If I came into this summer like a lion, I’m headed out like a lamb with a lame leg.
I’ve realized for quite some time that running a solo act is extremely challenging, and getting some help on board was a goal I needed to look at soon.
And trying to undertake my first official recordings has really highlighted where I need to find that help first. I need a producer and an engineer because I SUCK at studio work!
Now, to be clear, I’m not ignorant in the studio. As a performer, I’ve had the reputation of being very efficient. But it can be very uncomfortable to be stacked in with mic stands and cables, and soundproofing. Plus, I need a lot of practice as an engineer and producer and listening to the stems I recorded a few weeks ago really highlight those needs.
I must admit the challenge, and my failure to overcome that challenge so far has put me in a bit of a funk. I’ve got the feeling that maybe doing this recording has made me forget my vision for the project. Or maybe I’ve just been pushing really hard over the last year, and it’s time to take a quick break, rest up and get ready to hit the ground running in September.
I’ve been invited to play a busking-adjacent set at DoyleFest on September 6 this year, so I’m preparing myself for that. The festival is at Eagle Creek Regional Park near Asquith, SK, and I think it should be a fun day of music and hanging out. I’m looking forward to it, and I expect I might actually get a lot of chances to play while I’m out there.
And all is not lost! I read an inspiring post by local musician Etienne Fletcher yesterday about realizing your dreams in music and what you need to keep your eyes on. She talked about how the goal posts always seem to be moving in this job and how we need to keep our eyes on what we love about it.
So to that end, I want to start writing down some of my goals – you can help me be accountable!
Goal 1 – Play music for people and make them happy, make them laugh. Readers of my personal blog will know that I’m something of a Minecraft nerd. One of my favourite Minecraft creators is a guy named BDoubleO100. In a recent video, he talked about how his reason for being is to inspire and bring a smile to people’s faces. While inspiring is a great goal, it was bringing a smile to people’s faces that spoke to me. And it’s a core thing I wanted to do with this project. I want to connect with people in the real world and make them smile. I hope this ol’ guy playing on a kid’s toy can make someone laugh or give them a little dopamine shot in a good, healthy way.
Goal 2 – Make some money. My work situation is only semi-stable over the next couple of years, and over the next 10 years, I want to start moving on to my retirement plans. This means I need to start phasing in some earnings on this little side gig. I’ve got some project ideas that should start bringing in a bit of cash once my current temporary promotion expires next year, so I should start moving on those. Part of this is doing more to “get my business affairs together.” Not to say I haven’t done this at all, but I need to set up some accounting for myself and a few other aspects so that this is more of a business and less of a hobby.
Goal 3 – Get some help. As mentioned at the start of this post, I need a bit of help to achieve my goals and get the job done I need to. But I also would love to have a few other people in my circle to help motivate me a bit. I’ve always had a band around me to help with this, but it’s time to find some people who are going to help me who don’t necessarily play music with me. But also, putting together a band isn’t outside of the realm of possibility either. I know I want help in the studio, I could use a bit of assistance with my merchandising plan, and then I’ll go from there.
Goal 4 – Get my merchandising together. I know what I want to sell, I just need to prepare it. But it’s more complex than just uploading some graphics to Redbubble. I have some specific, bespoke products I want to put together. I think this is going to come to fruition better this winter, and I also think that I’ll need to pay for some help on this. But it should pay off in spades if I can get it moving.
Goal 5 – Record some songs. But also – be realistic about it. I’ve made no secret about how Jesse Welles was a major inspiration to me early on in this project. Part of that inspiration is how good he sounds just recording his music on his iPhone. I’ve seen similar people in the folk/bluegrass vein who are putting amazing performances out that are nowhere near great recordings. I need to focus on that for the next little while and worry less about being in the studio. Over the next few weeks, I plan to take my condenser mic out onto my back deck and just record some songs. Put those out. Who cares? I’m not signed to a label, I just need something to show people so they book me on gigs. When the demand for good recordings comes, I’ll hire a producer, an engineer and all the rest. I’m not putting this up on Spotify or pressing a record.
On the other hand, I have some very novel ideas on how to sell my music and create some products that people might want to put a few bucks down for.
Goal 6 – Keep writing and put together a 3-hour set. This also includes learning and arranging some good covers. Topping out at a 45-minute set of mostly original music doesn’t quite meet the needs of my first goal. If I want to get out in front of people, I need to have a complete package. I’ve got fun cover ideas ready, I need to work on and lots of songs written that I need to polish up and get out there playing.
Goal 7 – Nail down my audience and venue style. I’ve played a lot of different places over the last year with varying results. And I’ve taken some notes. In real opposition to my goal above, I’ve noticed that when I’m playing my own stuff that 20-35 minutes is probably the sweet spot for how long I can play. I think putting in some covers will help, but it also means that playing a whole Saturday night at a bar might not be my ideal place. I’ve had great success busking and playing small, intimate party sessions, too. I’m hoping to lean into my Sidedoor account over the next few months and start promoting myself for Christmas parties. I’m going to find more places I can do some busking and put some time into trying out a few other ways and places to play.
So there it is. A framework at least. There are a lot of sub-goals or tactics to each of those, and I’m going to be expanding on that in my own documentation behind the scenes. But I think it’s good to recognize my change in motivation, my needs and then to put the goals out there to pursue. The goal posts might move, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep my eye on them!
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