How world-traveling musician from Elmhurst ended up on helicopter with Chris Hemsworth
One of Elmhurst native and musician Scott Hildebrand's eight original songs is called "Ready to Fly."
A clip of it appears as the backdrop to a viral video featuring a surprised and excited Hildebrand in the front seat of a chopper as "Thor" actor Chris Hemsworth and a friend pick him up as a hitchhiker and take him by helicopter to a surfing beach this fall in Australia.
The song, Hildebrand says in one video-recording on his website, is about needing to be free, following dreams and learning to shed constraints. Becoming, in essence, ready to fly.
Since 201>, when Hildebrand wrapped up a post-grad year in South Korea, he has been living that unchained life. Through what he calls "global music adventures," the 27-year-old guitarist, harmonica player, singer and songwriter has been proving to himself - and to anyone who follows his adventures through his social media presence - that it's possible to drop into a new place, knowing nothing and no one, and find new experiences. It happens by being open to adventure, he says.
Many people, Hildebrand says, might be fearful or unsure of how to travel the world, despite having a thirst for knowledge of other cultures.
Be aware but never fear is his advice to the novices visiting places like those among his favorites: India, Mexico, Guatemala, Laos, Japan.
"You can easily get stuck in doing the same thing," he says. "By simply traveling and being open to people, you have these experiences that are unreal. You get a better outlook on the world, rather than if you're watching the news and you see only depressing stories and you think that's how the world is. Even just saying 'hi' to someone, you can meet these incredible people and learn so many things."
Of course, that's just as possible in Elmhurst, Arlington Heights, Mundelein or Elgin as it is in Central America, the Middle East or the Land Down Under. But in Hildebrand's life, exploring new places, observing different musical cultures and playing anywhere he can to fuel the creation of his own original songs are what it's all about.
It started when he followed the advice of his older sister, now a teacher in Seattle and a world traveler with 31 countries under her belt, and took a job teaching for a year in South Korea after graduating in 2013 with a sociology degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In Korea, he met a talented violinist and a music production engineer, among other artists and performers, and learned one cultural quirk: There's a word for doing a street performance, or, as Hildebrand puts it, "setting up in the street, opening your case and playing." It's called "busking," and Hildebrand enjoys doing it wherever he can.
Some of his recent exploits include visiting India twice; arriving in Australia and buying a camper-van to serve as a home base; traveling to Mexico for a friend's wedding; and returning to Australia, just to end up on that helicopter (and on many people's Facebook feeds) with that actor, whom he originally didn't recognize.
Some of his future plans include staying in Australia until January, taking advantage of the full duration of his one-year work visa; deciding whether to return to India or try out life in Portugal; planning some gigs at suburban breweries and markets during his next visit home; and pondering his future plans to establish more of a permanent home base somewhere in the world from which to form a band.
But here's one small way even the world-traveling Hildebrand has fallen into a rut.
Each year for the past three years, he's returned home to Elmhurst like clockwork, on the Fourth of July. He's always "Ready to Fly," as his song says, but his wallet is most ready to make the commitment on the nation's birthday, when he said flights seem to be cheapest.
While ending up in a helicopter with an actor familiar to many as "Thor" in the Marvel movies was his most publicized and craziest adventure so far, Hildebrand relishes the smaller moments of his globe-trotting life even more.
The moments he makes a few bucks playing in an Australian coastal bar and can put it toward making a music video. The moments he joins in a music festival at a bagel shop in South Korea and blends cultures with everyone there. The moments he plays Rolling Stones covers with professional musicians in India and melds his guitar with their sitars. These are moments he doesn't want to give up.
"Definitely my whole life I want to travel and always do something similar to this," he said, referring broadly to his life promoting music, adventure and positivity. "Because it's just too much fun. I don't want to stop."
Highlights from Elmhurst musician’s travels
Take a quick tour through Elmhurst native Scott Hildebrand’s musical travels around the world with these videos of his international performances and experiences.
Hitchhiking in Australia leads to a helicopter ride with “Thor” actor Chris Hemsworth (includes a clip from Hildebrand’s original song “Ready to Fly”):
www.facebook.com/scottyhildebrandmusic/videos/302863380544996/Street-performing (called “busking” in other cultures) at a park in Melbourne, Australia:
www.facebook.com/scottyhildebrandmusic/videos/1665789980123409/Jamming in traditional Indian styles with professionals at an international music center in Varansi, India:
www.facebook.com/scottyhildebrandmusic/videos/1574045159297892/Playing harmonica in a natural sandstone amphitheater:
www.facebook.com/scottyhildebrandmusic/videos/301185937362824/Styling covers like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” and “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” with a violinist friend in South Korea:
www.scotthildebrandmusic.com/?fbclid=IwAR1md6NZ2hwL0AzsBsxBUfxK18GmvzlskH6L2hjgP0hM8j_Plwoa9VL8Wzs