Monday, July 16, 2012

Month of Music - First Update

Today was the first full day of my Month of Music and it went pretty well – if I can keep this up, I feel like this experiment will be a HUGE leap forward for me. I got a lot done today!

First, I contacted five upscale hotels nearby, all of which have lobby bars, and asked them whether they ever feature live singers/musicians. Interestingly, NONE of them do! I sense an opportunity here…one that I’m a long way from being able to take advantage of yet, but still, it’s good to know.

(Side note: this isn’t a weird idea, is it? I mean, I’ve stayed in swanky hotels for work, and I’ve seen singers performing in at least three hotel lobby bars. Personally I enjoyed it a lot, it made for a more relaxed and interesting atmosphere. I was kind of surprised at the five no’s in a row, and it made me wonder if maybe that's just not something we do here in Philly?)

Second, I actually practiced today – usually I slack off on Mondays because my lessons are on Sundays, but with this ridiculous audition coming up this weekend, I can’t afford to skip any nights this week!

Third, I did some reading on YouTube singers – such as this article on 15 aspiring musicians who got famous (and got recording contracts!) through YouTube – and advice on how to get followers, post videos people will want to watch, etc. I heard they regularly have contests on YouTube, so I need to check into that. I did investigate our county’s local “Idol” competition, but just like the real thing, I am WAY too old. :)

Last, I emailed a singer-songwriter I really admire and asked her if she’d be willing to meet up so I could bend her ear about her music, her approach to songwriting, etc. (It’s worth noting that I’ve been meaning/wanting to do this for months and just haven’t managed to get up the nerve…)

I also added a few more potential items to my Month of Music to-do list:

-        Record at least one video and upload to YouTube
-        Go sing at karaoke (lame, yes, but it’s public performance, which is something I really need more experience with!)
-        Read (and do all the exercises in) a book I have called Free Your Voice (another interesting side note: I actually found the receipt stuck in this book. I purchased it in 2000. Twelve years ago, people!! SMH)
-        Subscribe to a music-related magazine (suggestions…?)

And actually, my wonderful husband also decided to help me cross off one of my to-do’s for this month – he bought me a mic on eBay today! (Good price, too – truly a man after my own frugal heart.)

So all in all, not a bad first full day. Maybe I’ll get the hang of this stuff yet.

xoxo,
Jenn

P.S. And I also wrote this post. Yay me.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Couz! So I have spent the past 2 days in and out of your blog... Reading at work :). I LOVE IT! And please know that there are many of us out there questioning ourselves every day. I love your honesty and admire your courage. I agree with big sis you are fearless in many ways.
    I can't believe how much I have learned about you in 2 days (without even talking to you). Your writing is excellent, and makes us, readers, want to hear more. So please continue posting and good luck this weekend. I will have to share the news with rest of the family tonight. Sending tons of hugs, kisses and support.

    Grazzia

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    1. Hey, prima!! Sorry to distract you at work! LOL

      Thanks so much for reading and for your lovely comment, it means SO much to me in so many ways!!

      The feedback on my writing is really gratifying, and so is hearing that you appreciate my honesty and courage. I'm definitely NOT fearless thought - just getting better (slowly but surely) at doing that which I fear. :)

      Thanks for all the love and support!! Give besos to everyone!

      XOXO,
      Jenn

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  2. Hi Jenn, I think it's awesome and amazing how you are pursuing your dreams! I wish we lived closer so I could hear you sing sometime. I'm enjoying reading your blog! And, I also think you're a really great writer-- I've tried blogging before, but haven't done very well at it, because it's hard to write about myself in a convincing way. You pull it off! Your dedication to your goals is inspiring me... I've been wanting to try writing fiction for a long, long time (and have actually been working on a story/novel idea for the last year...) but you're inspiring me to keep working harder at this.

    ~Katie Miller

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    1. Thanks so much, Katie!! I really appreciate ALL your comments - on the pursuit of my dreams, on my writing, everything. It means so much!

      And I'm glad if I can in any way help provide a nudge to you or anyone else to go pursue an interest or a dream. :)

      My own biggest hurdle was just getting past the "I feel stupid doing this" phase and just DOING it anyway. I still have that issue, actually - but I keep reminding myself that doing nothing won't get me any closer to anything I'm interested in. (I have a quote up on my wall from Wayne Gretzky: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Can't argue with that logic.)

      Anyway - I hope you do continue working on the story idea and find a way to start writing, even if it's just little by little. I think the key is keeping at it, just plain old diligence. Even if I only sing for 20 minutes a day, I do try to keep it up daily so that I don't slack off, and just to keep it present at the front of my mind. That's sort of what this month of music thing is all about - not letting myself get distracted, even with other worthwhile pursuits, to see just what I can accomplish when I really put my mind to it.

      Hey - maybe that is an approach you can try! Just pick a month and devote all your time outside of the necessities (family, cooking, whatever) to writing. Just a short-term commitment, just to see what happens. You might find yourself making great strides!

      XOXO,
      Jenn

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