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Hey all,

Welcome to this week's topic. I'm fishin' for advice this week. Our lives are so hectic these days. How do you strike a balance in your life when it comes to pursuing your music. Is it hard? Have you ever been able to do it? What do you think it looks like? How do you handle it when you are feeling pulled in a millions directions? What are you tips for trying to strike a balance? We are all this together and sharing stuff like this really helps I think. We can all learn to do better, or at least I can. [Linked Image]



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Keep posting,
Ashleigh
www.ashleighwehmeyer.com

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Well Ash,
There are days you just can't make a nickle. You just have to back off and re-group. I sent two songs out to be demed the first of September. They said it takes 6 weeks. I got them Saturday. Over 2 and 1/2 months. P.S. Mars, the planet of Action is currently retrograde. so everyone is flustrated. I think it goes direct in early December. But it is the Holiday season so things won't get back in action till January. So bide your time.


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Hi Ash,

I believe balance with everything is the key to a full life. Is it hard? We all know the answer to that.
When I used to work a full time job it kept me occupied 40 hours a week. You spend forty hours a week doing any one thing and see how good you start getting at it. Alot of wasted time, When you have to get up early you have to go sleep early, I ignored that of course and paid the price everyday. Saturday your backed up, gotta deal with grown up stuff, the bank, the car. the kids, the laundry, post office etc.. etc... So Sunday is your only day off maybe and you gotta be in Monday. Then there's oh if i didnt have to work I could spend all my time writing and recording etc.. yeah with what money?
Recording is VERY expensive and if you think you can get paid for writing songs.. Oh well that's another topic.. You want time? you got no money..You want money? you got no time that's how it is for most of us.

So how are you are gonna get any music done period. Never mind actually succeeding on the level of proffesional artist or songwriter.
Goals! Focus! & Balance! your only chance is to really think about your goals. Make time for what is most important in your life. We used to have tons of friends we'd like to see them all but we dont we narrow it down to a few, then to a handful and some people only hang with there families, eventually they dont get to see there cousins and uncles so much just there own kids. It's just a natural thing for most people..It just happens.
Narrow your time down to whats most important.

Are you a songwriter? Then why are you rehearsing and gigging on the weekends? For fun? Balance! "When your are doing something, you are not doing something else"... Example If I play on the weekends to keep sharp and to relax after working all week, I enjoy it, I make an extra 100 bucks.
Example.. I worked all week so let me spend some time with my family this weekend Saturday. Maybe they will have a little more patience with me when
I stay in and write my songs all of Sunday.
Besides I worked all week for my check the 100 bucks would be nice but what Is my songwriting time worth $100 bucks? whats more important? Why am I rehearsing other peoples songs? Geez I wish my recordings sounded better. Sitting here strumming my guitar doesn't change that. Learn to cut corners to make time, and you have to give up things that you may not want to. Think about it.

Peace & Best Of Luck
Sub

[This message has been edited by substudio (edited 11-21-2005).]


Thanks!
Peace Mike
Sub

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Well, I quit my big-time administrative job, gave up the perceived security of a big monthly paycheque & a pension plan. I retrained as a graphic designer and managed to get myself back into management... but I had flex hours & was able to pay for my singing lessons... so I practiced every morning at 9 am and went to work at 10. After work I practised while dinner was cooking. In the evenings I did shows. After 5 years I was down-sized out, and boy was I bitter, but I took it as an opportunity... got myself a part-time job, starting teaching... and now I work in music full-time. Mind you, I didn't have a spouse & kids to worry about, just myself.

Best way to balance is, make writing & music as crucial in your life as everything else. Get up 30 minutes earlier, write morning pages. Write something everyday. I tell my students, practise breathing 5 minutes a day, if that's all you can do. Surely one can find 15 minutes a day to sing some scales or play the guitar.

You have to make time for it. We can all find stuff to distract us from music... but we do have to set priorities and make choices.

I think one of the best things to do to start is a) define what success means to you as an artist/songwriter/musician... 2) define where you want to be in 5 years time... 3) decide what you can do this year to work towards that goal... then think about what you can do this month... this week... today... baby steps towards that bigger goal. Then you've broken it into bite-sized chunks you can handle.

Just a few thoughts... I have many more but don't want to bore you LOL
Hummin'bird :-)

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Vikki Flawith, Canadian Singer/Songwriter & Voice Teacher

This bird sings at:
www.vikkiflawith.com

Vikki on MySpace

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The Shy Singer-Songwriter's Blog

[This message has been edited by Hummingbird (edited 11-21-2005).]


Vikki Flawith: Songwriter/Composer, Singer/Voice Teacher

12Feb10- *NEW BLOG: "BE YOUR OWN GURU ;)"

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I dunno. Maybe being a Libra has made me better at balancing<g>. Work has to take top priority because that's where the money comes from (I comfort myself by reminding myself that's also where the inspiration comes from). I make space for the music. It emphasizes to people that I am a Real Person and have a life (albeit a strange one) apart from my job; I also remind people that it's something I *need* to do to keep from going crazy at the job.

Sometimes the music takes up more time than others; I try to schedule the time-consuming stuff far in advance (like taking my vacation this last summer to go to Pineyfest). Most of the time, I'm just able to play music at least one night (and often two) per weekend, and that's enough of a fix.

The writing I don't have to make space for. It happens. It's in the background all the time (just like a Windows PC, I can multi-task). Not being able to write things down for long stretches of time is good mnemonic training, and good practice for performing (where it'll be just me, and my guitar, and my memory, such as it is). And the periodic long drives in the car-with-no-radio are almost guaranteed to generate songs--sometimes one per trip. (Not necessarily one *good* one per trip, of course--but enough so I don't get discouraged.)

So it works. I mostly just refuse to give anything up.

Joe
www.soundclick.com/bands/7/joewrabek_music.htm

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Hey, I'm lucky I guess. I have a job that most of the time allows me to work on my music and play my guitar.(It helps that I'm giving my boss some guitar lessons). At home I play and record about every night, when my wife goes to bathe (that gives me about 1/2 hour a night plus.).My wife never asks me to stop playing, I just do. She supports me 100% in my goal, which is to sell one song before I go.(I still have a lot of time yet, God willing). I like to spend time with her at night, we both work all day. We also live out in the "boondocks" so there are no toher type distractions. Our children(5) are grown and out of the house, this helps for sure. I'll always find time for the family no matter what.That truly is the most important thing, to me.terribob

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Ash great topic,

Balance -Well family is always on top of the priority list here at my house. But they also return their love by giving me time for myself .I pick each Tuesday to co write and at least a night or two writing by myself for at least an hour or two .
Love will balance your hectic schedule .Maybe your loved ones need to know how important writing is and they then will help you find the time to write in this busy crazy world of ours!
So dont think about finding the time (MAKE IT) ! You need to write or you will get stressed out if you cant release the muse inside. We all have crazy things going on but try hard ,no just do it!Find at least one solid night a week to call your own no matter what it takes and you will write some of the best songs ever just feeling comfortably free!! S.Dee

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i try and hit a few open mics a month. then while my wife is watching the tv, i'll pick on the guitar.then set time aside to record what i'm working on.(i have a digital recorder) it is all about love and understanding. . great topic!! barn.

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