Say what you will about the 22nd of December being too early to write about musical goals for next year, I'm doing it anyway. I was sitting on the couch tonight, talking with the Mrs., and she put forth a reaction to a statement that had come up in conversation late last night.
I've been stressing out lately over the fact that I haven't done enough musically. It got to the point last night where I was so distraught that I wondered aloud why I even kept the studio stuff out if it was never going to get any use. This statement, of course, started a conversation about how I needed to take time for music if I felt it was seriously lacking of late. I'm so lucky to have such a supportive and understanding wife.
Tonight, she says, making obvious reference to last night's conversation, that she thinks I "should record a song a month next year." Now, more writing and recording were already on the mental list I have been making in my head, but that's beside the point. It's true, I need to do more with my studio stuff. I've had it for how long now? And, while it's been a part of some great experiences over that period of time, how much have I actually finished?
So here's my plan: Along with all of my other musical activities, I'm finishing and recording a song a month in 2013. The theory being that, by the end of the year I'll have 12 songs (i.e. enough for a full album). The Dave Grohl Challenge stuff is totally fair game, and will give me a nice jumping off point. If I use all of those ideas, great. If not, that's fine too. Finding the germ of the idea has never been very hard for me. Turning that germ into a fully formed, completed idea, however, that has proven to be difficult.
And here's why I'm posting about this before, say, New Year's Eve. I've had this studio equipment for over a decade now. Have I gone through the manual from start to finish since I got it? Maybe once, the first week I had the thing. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to learn as much as I possibly can in the process, and if I happen to upgrade to ProTools during the year (another goal), then all the better.
I know I can do this. And I also know that, in order to get what I hear in my head to be what ends up getting recorded, I'll need to step up the playing as well.
I've been stressing out lately over the fact that I haven't done enough musically. It got to the point last night where I was so distraught that I wondered aloud why I even kept the studio stuff out if it was never going to get any use. This statement, of course, started a conversation about how I needed to take time for music if I felt it was seriously lacking of late. I'm so lucky to have such a supportive and understanding wife.
Tonight, she says, making obvious reference to last night's conversation, that she thinks I "should record a song a month next year." Now, more writing and recording were already on the mental list I have been making in my head, but that's beside the point. It's true, I need to do more with my studio stuff. I've had it for how long now? And, while it's been a part of some great experiences over that period of time, how much have I actually finished?
So here's my plan: Along with all of my other musical activities, I'm finishing and recording a song a month in 2013. The theory being that, by the end of the year I'll have 12 songs (i.e. enough for a full album). The Dave Grohl Challenge stuff is totally fair game, and will give me a nice jumping off point. If I use all of those ideas, great. If not, that's fine too. Finding the germ of the idea has never been very hard for me. Turning that germ into a fully formed, completed idea, however, that has proven to be difficult.
And here's why I'm posting about this before, say, New Year's Eve. I've had this studio equipment for over a decade now. Have I gone through the manual from start to finish since I got it? Maybe once, the first week I had the thing. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to learn as much as I possibly can in the process, and if I happen to upgrade to ProTools during the year (another goal), then all the better.
I know I can do this. And I also know that, in order to get what I hear in my head to be what ends up getting recorded, I'll need to step up the playing as well.
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