tips for planning a songwriting "sabbatical"

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janekelson

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Hi all

I'm intending to take 6 months off work (saving those pennies very hard as we speak!) to give myself some time to really focus in on completing and recording some of my songs - a bit of a sabbatical. i want to plan this time really well to get the most from it, so I won't start the sabbatical until about March next year. Am pondering how best to set myself up for this time... Would be really interested to hear what sort of preparation you would make... so far I've thought of:

- save up enough money to live for the 6 months :-)
- learn to use my gear (protools LE, mac g4 powerbook,Yamaha qy700, sm 58) better
- developing better networks with other musicians so that i don't feel isolated at home all day for 6 months (i'm planning not to work for the 6 months if I can possibly do so)

Really want to make the most of this time, so any advice from your own experience would be just great

cheers

Jane
 
Well, why only six months?

Are you a singer/songwriter? Do you play an instrument? If you can save enough to live for six months why stop there?

Do you know why some people who should get signed never do? Because they try to squeeze it in. They try to figure out how to try and "make it" while still holding down the old day job.

Don't wait until you save enough money. Develop a 2 hour set list, get a 3 song demo and press kit together and start a full court press on every venue within 3 hours drive of you. Do you want music to be your job? Then make it your job. You don't need a sabbatical to write. You wrote that post didn't you? Write a song instead. Write every day. Yes, every day. Don't wait to get "inspired" just sit down and write about a subject. A lot of the stuff you write will suck, but the more you do it the better the "suck/good" ratio will become.

Figure out ways to make money at your music. Give lessons, book gigs, sell CD's, promote yourself to everyone everywhere. Send your demos to small indie labels that have artists you like on them. They'll be more receptive to getting demo's and can give you some street cred and regional distro if nothing else.

Tour, tour, tour. Get a van (a camper van is good) or a cheap RV (you can get nice used models for less than $3500) and tour. Check the we3bsites of artists that sound like you and check their tour schedule. WHere are they playing? Make a note of it. THen call that venue and ask if you can send your press kit. You can tour the entire US doing nothing but Borders Books stores making $75 to $250 a gig.

Busk. If you don't have a booked gig that night go busk on the sidewalk or the train station. Something wierd happens to people when they see an open instrument case in public, some instinct to toss in coins takes over. I have made a couple hundred dollars in 3 hours of busking. And I didn't even have to set up a sound system or hassle the manager.

If you don't think that doing the above will give you plenty of fodder for writing material then you are a bit loopy.

Why can't you do it? Got a family? Me too. Kids? Me too. Bills? Me too. It's a leap of faith that you have to make. If you are good enough the work will come and then so will the songs. Nothing makes writing easier than having all day to write.

Approach it like a job and work at it, don't wait for stuff to happen. Get comfortable with the idea of playing music all over the world for 250 nights a year in relative obscurity. Once you accept that then you can make a living in the music business.
 
Falcon does pose both some valid points and perhaps prompts a follow-up question. At the end of the 6 months - what do you plan to do with the material you write?

If indeed your goal is to get a contract as an artist, then certainly you need a plan on how to promote your material. Performing, gaining a fan base, selling product at shows, still can go a long way toward gaining the interest of label representatives. You could be gigging nights, networking part of the day and still have plenty of time to write/record. As suggestied even busking (given a good location and reasonable talent) can generate enough cash flow to help pay some bills.

I think Falcon does hit on a key point - people who don't allow themself the comfort of a day job, people who must depend on thier talent to survive, can find a way to get by (although often at close to a poverty level). On the other hand, people who have a day gig and then fit music around that often fall into the "part time musician" routine - which while a good way to make some money to supplement the day gig (while allowing for some "artistic release"), rarely leads to a "career" in music.

That being said - in answer to your original question "what sort of preparation you would make" in addition to what you mentioned (have enough money, know how to use the gear & network) I would add - have a plan for the end of the 6 month period and work on that plan before and during the 6 months.
 
thank you both... I should have made it a bit clearer that I'm not a performing songwriter (although I do sing and am a trained pianist, clarinettist and guitarist) - my ambition is to build a career as a songwriter writing for other people.

I guess I'm only aiming at six months at this stage to give me time to experience focusing on music and only music for 6 months and see how that feels as a new way of living to me. Possibly too cautious an approach and I guess I'll find that out in the course of it, but I need to start with what seems do-able and that seems do-able to me at this point in my life.

Your posts were both so inspiring and gave me lots of food for thought and new ideas - thank you! I know the interet is old hat now but I still find it amazing to think I can reach out for advice from here in Melbourne Australia and make contact with other people around the world who can relate to what I'm thinking... I think we're very lucky to be living in the internet age...

cheers

jane
 
Hey Jane
I am doing exactly this right now!

Last december/january, i took 2 months off work as a "warm-up". My goal then was to record an EP.

I had already written some songs i knew i wanted to record but all of them were in a sort of half-finished state.

Each week, I planned my time one week ahead, giving myself goals for each day. Goals such as edit structure of song #2, finish writing lyrics for song #2, record drums, bass and guitar for song #1.

I worked on songs one at a time, usually taking me one whole week to finish writing and to record the song. Writing down in my daily planner my goals for the day, and reading this before going to bed the night before, helped me to actually focus on and achieve my goals. I wasn't strict with myself and if someone else came up, like a friend popping by etc, i did modify my plan for the day. But in the end, i managed to record 6 songs in 5 weeks, which made up my first EP CD.

So in July, i quit my job and i am not planning to work until after mid November. This time, my plan was more ambitious, as it involved recording an album and practicing for a tour in November. So far, i have only played live 4 times so i'm new to the live thing.

I am pleased to say i have finished recording/mixing my album today, and next week, it's mastering then off the plant!

Anyway, back on track, things that have helped me.

- made a list of my friends that i can call during the day (eg i know they won't be too busy at work etc), so i can have a chat if i ever feel isolated.
- been networking on MySpace and various forums, usually when i need a break from recording
- kept a diary of all things creative i have done every day, so i can see my progess writen on the wall so to speak
- made sure my computer and all my instruments were working perfectly before taking my time off (got things fixed if they needed to)
- kept a stack of my favourite comedies near my DVD player to chill out but not switching on my TV otherwise
- worked out a budget i could stick. I spend less money when i don't work but i still do spend about the same amount on things i enjoy the most (going to gigs mostly). I have simply cut out spending on things i don't enjoy so much (but that i usually do out of a habit etc)
- eat healthy - avoid all junk food when at home so i can indulge when i go out. I couldn't cook to save my life but have forced myself to buy vegetables when i go to the supermarket and i have developped very simple recipes i do enjoy.
- organised my day around my natural pattern. Are you better at coming up with a new idea in the morning, afternoon or evening? What about recording? And mixing? Different activities require different skills and usually involve different parts of the brain. I find there are some things i'd rather do in the morning for example.
- asked my friends to respect my life pattern, eg they shouldn't expect you to babysit for them just because you don't have a 9 to 5 job anymore.
- allowed for surprises to happen, by not being to rigid with my schedule. Surprises fuel creativity.


All i wanna say is - do it and have fun!

PS: oh dear, this was such a long post! And my first one on this forum as well! I usually try to keep them shorter ;)
 
janekelson said:
Hi all

I'm intending to take 6 months off work (saving those pennies very hard as we speak!) to give myself some time to really focus in on completing and recording some of my songs - a bit of a sabbatical. i want to plan this time really well to get the most from it, so I won't start the sabbatical until about March next year. Am pondering how best to set myself up for this time... Would be really interested to hear what sort of preparation you would make... so far I've thought of:

- save up enough money to live for the 6 months :-)
- learn to use my gear (protools LE, mac g4 powerbook,Yamaha qy700, sm 58) better
- developing better networks with other musicians so that i don't feel isolated at home all day for 6 months (i'm planning not to work for the 6 months if I can possibly do so)

Really want to make the most of this time, so any advice from your own experience would be just great

cheers

Jane
Click to expand...

Yeah, have fun, don't ever over pressure yourself.
 
Oh, and listen to Deep Purple's Fireball LP during your downtime.
 
Since you plan to focus on being a writer vs, an artist then you need a plan to present your material to a publisher (or music attorneys, producers, artists, etc).

Since you plan to have 6 month free - perhaps you should plan to write/record the first 3 months or so, then plan to meet with some publishers. That then gives you a month or two after meeting with publishers to re-write if needed and re-submit.

Since you are not looking to sell yourself as an artist, I strongly suggest you have one or more strong singers lined up - vocals sell a song more than anything (unless you think your singing is good enough - but be very realistic about your level of vocal talent). If you don't have good performance/enginnering skills, plan on paying for that. More and more publishers want "radio ready" mixed/mastered recordings.

Accordingly, you may have to allow extra funds for these potential expenses.
 
Being that you are trained in 3 instruments and sing, have you considered teaching here and there during this sabatical?

Just curious, what is the day job you're leaving behind?
 
I'd add, why not find a local studio and tyr to get some - any - part time work. That way you should be able to get some ideas off resident pro engineers, good way to make contacts with people in the area etc.
 
more fantastic ideas! There's such generosity out there, it really makes me feel quite lucky and like my plan is do-able... in reply to the question about what career I'm giving up (interesting question!) , I write tenders, plans etc for organisations in the philanthropic/not or profit community... kinda satisfying work but nowhere near as satisfying as music is to me.

I very much like the suggestion about writing and producing for 3 of the 6 months and then pitching for the other 3 months.... a question for you North Americans in particular, when is the 'downtime" in your music publishing companies most likely to be - ie when is the worst time to be trying to pitch and when is the best time? Over here in Australia the industry goes into downtime through most of December-early Feb because it's our summer so everyone takes their four weeks leave and heads to the beach (yes, we got 4 weeks' leave in Aus :-))...

cheers

Jane
 
Jane,

Where are you based (I'm in Sydney) and what sort of music do you write?

Based on that I might have a couple of suggestions for you.

Daniel
 
The couple of publishers I work with tend to gather material right after the 1st of the year and then shop it around the rest of the year.

I really don't kwon if this is standard or the norm.
 
Hey Porter, I am in Melbourne, and the sort of stuff I write is adult contemporary country/pop ish, think along the lines of "she will be loved" in flavour.

Mikeh, that's a very useful bit of info, thank you very much. :)
 
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