Over the past several months,
many things have been changing with my music and the direction it is going...although gradual, I clearly know that "things" have changed with both my composing and cello playing efforts...
It is so interesting, to me, as I look back over the past year and see the results from all the small little steps I took that are creating change for my future music direction...
One of the major changes that I am making is to concentrate on my site as my main music and creative outlet venue...I have found from experience of the past few years in various internet music and social sites, that I want the audience that my site provides....my site gives me the feeling that I am on a 24/7 worldwide gig :-)....regular people from all walks of life and cultures listening to my music and reading /listening to my musings..... I have always concentrated my efforts and energies where I would get the desired result....no matter what I was doing....and for my music...this site is getting all my attention now...
Since composing and my cello playing efforts were increasing and demanding more and more of my day....I needed more available time....so, I did an analysis of what I was doing that was taking my time and seeing if it was being used to get the result I wanted....I did this over a few months and found that I was doing time draining activities that were not doing me or my goals any good...
Since most of my music activities and communications are online....I took a close look at what I was doing and realized that changes needed to be made quickly to stop the time drain or I would not meet my goals with my cello and composing......
The first thing I did was change my Sound Cloud involvement....it was very time consuming ....this freed up much time ...I still, however, spend some time maintaining my presence there , but, very little ...also, I was in a few FB "groups"...they were music groups consisting of musicians but not directly related to my goals and definitely a time drain...I dropped out of them....and I have cut back considerably on my regular FB communications and plan to do a bit more ...
I am able to spend more time now on twitter which I use to promote and share my music and creative efforts that are on my site....this is really satisfying and rewarding to me as I have a wonderful audience and it is unlimited .... it inspires me to work hard to be my best....
There have been changes in my composing path also....it was subtle...but I have come to realize I seem to write "unusual" music for a cello and it seems to be inspired many times by animals !...I know it is right for me to do this as it happens so easily and the ideas just come so clearly....although, not your "normal" classical/cello composer....I intend to allow myself all the room I need to compose what I want and about whatever subject inspires me....I am hoping to call attention to these animals for their good with my music....and some of this new found extra time will be spent doing this as much as I can....along with composing more usual cello songs...
A change is happening with my cello efforts , also....a change was called for as I am now playing more complex and challenging music...I need more time alone to work ...and I have changed my lesson structure to get the best result from my efforts....this is most important to me....doing my best with the cello and playing the music I love...this change has paid off big time and I have just finalized one of my dream pieces...I am almost to the top of my cello mountain...a few more pieces ...a few more years to go...a large portion of the time that I have freed up is being used for more cello work so I meet these goals .
A lot of my previous musings are about success oriented techniques that I have learned and used thru the years ....this musing is about the result of using these techniques that we hear from people like my favorite fellow...Brian Tracy ....using these techniques like time management and planning have become second nature to me after so many years...it is how I automatically think now....it is hard to accomplish goals we have set and I feel strongly that we need to take control of the process to get the results we want..this is why I have come to make some of my recent changes....they were needed so I could continue moving in a forward direction towards my goals.....
I should mention ...it is also possible...and maybe even probable that making changes makes other people in our world uncomfortable and unhappy with us.....this has never stopped me from making changes necessary for getting the best result....we have to expect this and not give in to status quo as it will negatively affect our desired result...
I have a busy 2015 planned for myself with wonderful music projects in mind...they are both exciting and challenging to me...some of my recent changes will help me make these ideas a reality....
I am wishing you, my musing reader, a New Year full of potential and promise....and that you make out of it everything you want....
QUOTES:
"If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have settle for the ordinary"-Brian Tracy
"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten"-Brian Tracy
"We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are"-Max De Pree
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot"-Michael Altshuler
"There is only one real happiness in life and that is the happiness of creating"-Frederick Delius
"If you want something in your life you have never had...You will have to do something you've never done"- J.D. Houston