From 2010 through 2012 I’ve been focused on recording, gigging and promoting my music. My focus for the next year is improving my musicianship and composing new music.
I’ve got a ton of music and lyrical ideas that need to be developed into songs. However, there are things I want to do on guitar, piano, and with my voice that I can’t do right now. There is music that I want to compose that I don’t have the theoretical knowledge to do. So I’m taking regular piano and music theory lessons, and mostly working on my own to improve guitar and voice.
In the process of recording my last two records, it became painfully obvious that there was a big gap between my level of musicianship, and the level of the professional musicians that were brought in to play on my records. I may never get to that level, but I’d like to close the gap significantly. The key to that is no mystery– it’s practice. I’ve never been disciplined about practice, and that’s why my musicianship is not at the level I’d like it to be. I’m trying to learn discipline. It’s hard for me. But I’m determined to achieve it.
Hence the decision to cut back on promotion and gigging. Music doesn’t pay the bills so I have to work a day job. There are only so many hours in the day. Every hour I spend on the computer promoting my (previously-recorded) music is an hour I’m not practicing. I have to set priorities.
I haven’t been blogging in a long time. That’s because this blog was mostly for my songwriting, and I haven’t been songwriting. Well, I’m back. I plan to document this new chapter of my musical life here. Subscribe to the blog if you’re interested.
Next blog: photos of some of the books I’m using for my study.
Another upcoming blog: the type of music I am composing now.