Augh!! Setback

My dear SB has removed herself from publicity/booking detail. It's nothing personal; her schedule just can't withstand what time and work this is going to involve. There are too many other commitments, and she has to prioritize. I totally understand, but Bummer!

Well, leading up to our clarifying conversation last night, there were problems. Nothing overt - simply the fact that it was taking us two weeks and longer to find times to get together and complete what would seem to be a simple next step, the college flyers. I couldn't proceed without her, and her time was at a premium, being nibbled by many other commitments. I sort of lost motivation during that time - not worrying myself too much about our delayed timeline, but then, not getting anything accomplished, either.

Now that it's been determined that she has to focus elsewhere and I am flying solo again, I feel some freedom. It's not like I'm not used to being a lone ranger in this department. Having SB was a major bonus, but it's not like I'm unable to return to TOTAL INDIE MODE. (Now would be an appropriate time for me to have the "What am I Doing Feeling," yet it is strangely, mercifully absent.) She helped me set a path; now I just have to keep going in that direction. Okay then. Over and out.

That "What Am I Doing" Feeling

Every once in a while, say, once every couple months, I get really overwhelmed thinking about the music pursuit. My breathing gets shallower my stomach starts to churn. I find myself wanting to groan aloud as though this might relieve the psychological angst. My mind races over all the pieces to the puzzle - a website, getting press, booking gigs, pitching to radio, writing new songs, recording and how expensive it is to record, whisperings of how I should assemble a band, registering my songs with BMI and trying to get them out to those big-wig folks who pick music for movie soundtracks... and so on. There is SO MUCH to THINK ABOUT!!! Achieving my goals seems nearly impossible when I attempt to process everything in these weak moments.

Slow Going, College Booking

I met with SB yesterday who was recovering from strep thoat, just as I was getting over a cold. Things have been delayed, due to these pesky illnesses and schedules... and misinformation. Yes, regardless of the obstacles presented by a busy New York autumn that has finally seen its first cold front, SB and I would have been behind schedule on the spring tour plan anyway, for not having discovered the best way to go about booking until it's probably too late.

We were going to send press kits to a bahundred schools, include the cd, follow up with calls, and hope for the best. Then we stumbled upon a smart article by Derek Sivers about the best way to book college gigs. He emphatically states that fancy press kits, unsolicited, will not catch people's eyes as much as a simple one-page flyer will (perhaps sent about three or four times before it finally compells them to call for more information, or to request a CD). Persistent - but not annoying - repetition is key. He also says that colleges typically do spring booking in the fall, and fall booking in the spring. It's already November 18. My chances for booking a February or March tour may have slipped through my fingers even 6 weeks ago. But I'm not discouraged. The flyer method is a real money-saver, and it's worth a shot, even if I don't drum up a tour-sized number of gigs until NEXT fall. In the meantime, it would be good experience for me to play even a few isolated college shows in the next half a year. If that's all that came of this first round of promo, I would be really pleased.

"I'm a-looking and I'm a-likin'..."

The title has nothing to do with today's content. It is a phrase uttered to prime hilarity by Ben Stiller's character in "Meet the Fockers," when he makes a drunken public statement about his future mother-in-law (and her "hotness"). During the time I visited my brother and sister-in-law in August, my brother started this thing of making that lewd comment about various things in various and often inappropriate settings. I.E. We're at Dairy Queen looking at the menu: "I'm a-lookin' and I'm a-likin'..." At the botanical gardens in front of a Japanese tree: "I'm a-lookin' and I'm a-likin'..." Surveying the view from a mountain vista: "I'm a-lookin'..." and so on. I love the absurdity of sexualizing a DQ Blizzard or a mountain view. It's ridiculous, though if you ever see print ads or commercials for things like desserts and margarine, it's not so uncommon...

As for today's content: I had a show two nights ago that was a pleasing event. It was a great space - quite small, bar in back, corner stage, big enough to hold the grand piano, which of course, was all I needed plus some. I played songs I don't usually play - some that even debuted publicly that night, including Oust, (recently completed, inspired by my all-time muse - some of you know who that is), Hurting Anyway (written summer 2000), and Untitled (inspired by my dad, and I'm having trouble titling it). I also played Spinster, which hadn't yet seen a New York stage. Now I'm all giddy on these new or reacquainted songs and it makes me want to record again. Unfortunately (or fortunately) that is not a financial priority right now.

Anyway, if you're ever thinking about buying a panflute, please consult this.