Death to stagnancy!

I'm gotten to be rather unmotivated in terms of my own mic attendance, even for the one at Caffe Vivaldi which I've been figuring throughout this time is/will be my ticket to getting a really nice gig - that is, if I ever get invited to the once-a-month open-mic invitational. Though now that it's midway through November and I do have a gig lined up for December that I want everyone to come to, what's the point of aligning myself properly to get asked to the December invitational at Vivaldi ("aligning" myself means I would go to the open mic this week and next week, for Michael the host to remember and consider me for the event)? Wouldn't adding a gig right before another, very important one be the scheduling equivalent of shooting myself in the foot? Okay, and/or maybe I am just lazy and cheap (it seems like I've already tried every special drink an the Vivaldi menu - and $7 every time really adds up!).

So here I am, sitting at home, and Vivaldi open mic begins in less than an hour and is at least a 35-minute walk-and-subway trek from here. Um, yes, it looks like I won't be going. This poses a particular obstacle/opportunity: to make valuable use of my evening even though I've chosen not to get myself out on the scene. There seems only one equally productive alternative: work on writing tonight - maybe even finish a song! Now THAT would be a thrill.

Here's the good news: I've got a new contact. This past weekend in Philly I met the extended family of one of my housemates, including her uncle and aunt who are actors here in the city. I got the chance to play a song for the whole crew (after a scrumptious early Thanksgiving dinner), and when I had finished playing - the song was Fortune-teller - her New York aunt said, "Do you have a demo? If you could get it to me I could give it to my friend. He's VP of artist development at RCA Records." Well, okay! I think I could scrounge up my demo!

Now, I've had record label contacts in the past - the opportunity to be heard by friends of friends who work for Aware, Interscope, Sparrow - and none of them have ever panned out. So I'm not getting my hopes too high. But, I am buoyant about it, because there's always a chance that something significant could come of it - a record deal, fame, financial security, artistic fulfillment, corruption, cynicism, ruin - everything I could hope for or dread. And that's exciting, either way. I'm not kidding. Because even if signing to a label turned out to be a troubled path, it seeems to me the movement of itself would be good. I mean, I would begin with one set of circumstances, a lot would change, and I would end with another set. So much learning and growth to that! And things wouldn't be stagnant. Death to stagnancy!

Not much

-Not much to report. I'm thinking about how I'm going to do the EP thing. I'm also thinking about songwriting, and how I've written lots of bits of things since moving but seem to lack the discipline to complete anything. And the rare song I do complete doesn't seem worthwhile. Tonight I revisited that "rare, completed song" that I penned a couple weeks ago, inspired by a fluffy work crush. And I'm thisclose to polishing a nice chord progression for one I began in September that still needs much better lyrics (it's got primarily filler" right now). Okay, then. But I'm glad to have gotten something accomplished, muscially speaking. When it's been too long, I begin to doubt.

Preparing for my first NYC gig

Alright, now this could be good.
A couple weekends ago I had an audition (see 10/24 post). Well, I heard back from Larry Oakes, and I made the cut for the New York Singer/Songwriter Sessions. On December 19, at 7:45 at the Bitter End, I will be performing a 15-minute set.
15 minutes isn't much. But you have to start somewhere. And the more people I can get to come to this event, the more likelihood there will be for a repeat performance and exposure to a wider audience.
I've been thinking about how I will promote this thing and what I would like to have with me on the night of the performance. First, items to have with me (and these will require some prep):

-> a sellable demo - or EP - of more recently written and recorded songs. At this point I believe even a "homemade" looking product is better than no product.
-> an email list clipboard
- > business cards or fliers with my website address

Now, as for publicity...
Emails:
One to my housemates
One to my email list that includes Grand Rapids contacts
One directed just to NY-based contacts

Announcements:
-> When playing at Caffe Vivaldi and other open mikes, announce the gig and (closer to the time of the event) have fliers with me to pass to people so they don't have to write down the details (because they probably won't).

-> Tell my supervisors and co-workers at work and also post a flier up on the bulletin board near the break room. Talk it up a lot about a week and a half in advance (being still subtle enough not to risk causing annoyance!).

-> Tell fellowship group (if I'm in one by then).

This is just a start. More brainstorming to come.