(The image is for a poster my friend drew for a show I had in 2009 or 2010, back when I just started playing music)
It's been a few months since I've pledged myself to my art. It must have been in March. I should have marked the date to celebrate as a personal holiday. I have a feeling it was March 25. I'll look back and check to figure it out, but for now let's say March 25th. So we are almost on 4 months.
I spent a month practicing chords and doing finger exercises.
I spent another month jamming.
I took a break from music for a month so I could record The audiobook version of Confessions of the Damaged 1.1 available on Spotify, Google, Amazon and other audiobook platforms.
Here's a promotional video I made for the book before I planned on making a full audiobook:
Then I spent a dew weeks practicing on pedals, learning how to get a decent sound out of a reverb or delay pedal, or all the variety that is on a multi effect pedals and a few settings that I like and can use for a concert.
Finally I spent a few weeks practicing my songs, getting the rhythm right for a loop pedal and mixing them with jams and all the effects I've been practicing.
My first show in two years is next week.
I am not a fan of inviting people just to come and watch a regular performance so I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make the night very special but I won't share them now.
This is a test run. If it goes well, I'm going to start filling my schedule with 2-4 shows a month. Once I'm playing that regularly, I won't need to practice my existing songs as often and I can focus on writing and practicing new songs.
Since I like to have a single month to focus on one aspect of the music or leveling up, I'd like to finally dedicate a month to developing 4 or 5 old song ideas into full songs, and another month recording something to mark my debut as more than an acoustic singer/songwriter.
I've changed how I think of album releases or product releases. They are less about creating some perfected form of the song, because I want my songs to constantly be evolving, and to have multiple versions to revisit whenever the mood is right. Instead I will treat them as landmarks to present a certain era. I will tell the stories I'm able to tell at the moment, rather than hoping one day to tell the ultimate story.
I always wanted to start off strong, but actually, so many of my favorite artists didn't start off with their best work. A lot of artists do, they tend to be the more produced artists, not the independent ones who produce everything themselves. Why should I hope to be any different.
It's ok if my first few releases aren't my favorite music in the whole world just yet, as long as I love them and the overall direction I'm moving in.
In July I will figuring out an electronic set, an acoustic set and a hybrid set for the next 30-100 shows. It won't be the same set ever, but there will be a choice of a few rough outline to follow and then I will stray as far as I feel comfortable in the given environment.
From my first livestream jam about 4 months ago. The live jams will sometimes sound a bit like this, although they are quickly becoming more diverse in style:
Another one from the livestream edited a bit. This is another song idea I'll work on:
In August we will be busy so it may be a good chance to practice my triads and integrating them with scales so I can level up my jamming.
In the Fall I plan to go through the 200 demos I have piled up of 50-100 new song ideas and see what I can make of it.
Here are a few of the demos I've shared publicly along with video experiments
My first time using a MIDI keyboard to record a demo:
One of the old song ideas I'm most anxious to develop, the video and recording are on the sloppy side but I know this is going to be an amazing song:
Finally my magnum opus...ok nothing so grand.... just my second full length music video that I think was a huge step up from the first one, an ode to the place I've called home the past 10 years, the period where I set myself aflame to see what would remain.
I could say a lot more but I think it's more important to keep working so I can show you the fruits of my labor. Going to prepare some stuff for the show next week! And if you haven't heard it yet, Sun Shone Blue, my first EP is up everywhere from Spotify to Apple, and on Youtube as well:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kjfdNXu5nWlbMyzEboSxdYF0vzr1WrtV4&si=P6u_GaZtyFgSvbGc