Where Does the Time Go?

Things have been so insanely busy lately.

As an independent, DIY artist these days, you have to do everything. I'm talking things that people like Carrie Underwood have a team of 75 people doing. This blog is focused on the making of my first record - which is by far the most exciting and already rewarding experiences of my life. But it is a HUGE undertaking. Supremely time consuming (and $ consuming). The record is all I can think about, but it is just a small percentage of what I'm doing to move forward my music.

These days, I spend my time researching and contacting venues in order to book shows. Keeping my EPK (electronic press kit) up to date, is a job in itself. Updating it with new shows, quotes, mp3s and pictures... sigh. It is a never-ending process. In terms of booking, though, I've been a lucky lately, and a few very cool shows have fallen into my lap; I got a call last week about doing a show at Silos (adorable wine bar) in Napa on July 8th, then an email about doing a daytime gig in Redwood City in June, and most exciting - I'm adding to a bill on August 12th at The Hotel Utah with a new friend, Keeley Valentino (whose songs I can't stop singing - check her out).

Then there is promotion - a whole other animal. I spend hours putting together the Promo Posters for Facebook and all that jazz (and believe me, I'm the furthest thing from a graphic designer). This week's project has been finding sponsors (we just signed on Kelly Wooden with the Redding Chase Bank), setting up places to reserve tickets online and inviting people to a Backyard Concert & BBQ I'll be doing in my hometown on June 26th. It is SOOO exciting, and the man who is throwing it is just WONDERFUL to be offering up his home - Gerry Gitchell. So glad I met him (randomly) in San Fran earlier this year. It's always exciting when friends have ideas for shows - and to see this huge concert materialize is super fun.

Oh then the web updating - keeping my website up to date and relevant, being active on Facebook & Twitter, sending out mailing list emails, running contest like the iPod giveaway I'm doing in July, posting my shows to online publications - and a big push I'm working on - keeping this blog up to date! I have like 6 unfinished entries; I'll get better and more timely, I promise. And I'm trying to feel out the Blog World a bit - figure out what the RSS feed is (is that a really dumb comment?) and meet some more bloggers! Just takes time, I guess.

Notice I have yet to even mention writing music, singing, practicing my piano skills... Some days are like that, where all I do is music business stuff - and I hate going to bed realizing that I didn't play enough music. Because why the hell else am I doing all this other crap? I'm not a promoter, booker, manager, publicist, videographer or web designer at heart; I'm a musician. And if I have to do all of the former in order to make it work; to get my music heard, to earn a living doing what I'm most passionate about, so be it. I'm in this whole-heartedly at this point. There is NO plan B. Eat, sleep, dream, breathe music.

This is it. Here goes everything.