Hi there!
This book is for two types of people
For my community/fans
These are the people who wonder why on earth this first project (Change My Mind album with 12 songs and a book) is taking so darn long. I hope that by sharing my day to day life with music making story, I'll be able to help them understand the costs involved (why I appreciate their financial support through Patreon etc.) and why music takes a long time to make the first time around. When I sit down with one of them and explain the production, promotion etc process, they usually say, I had no idea it was so much work. It is and this book describes the process in an honest yet sporadic way. I hope that those who support me and are following this project get a sense of what I am doing, because I am doing it for them.
For indie musicians and indie music producers
I don't know about you, but I have seen tons of videos on YouTube by professional music engineers and wondered if I ever could get a grip on mixing and mastering and produce my music. For a while I got swamped by all the information about the new music business, and there are still days where I think this is so crazy and against us all that I want to throw in the towel for good. But I have held my head above the water and hope to be able to combine everything I'm learning and create more music faster and better than ever before. I hope that you who make music will be inspired and encouraged by the videos I pick and the quick tips you can find here and there.
Above all it is about doing something we are passionate about. Let's not get bogged down by all the "musts". Rome wasn't built in a day and you can't go from zero to 300 mph in a blink. Be patient with yourself. You'll get there...it just takes commitment and hard work.
About the project this book follows
I have been working on the Change My Mind project since late 2015 and it has been a tough road to go from knowing nothing about audio engineering to becoming somewhat comfortable at it. Also, I had no structure for songwriting or arrangements but now I am very aware of the elements of good music. I began my music making journey in my teens but chickened out after high school and after many years of soul searching I am happy to say I consider myself a music producer. After all, I write and produce music and on the Change My Mind album (my debut album), I have brought together ten musicians in many different genres to create a musical explanation of my journey from stress to rest. Somehow, I feel that all those years of aimlessly wandering the planet have come to an end and I am finally who I should have been (was deep inside) all along.
I started writing down what lessons I was learning privately for reference, but decided to share this part of the process with you to encourage you not to give up on your dream of making music. Maybe you are a singer/songwriter who needs to see an example of what to do in order to register, record, publish and promote your work. Maybe you are just starting to learn audio engineering/mixing. In any case you will be able to get some valuable tips. And Wattpad is totally free to read. So enjoy!
Maybe you are doing EVERYTHING (see the video above by Graham Cochrane) to get your music out - playing multiple instruments, learning mixing, mastering, practicing, networking, recording and marketing - just like me. It is really hard to navigate in the new music business and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the information and expectations around you isn't it? It is a lot of hard work, but, if you keep on keeping on, just around the corner there will be a light at the end of your tunnel. I'm starting to see the way out of my tunnel now.
In this book, I am going to be brutally honest about my ups and downs, the criticism I receive and the encouragement I am blessed with. Both come as part and parcel with any creative process. This book will encourage you to continue though the days and seasons when everything seems lonely, difficult and meaningless.
You can do it. Don't give up!
Much of what I am writing about will encourage even those who don't work with music at all. As you follow my story, you will see the development of elements that can help make any type of dream materialize: having a vision; keeping faith in yourself when others don't believe; block planing; practice; trial and testing; learning from others and networking. These are important ingredients in making any dream come true.
My work method
1. REMIND I get up and face my fears every day, telling myself this is doable even if it doesn't feel doable
2. RECHARGE I spend time with God, meditating before I plan my day. He is awesome, honest encouraging and the best!
3. PLAN I plan my day, and check off when each task is done. This gives me a feeling of accomplishment. I use Wunderlist (app) to make do lists while making/mixing music.
4. BOX I try to structure my time into boxes that are filled with the same thing every day (practice, learning, mixing). That way I know that I go forward. I use the "buffé method". An indie musician can't possibly do everything in one day so I have to rethink and prioritize in groups of days for certain things and do other things every single day. For example, I see to it to do some exercise every day. I practice at least 1.5 hours a day...etc
5. NUTURE I try to eat healthy food at specific times every day. For the most part no sugar, low carb. (When you sit long hours mixing music at your computer, you don't use all that much energy.) and I take a walk or do exercise every day.
6. MENTOR I ask for help when I've tried to understand, fix or address a problem but don't know the answer. I have a mentor I go to and pay by the hour when I get stuck. Thank God for PG! I help those in turn that I can with what I've learned by writing this book.
7. NETWORK I am a member of various Facebook communities that discuss mixing, mastering and music. Many times I get friends from within these groups and we help each other out in our creative processes.
8. PRACTICE every day: guitar and voice, breathing...
9. LEARN I learn continually. I watch tons of how to videos, read articles and attend webinars about music making. After a while I've noticed that I've gotten the hang of some aspect of mixing or promoting so well that I can skip some videos and move on. Great feeling!
10. WRITE I write down the greatest new ideas here in the Musician's Diary. Writing helps me repeat what I've learned and being able to explain it means I've understood it well.
12. COLLABORATE I can't do everything. So I reach out and get help from other musicians, producers, services (AI mastering for demos, for example), and photographers to get me to my goal Let this book inspire you!
ABOUT ME
Some dreams have to die before they can be realised.
I am 55 years old. My dream of making music started when I was 15 and toured the NY area with a band, playing multiple instruments and singing. It died when I turned 18 and my dad counselled me to get a real education (i.e. not music or art). It's a long story how, although I gave up my dream of recording my music, I kept writing and how, only now, I am publishing my first album.
Am I too old to do this? No! Some people may think so, but most people who hear my songs seem to like my music. Why don't I just give up and get a "real" job (one that pays)? Because this music is my passion, my way to encourage others and the way my soul breathes and bleeds.
Why I do music full-time and for no pay:
1. FUN I am having fun doing this. Let's get that straight, It is fun to learn and one of the most fun things in life is to be able to take the music you hear in your head and translate it into digital music. Wow!
2. LOVE My husband LOVES my music and works hard so that I can stay at home and get it done. He believes in me and listens every day, singing with me. (If he was the musician I would work full-time to let him do it). And, I'm doing this to devote it to my adult kids forever. I love them more than they understand.
3. FRIENDS My friends love to sing these songs with me over and over again. We use them often in our home church. Seeing them dancing and singing along is so encouraging. I see them turn on a smile when I start to sing/play and that is so cool!
4. PASSION! I believe that I can and will change the world for the better by sharing what I write and sing globally. I believe that I can inspire others to find the unconditional love that changed my life and encourage others to work hard towards their dreams - no matter their age.
5. VISION God seems to be backing me up! Ask me and I'll tell you how...
6. DOABLE The dream is doable, one task at a time. I see it materialising...
This book is going to be the real deal. I will include what I learn and from where I learn it and loads of links to great content, videos that others have done.
I'll give you some tips about about how to self publish & promote your music/books as I come across them.
Welcome to "An Indie Musician's Diary" where a dream becomes reality despite my lack of whatever!
Elisabeth K.
Featherhead Media, Rydsgård Sweden. Btw, I'm on Patreon, Twitter, Facebook and more go to www.featherheadmedia.com
Link to the video above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urf4-jnJLZs