The phrase, “everything happens for a reason” has never sat well with me. Even when the end result was rewarding, I was never able to look back and say, “I’m so glad that happened.”  Don’t get me wrong, I have always considered myself an optimist but it’s hard to think positive in rough times. Take my first job out of college for example; headed by a crooked boss that had a habit of bouncing my paychecks on a regular basis. Even though quitting paved the way for opportunities like starting PensEyeView.com, it is still hard to think, “Yeah, it was worth it.”

Then again, sometimes that saying fits perfectly. It did for Tacoma Park, Maryland native and now world renowned singer/songwriter, Eric Hutchinson, that’s for sure. After achieving a musician’s dream of landing a major record deal, Hutchinson had the rug pulled from underneath him flipping his dreams upside down when his label’s parent company fell apart. However Hutchinson, who considers himself “constantly-optimistic,” landed firmly on his feet, accepting the situation for what it was and moving forward, releasing his debut record, “Sounds Like This” on his own label, Let’s Break Records. The result was something that even Hutchinson couldn’t foresee.

A good friend from Hutchinson’s high school days emailed celebrity blogger Perez Hilton a link to Hutchinson’s page, which Perez in turn gave an emphatic endorsement for and suggested to his millions of loyal followers to check it out. It catapulted “Sounds Like This” to #5 on iTunes album chart, making it the highest charting album by an unsigned act in iTunes history. Hutchinson’s life literally changed overnight – going from the guy next door to the guy whose album hung on iTunes’ Top 10 alongside releases from Kanye West and Dave Matthews. Success hit again when he was asked to join a whirlwind tour in January 2008 alongside OneRepublic

VH1 took notice as well, crowning Hutchinson as one of their “You Oughta Know – Artist On the Rise,” a title that has been given to only a select few of emerging musicians who are reshaping modern music today. Hutchinson talked about the honor, “It gives me good reason to keep on going. I couldn’t believe it when my manager told me.” And while it’s hard to believe, none of this would have ever happened had Hutchinson’s first record deal not fallen through.

“Sounds Like This” has a global appeal for all ages and genres, pumping with catchy pop and soul beats reminiscent of Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel as well as some of today’s top musicians like Jason Mraz and John Mayer. Even my ten month old daughter likes to bop her tiny body to the video for “Rock & Roll” on Hutchinson’s site – her eyes wide open, pointing at Hutchinson cruising along the LA streets. He says “I just try to bring some soul music, some singer/songwriter music to it. I want to show people a part of my life. It feels good to be who you are on an album and that’s what I tried to show.”

So maybe I’m wrong about certain things happening for a reason (wouldn’t be a first time, nor the last) or maybe I’m waiting for my own realization to surface? Either way, a story like Eric Hutchinson’s “constantly-optimistic” attitude is one worth paying homage to and respecting. As he puts it, “You always have to keep moving.” Adding of his live shows, “People clap, dance, sing… I want people to leave happy at the end.” And everyone does – the perfect reason to get on stage every night.

For more information on Eric Hutchinson, check out: http://www.EricHutchinson.com and always check back to http://www.PensEyeView.com for more great musicians from around the world.