Yes, I practice when I'm sick! ... *Especially* when I'm sick.
Why?
1. Because me being sick doesn't mean I have less music to learn or less things to accomplish
2. Because it makes me feel generally better (even though it's a struggle)
3. Because it gives me a good idea of what my limits are and makes me really push myself to concentrate & achieve
4. Because I've played enough gigs where I'm sleep-deprived/exhausted/sick/whatever. The more practice I have doing this, the better those future gigs will go.
So besides that, here's what's up in my musical world:
1. Improv & Dotzauer vids running on off-weeks with each other
2. Edensong Rehearsals - we've started rehearsing for our festival in Quebec City in May - Can't wait! (Also need to get my EDL, which means money!)
3. I made up a facebook group called The Westchester Music Scene: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=328073353810 ... It's been less than a week, but already we've managed to get up to 80 people - really exciting!
4. Composers' Concert - I am organizing this really cool concert of original music (featuring my & 3 other composers' music). We mostly write classical-rock fusion sort of material (for lack of a good pre-determined way to describe it) & are probably going to do 1 in westchester & 1 in nyc
On a different note:
Reality has finally caught up with me & I need to start making more money. I'm stuck though, because I really don't know how to do it. Gigs are cool and awesome, but they are not often enough or well-paying enough for me to rely on them. They are "spending money" at best. Teaching should be the money making option, but I just do not know how to find students. I finally printed up some flyers & posted 2 at the local library. I'm going to drive around to other places and post them there too, but what if that doesn't work?? I already have a day job. It involves 15 hours of work a week (and literally is in the middle of the day). I really need private teaching to become my second job, because it gives me relatively few additional hours, good money & the ability to keep my practice up & have something of a life. I'm scared that if I get something else as a second job that my practicing will go down. I suppose I could also tutor or teach beginner piano or do who knows what else, but I just really don't know how to get into these things. I am really scared/worried that what's going to happen is music will become the thing I do on the side ... I really want to do this professionally ... I just have no experience in how to do that & no guidelines to follow & am not doing a good job of getting gigs or students ... I know I have to put myself out there ... I'm just not sure where or how.
Anyway, that's my world for now ... I think there's other stuff too, but I'm sick and exhausted, so can't think of it now...
4 comments:
I honestly have no clue why I even asked that. It just came out I guess. I practice when i'm sick too. Of course you should, there is no reason why you shouldn't
You're not the only person who's asked me that (or expressed surprise at the idea of practicing when sick) ... I maintain that it is good and healthy & helpful
Yes...
You are absolutely right.Music is a very fast cure of mental illness,learning disability,development disability,brain injuries and also even for a women in labor with a baby.Thanks for the nice suggestion.quran
Mike, try the internet and social networks.. even your channel at youtube... specify you live in NY area and you give classes. As a dancer i face the same trouble, getting students, teaching ballet some hours a day, but have to take my classes and training as well, and now to get money for strings, music lessons and so on. The internet is a good way to let new students FIND YOU. Have seen even musical instruments teachers that work with students via webcam conferences and are paid for so.
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