Music related goals for the year?

A

Alonso_Carballo

New member
Hey everyone!

I'm Alonso from San Jose, Costa Rica. I'm a musician, songwriter and producer. People like us who are musicians (and artists in general) can be at times very distracted and always have our heads wanting to go in 1,000 different directions. Then we complain why we don't get things done.

I'm curious to know if any of you at the beginning of the year take some time to write down your goals and the things you want to accomplish. And I mean this in a tangible, measurable way, like this:

-Instead of saying "I want to grow my fan base", you write down "I want to have 1,000 people on my email fan list by December 31st".

For example as part of my big 8 goals for the year, I wrote "Release a music video in October" and "Release a 4-song EP by March 31st".

Looking forward to your comments. Hope I'm not the only weirdo who does this :-)
 
Alonso_Carballo said:
Hey everyone!

I'm Alonso from San Jose, Costa Rica. I'm a musician, songwriter and producer. People like us who are musicians (and artists in general) can be at times very distracted and always have our heads wanting to go in 1,000 different directions. Then we complain why we don't get things done.

I'm curious to know if any of you at the beginning of the year take some time to write down your goals and the things you want to accomplish. And I mean this in a tangible, measurable way, like this:

-Instead of saying "I want to grow my fan base", you write down "I want to have 1,000 people on my email fan list by December 31st".

For example as part of my big 8 goals for the year, I wrote "Release a music video in October" and "Release a 4-song EP by March 31st".

Looking forward to your comments. Hope I'm not the only weirdo who does this :-)
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This is a very good thing to do, especially if you're someone who struggles to focus.
I used to do it too, a bit. I would have made a point of making the target slightly unrealistic instead of aiming at a ceiling and being content when I hit it.

I aimed for things like X plays on Y station, or being played by 10 different radio hosts, or whatever.

If it's working keep doing it, whether other people are doing it or not. ;)
 
I think the key is to make your goals challenging and a stretch from where you are now; they should make you nervous in a good way. But not completely out of this world because you'd know deep inside that there's no way you can achieve it and you'd lose interest.
 
Alonso_Carballo said:
If you don't set a definitive number of songs and a date of release, you'll most likely not get it done.
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Or maybe what does get done will be better because he won't be rushing to pump out garbage just to meet some arbitrary self-imposed deadline. Maybe. Would you have rather have 5 good songs that you took your time on that you're proud of, or 12 half-assed rush jobs just to get things "finished"?

Goals are great and all, but to what end? This is just a hobby for most of us. Turning it into a job takes all the fun out of it. For me personally, I have three albums worth of material just sitting because I haven't bothered to work on the packaging. Does it make a difference if I force myself to release one of them by the end of the month, or do it later when I feel like it? I can tell you the answer: it makes no difference.
 
Greg_L said:
Or maybe what does get done will be better because he won't be rushing to pump out garbage just to meet some arbitrary self-imposed deadline. Maybe. Would you have rather have 5 good songs that you took your time on that you're proud of, or 12 half-assed rush jobs just to get things "finished"?

Goals are great and all, but to what end? This is just a hobby for most of us. Turning it into a job takes all the fun out of it. For me personally, I have three albums worth of material just sitting because I haven't bothered to work on the packaging. Does it make a difference if I force myself to release one of them by the end of the month, or do it later when I feel like it? I can tell you the answer: it makes no difference.
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Definitely there's a balance to strike with this; point taken. I read somewhere that in the US alone, there are around 8,000,000 manuscripts of novels, plays, research papers still in the drawers of their creators at any given time waiting until they are perfect to publish them. How many of us have tons of music also waiting for the perfect moment to arrive before we release it?

I'm not suggesting we release crap just for the sake of it. But to me, the best movie/song/book/play etc is the one that is published and released. There will always be a next time to continue perfecting the art. Don't keep it in the dark, let the world enjoy it!
 
What I've gotten most from this forum is the challenge to finish things. In the previous two years I wrote a bunch of songs and never finished one, and they weren't better for the endless tinkering. Posting songs here has given me a kick in the ass to finish them.

I don't have a set number of songs that I want to record this year but would like it to be significant. I've posted three this year and have a forth going up soon. It's not quite the pace I want. Non-musical life makes demands. Like Greg, I don't want to post crap that isn't ready. It is a draft but I must be proud of it. Also, of the people who will comment on a first mix, few will come back to listen to a second or third. It makes sense to get the song as close to finished as possible before posting.
 
Robus said:
What I've gotten most from this forum is the challenge to finish things. In the previous two years I wrote a bunch of songs and never finished one, and they weren't better for the endless tinkering. Posting songs here has given me a kick in the ass to finish them.

I don't have a set number of songs that I want to record this year but would like it to be significant. I've posted three this year and have a forth going up soon. It's not quite the pace I want. Non-musical life makes demands. Like Greg, I don't want to post crap that isn't ready. It is a draft but I must be proud of it. Also, of the people who will comment on a first mix, few will come back to listen to a second or third. It makes sense to get the song as close to finished as possible before posting.
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Are you in here again Robus? Back to the mixing desk, back I say!

I do have a goal, but it's currently stymied by forces beyond my control. I have too many unfinished things, and while I could launch a few more, I want to finish something first before I do. It's been a while. This damned heatwave AIN'T HELPING! *shakes fist at sky* Soon. Soon. Definitely by the end of March I'll have something.

Apart from my own personal goals, I'd like to collaborate with someone at HR and maybe do some spoken word for them. Oh wait. I already have. Tick!:D

(this goal stuff is easy.....)
 
I have only two goals:

1 to make sure that the people who come in to record are happy with the results; and

2 that I continue to enjoy recording, and the results of recording, my own material.
 
My goal is to write and record music that I like, and make it sound as good as possible. Also I want to continue to learn and grow as an artist and somebody who is competent at recording (mixing is a secondary goal for me). I am doing that, so my goal is met. If someone else in the group wants to promote it, that's fine. I really don't care because it isn't a source of income for me.
 
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Goals.... Wow. I got alot.

Before the end of march, I'd like to be able to pull my band together into a coherent group practicing at least once a week.

I have three songs I want to record before the end of March, though honestly it'll probably take me to the end of April. I've got a busy schedule.

I'd like to get my website up and running.

I need to save enough money to buy myself a new electric guitar. I'm using my brother's currently.

An amp of my own might be nice too...

I've got lots of other goals bouncing around in my head, but I think that's enough for now. Lol
 
Best not to publicly post goals.Keep that shit private, and only post results.
That's my philosophy.
 
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