It's been almost a year and a half since I last posted anything on this blog, and all I can say in my defence is I've been a little busy.
I changed career this time last year. I'm now working in mental health and living in North London and, by and large, it's the best thing I ever did.
It's dawned on me recently that now I'm very much settled with my new job and lovely little flat I should probably make more of an effort to make the most out of life. I mean, coming home from work and sitting in my pants playing video games is great, but I'm fast approaching 30 and I should try to limit that to five or six nights a week, tops.
That's why, with more than a little inspiration from Sarah Chong, I've come up with a life (or, if you prefer, bucket) list. The list will hopefully contract and expand as I get out a little bit more to tick things off and add a few bits and bobs along the way. With a bit of luck it'll inspire me to come and write something on here a little more often too.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Monday, 10 June 2013
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Work, being boring and reaching 200
It's been a couple of weeks since my last post so I guess it's about time to write something again.
Even though I've finished school and most of my private students are off on holidays these past couple of weeks have been manic what with windband gigs, writing last minute parts for music and updating my professional website. The latter has consumed a vast amount of my time this past fortnight and I'm very glad to have finished the redesign as I don't think I could have coped with anymore html. If you know who I am then you can Google me to see all of my hard work. If you don't know me then...Think of a name, then Google that and pretend it's me. I'm very happy to take all of the credit for their life work and resulting website.
Surprisingly I've even had real life social events to attend, too! How cool is that?! I almost feel like a real boy.
My movie watching has remained at a reduced rate due to all of the important worky bits going on but I'm pleased or possibly slightly ashamed to say I hit the 200 movies milestone by attending a midnight screening of Harry Potter. I now have under 50 new movies left to watch to complete my challenge! Any suggestions for anything special for my 250th?
In other good news I've managed to eat healthily. Following the excellent Slimming World diet plan, I've lost half a stone already and become much more active too. I've taken up squash again and I'm going swimming lots. My next task for the summer is to fit in more practice while things are quiet on the gig front and then make a proactive effort to get some decent gigs again (Looks like there could be more orchestral work on the horizon and a fair bit more conducting too)
That's it really. Nothing's really happened. I'll try harder to do exciting things so I can delight you all with tales of a fun and exciting nature but feel free to make up your own story about the last couple of weeks of my life. Possibly one where I ride a horse/have super powers/hang out with Robert Downey Jr.
Even though I've finished school and most of my private students are off on holidays these past couple of weeks have been manic what with windband gigs, writing last minute parts for music and updating my professional website. The latter has consumed a vast amount of my time this past fortnight and I'm very glad to have finished the redesign as I don't think I could have coped with anymore html. If you know who I am then you can Google me to see all of my hard work. If you don't know me then...Think of a name, then Google that and pretend it's me. I'm very happy to take all of the credit for their life work and resulting website.
Surprisingly I've even had real life social events to attend, too! How cool is that?! I almost feel like a real boy.
My movie watching has remained at a reduced rate due to all of the important worky bits going on but I'm pleased or possibly slightly ashamed to say I hit the 200 movies milestone by attending a midnight screening of Harry Potter. I now have under 50 new movies left to watch to complete my challenge! Any suggestions for anything special for my 250th?
In other good news I've managed to eat healthily. Following the excellent Slimming World diet plan, I've lost half a stone already and become much more active too. I've taken up squash again and I'm going swimming lots. My next task for the summer is to fit in more practice while things are quiet on the gig front and then make a proactive effort to get some decent gigs again (Looks like there could be more orchestral work on the horizon and a fair bit more conducting too)
That's it really. Nothing's really happened. I'll try harder to do exciting things so I can delight you all with tales of a fun and exciting nature but feel free to make up your own story about the last couple of weeks of my life. Possibly one where I ride a horse/have super powers/hang out with Robert Downey Jr.
Friday, 8 July 2011
Countdown to Christmas
It's been a really busy week this week with gigs, rehearsals, and teaching. Then, last night was my first open evening at school. I still find it strange to have kids calling me Sir and Mr Penguin, it's even stranger when parents do it!
It was quite a good night overall and hopefully all the preparation the night before, reading a BTEC syllabus cover to cover and coming up with various enrichment classes that could count towards the BTEC modules, paid off. It would have been nice to be given more than 24 hours notice to do all that, but that never seems to be the way it works.
It's the end of term for me now which means no more school until September. Yay? No. It means I take a pay cut over the summer and have to rely on private teaching and any gigs that come along. At least you'll have plenty of free time? Again, no! I have to prepare for September. Lesson plans for groups that may or may not happen and lots of writing music.
A big proportion of this summer is going to be spent arranging Christmas music for Steel Pan groups and the junior wind band. If I'm lucky I'll get a break from Christmas music in September, but by October nearly all of my music groups will be starting to rehearse for Christmas concerts. And I'll have all my own gigs to rehearse for by November.
This is it then, by next week it's my very own countdown to Christmas. If you see a curly haired musician beating the living shit out of a department store Santa for whistling Jingle Bells, come say hi.
It was quite a good night overall and hopefully all the preparation the night before, reading a BTEC syllabus cover to cover and coming up with various enrichment classes that could count towards the BTEC modules, paid off. It would have been nice to be given more than 24 hours notice to do all that, but that never seems to be the way it works.
It's the end of term for me now which means no more school until September. Yay? No. It means I take a pay cut over the summer and have to rely on private teaching and any gigs that come along. At least you'll have plenty of free time? Again, no! I have to prepare for September. Lesson plans for groups that may or may not happen and lots of writing music.
A big proportion of this summer is going to be spent arranging Christmas music for Steel Pan groups and the junior wind band. If I'm lucky I'll get a break from Christmas music in September, but by October nearly all of my music groups will be starting to rehearse for Christmas concerts. And I'll have all my own gigs to rehearse for by November.
This is it then, by next week it's my very own countdown to Christmas. If you see a curly haired musician beating the living shit out of a department store Santa for whistling Jingle Bells, come say hi.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Gigs are like buses.......
........ They're big, red, full of nutters and smell of stale piss. Okay that's not what I meant, well some gigs.... never mind lets get back on track here.
Bad jokes aside I've had a real shortage of gigs since I've returned to being a professional musician, luckily for me most of my work comes from teaching anyway but getting the odd gig now and again is important for several reasons. Most of all cash, it's a necessary boost to the income when a half decent gig comes along. Just getting out there and playing is really important too just you keep your hand in as it's very easy to become complacent or even lazy if you're not performing. The other reason has to be self esteem, if you're not getting any gigs at all you really start to wonder why you're bothering.
What makes it harder for me is the fact that I'm completely freelance, I'm bandless so to speak and therefore have to rely on people needing a percussionist. When they do it's usually a last minute kind of job where I'm just filling in so it's high pressure but that's what makes it all worthwhile.
I really enjoyed being in my last band but while bands and artists tend to get the odd well paid gig, or medium to high profile bit of TV work today's music scene is a pay-to-play culture and I can't afford to do that as music is my job and I have to make it pay or I'll starve. (For those aware that my partner is a food blogger replace starve with bitch a lot and cry)
I've already mentioned that this year I got orchestral work playing timps in a requiem and that I'm depping (the muso lingo for filling in) for a very good band at the end of May. It looks like I'm also going to get some dep work with a covers band containing members of the very good band and some work which will essentially be up-market busking. There have also be some noises made about doing some percussion at festivals too, it may not be glastonbury but it's high-profile enough and it's work. Of course as musicians we tend to live on the promise of work, 50% materialises and the other 50% doesn't but so far it's teetering on the more positive of the two.
The big news is that I've been offered a cruise gig at the end of the year. It's very early days at the moment and it may not happen as I haven't decided if I'm going to accept the offer yet. I have established that I can get the time off school and a friend who is also a music teacher has said she's able to take on my private students if I go. There's so much to consider with this one and while 10 weeks in the Mediterranean playing cheesy pop does sound cool It's not a decision I can rush into. Not least because it would mean being away all over Christmas and New Year.
The main thing is that I'm getting offers again and that's going to help fill the gap between now and reapplying to spend the rest of my career in the classroom.
Bad jokes aside I've had a real shortage of gigs since I've returned to being a professional musician, luckily for me most of my work comes from teaching anyway but getting the odd gig now and again is important for several reasons. Most of all cash, it's a necessary boost to the income when a half decent gig comes along. Just getting out there and playing is really important too just you keep your hand in as it's very easy to become complacent or even lazy if you're not performing. The other reason has to be self esteem, if you're not getting any gigs at all you really start to wonder why you're bothering.
What makes it harder for me is the fact that I'm completely freelance, I'm bandless so to speak and therefore have to rely on people needing a percussionist. When they do it's usually a last minute kind of job where I'm just filling in so it's high pressure but that's what makes it all worthwhile.
I really enjoyed being in my last band but while bands and artists tend to get the odd well paid gig, or medium to high profile bit of TV work today's music scene is a pay-to-play culture and I can't afford to do that as music is my job and I have to make it pay or I'll starve. (For those aware that my partner is a food blogger replace starve with bitch a lot and cry)
I've already mentioned that this year I got orchestral work playing timps in a requiem and that I'm depping (the muso lingo for filling in) for a very good band at the end of May. It looks like I'm also going to get some dep work with a covers band containing members of the very good band and some work which will essentially be up-market busking. There have also be some noises made about doing some percussion at festivals too, it may not be glastonbury but it's high-profile enough and it's work. Of course as musicians we tend to live on the promise of work, 50% materialises and the other 50% doesn't but so far it's teetering on the more positive of the two.
The big news is that I've been offered a cruise gig at the end of the year. It's very early days at the moment and it may not happen as I haven't decided if I'm going to accept the offer yet. I have established that I can get the time off school and a friend who is also a music teacher has said she's able to take on my private students if I go. There's so much to consider with this one and while 10 weeks in the Mediterranean playing cheesy pop does sound cool It's not a decision I can rush into. Not least because it would mean being away all over Christmas and New Year.
The main thing is that I'm getting offers again and that's going to help fill the gap between now and reapplying to spend the rest of my career in the classroom.
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