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Day One Hundred Fifty Nine (Year Four)

Second to last post of the year.  In my head, that seems dramatic, but in comparison to tomorrow's post, where I'm going to lay out all of my musical goals for 2014, tonight feels like somewhat of a false front. 

On some level, tonight could be a time of reflection.  Of sorting out the highlights from a year that just felt busy from beginning to end.  If I had to slow it down for just a second, I'd say the following would make my year-end list of highs:

1) The START Experiment.  The first round of it, in particular.  It showed me that (aside from lyrics, which are still hard for me), I can put together a demo in 8 days that sounds pretty good.  It forced me to step back from the bigger picture, which can sometimes be overwhelming, and focus on the little things, the individual steps that take one from the beginning of something all the way through to a finished product.  It never asked you to try and do it all at once (as I know I have a tendency to do), but held you accountable for only what you could get done that day.  The idea of tomorrow in the Start Experiment was one where the unfinished business of the past wasn't something to be ashamed of, it was just something to get done during the next day's adventures.  It drove home that idea of "stop talking about it, and just start DOING it."  The rest, as the saying goes, would take care of itself.

and

2) The move & THE STUDIO!  Having a dedicated space to focus on my music has made a lot of difference the last few months.  I'm not certain that it's set up exactly the way it needs to be, or that I've used it to the best of my abilities, but the end of 2013 gave me a good start in that room, and those experiences are shaping the goals I am thinking over for 2014.

It's been a really good year, and I can't wait to finalize and lay out my plan for the next one.

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