Tools of Motivation

There is something about the cold winter months that just suck all traces of inspiration and motivation from me. This is not to say that the last few months were completely unproductive, but there was indeed a lull in the writing department. Thankfully it seems that Spring has finally arrived to pull me from the dreary ice laden abyss that is Michigan's first quarter.

Along with some newly restored energy (we all know timing is everything), came a source of motivation. My wife came across an idea for us to keep our goals in line. It was 101 things in 1001 days. Though I have yet to fill out all 101, I do have a good start with more than 50. Among these were many musical projects, like finishing Singularities and writing a symphony (nontraditional, of course). One item in particular pertains to this blog, in a challenge to write at least 2 blogs a week for 6 months. The reason? To make a habit out of it.

I was quite sure this wouldn't be the only time I'd reference my list here, so I felt an introduction was appropriate. There is a site for the 101 in 1001 idea, but to my dismay it seemed that being a registered member made your list public. There isn't anything on my list currently that is overly personal, but the idea of just anybody being able to find it was a bit disturbing. Not really sure what membership would offer anyway, considering making and keeping a list of items is a rather trivial task.

So, can you think of 101 things you'd like to accomplish over the next 2.75 years?

New Year, New Inspirations

I would like to take a moment to wish everyone who reads this blog and supports, or has at any time supported, my music a very happy new year. I'm personally looking to 2011 to be a year of development and creation. It's a perfect time to begin pushing harder, being stronger and to banish any thoughts of backing down. Let us all make this year count, for ourselves and for everyone that we care for.

To bring in this new year I am releasing a brand new experiment which will eventually become a part of my next dark ambient work, Singularities. As with Smear Campaign, this next album will have a concept behind the creation, which will be explained in detail when the time comes. For now, try to enjoy the first demo, A Star Eclipsed.



Do note that the track is still in a demo state, so the composition and mix are not completely finalized. I can safely say there will be frequency adjustments, as the mids are a bit harsh.

Hello, Hello Music

With the release of Smear Campaign a few months back, I decided to try out the services at Hello Music to see what they have to offer. With Smear Campaign having a much less accessible sound and style, it is always hard to determine how it will be viewed by others, especially those within the music industry. The album's purpose, first and foremost, was to entertain those interested in the dark ambient style, not to be a hit machine or a radio wet dream.

Just recently I received back a full report from Hello Music regarding Smear Campaign, which contained ratings, strengths, weaknesses and potential opportunity types. Much to my surprise, Smear Campaign's overall rating was not just above the average for similar releases, but for all releases reviewed. This in itself speaks highly to the ability of Hello Music's staff to rate fairly across genres, which is something I don't believe artists will find everywhere. Too many places will rate based on what is the most salable, turning music into straight commerce rather than a creative art. When a company proves to me they are able to consider the intended audience during the review process, I am much more willing to support them and utilize their services.

Given this screening was so recent, I can't yet speak about their ability to place my material or offer opportunities, but I will be sure to share my findings at a later time. From the newsletters they appear to be making a good number of placements, so I feel there is a decent chance.