/ˈdeɪˌmɑ/ noun a way or path guided by one’s inner creative gods, or dæmons
HONOUR THY DÆMON
What would it mean to honour your soul’s calling?
Is there music inside you that’s been waiting patiently for you to bring it to life?
DÆMA (prounouned ‘day-ma’) is my artist mentoring and integrated music development platform. The word Dæma means walking a path guided by our inner creative gods, what the ancient Greeks called dæmons.
After twenty years in the music business as MC Xander, and employing techniques and approaches from my work as a psychologist, I’m now offering to serve other artists on the deepest journeys a human could ever take:
Making our soul’s music.
Whether you’re just starting out, beginning to build momentum, or you’re already an experienced artist looking to re-evolve, re-ignite your creativity, or take your vision to the next level, the work we do in DÆMA is about unlocking your next chapter of your art, and of your life.
DÆMA VILLAGE
Moving on a path of deep creativity is not an easy task!
It asks us to rethink how we spend our time, who we spend it with, how we use technology, and where we find refuge. Because this work matters, it deserves a holistic, integrated approach.
Our bodies and brains evolved in the context of a close-knit, super-social society. That’s why we are so easily and powerfully influenced by the social sphere around us – “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” (Jim Rohn) Today, platforms exploit that wiring to keep us scrolling. The result? Less deep art, more distraction.
And… that’s why our music, too, needs to be social.
It takes a village.
By becoming a Daemist, you are receiving a set of social tools that, instead of directing you to waste your time, actually commit you towards what you most want to do: your soul work.
1:1 Mentoring (50 mins, weekly or bi-weekly): Personalised strategy and feedback, clear next steps, accountability, musical and technical training with Xander. See mentoring topics here.
Weekly Village Call (30 mins, optional): Set intentions, plan your week in small breakouts, and leave with a clear action plan.
CoArt Focus Channels: Show up and create alongside other Daemists – we harness the power of productivity techniques like ‘body-doubling’ and time tracking to build momentum and stay on track.
CoLoop Sessions (collaborative looping): Play and experiment live with other musicians either in open jams or within invite-only creative pods; get instant full multitrack audio after each session for practice, collabs, and song seeds.
CoTemple (shared silent meditation): The creative path requires refuge. We need something beyond our art that will hold us steady, but more than that, we need spaciousness in our being to be inspired. The CoTemple is where we can drop into that space together.
Listening Sessions & Village Events: Supportive feedback, community forums, and pop-up workshops to keep you inspired and connected.
As you spend time in Daema Village, something beautiful happens: your dedication begins to move you further on your path, but it also lifts others. We realise we’re not creating just for ourselves – by honouring our daemons, we offer an immeasurable gift to our community and the world.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that…”
—Howard Thurman
THE WORK
DAEMIC MINDSET
Unlock the power of a calm, focused and creative mind. We’ll work through resistance, doubt, procrastination, self-sabotage, and the inner critic and provide tools that will help you show up for your art consistently and whole-heartedly.
PRIORITIES & FOCUS
Get clear on what matters most, so we can create a structure for your creative time best-suited to move you closer to your goals. Social accountability features that leverage the power of showing up with (and for) other people.
MUSIC THEORY FOR CREATORS
Build the fluency to express yourself with deep artistry. Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to deepen your skill, we’ll demystify music theory and turn it into a source of creative freedom. Practice your learning edge skills in the container of collaborative looping sessions with other Daemists.
WRITING PROCESS
Design your own reliable, repeatable music writing flow. From the first sketch to the final track, we’ll develop a sustainable daily/weekly creative routine that helps you actually finish remarkable music. Join shared writing sessions with others to inspire and motivate!
PRODUCTION & MIXING
Shape your ideas into release-ready tracks. We’ll walk through arrangement, sound design, mixing, and mastering, so your music not only sounds great, but stirs souls!
MARKETING STRATEGY
Make your music easy to find and hard to ignore. We’ll explore smart, authentic ways to share your work and grow your audience without burning out or selling your soul.
LIVE PERFORMANCE
Take your show to the next level whether on stage or online. Explore tools, setups, and creative strategies for compelling live sets, loop-based performances, and streaming shows. Showcase your sounds in live CoLoop jams!
VOCALS
Strengthen your voice both physically and artistically. Develop pitch, tone, rhythm, delivery, harmony and vocal presence, whether you’re a singer, rapper, beatboxer, or spoken word artist.
LYRICS
Write words that resonate. Learn how to craft lyrics with depth, imagery, impact, and emotion so your songs stay with people long after they end. Join witnessed solo sessions where you share solos with fellow word smiths.
You don’t need to master everything.
We’ll start with an honest conversation about your goals, experience, and blocks – then choose the most meaningful next step for your journey.
DÆMA MENTORING PRICING
Here’s how it works:
We’ll start with a free 15min chat (book below). Then if we decide to work together, we’ll find a time slot that works for you and arrange six 50-minute mentoring sessions.
I offer my sessions for £50 when booked as a block, or £55 for pay-as-you-go. You can opt for either a weekly or biweekly (every other week) schedule. Access to Daema Village is included with your mentoring package.
I work in blocks of six because in my experience, that timeframe allows us to tackle significant goals that will result in a deep levelling-up of your creative projects.
In the fifth session, we’ll conduct a short review of your progress and decide whether to continue working together.
Use the form below to schedule a free call, and we’ll work out how best to move forward.
Let’s Talk About Your Music
Let’s have a no-pressure, open, honest 15-minute call where we’ll explore what matters most to you as an artist, where you’re heading, and how I might be able to support that journey.