene and beyond.
Through Conscious Effort Creative, I have received many heartfelt messages from artists across the state.
I have been sent music and asked to shows.
I have been invited into peoples’ homes to share songs and meet their friends.
I have received messages from moms saying, “That’s my child!”, and received introductions from musicians saying, “This is my mom!”
I have been welcomed by venues to experience their best shows and meet their staff.
I have toured radio stations and learned their history.
And I have made friends from Wisconsin, through Indiana, and all the way down to Alabama.
Those connections and the support of those people are what I am most proud of.
I believe it’s those connections that set us apart. When Ryan and I started Conscious Effort Creative, I’d hoped to build what I wished existed when I was 20-something and starting out – a place where new artists that are making music can find where to play it, and fans that want that raw, original experience can find places to see it. I liken it to a spider web – where one strand from far away eventually connects to another strand on the opposite side with several bridges in-between. I want to build that web across Indiana. And I hope that throughout this endeavor someone out there has found a new Hoosier artist, or gone to a show, or bought a piece of merch they otherwise wouldn’t have.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
If there’s something you love, my advice is to share it. Tell people about it. And the people with that same passion will find you.
I have found the more I have given, the more I have received.
There’s a ton of great music in Indiana that I think people would fall in love with if they knew about it.
And the more I’ve shared and worked to help the music community around me, the more people have reached out to share and help me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://consciouseffortcreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consciouseffortcreative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consciouseffortcreative.com
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@consciouseffortcreative
- Other: https://Lnk.Bio/CEC
