I promise to post blogs here until I win a Grammy, and when I do win a Grammy, YOU can say you followed me all the way there!
Today is Day 4 of this little blogging project.
Yesterday and today were very productive, which is really good, since I go out of town tomorrow for 6 days. Not much work will be done while I'm at this weekend's festivities. Myself and 24 friends are renting a house for a birthday party & big wine-tasting weekend in Northern Cali!!! Woo-hoo!!!
Yesterday I landed a gig in TX, and I also got confirmation from JC at the House of Bricks for opening for national touring artist G.B. Leighton, in Des Moines at the House of Bricks. Totally excited about this opening gig, and I am working with a drummer (and as of today, a bassist) so I can play with a 3-piece band for this gig. Might not be able to do the whole 40 minutes with the band, but we can open with a few songs, do some stuff as an acoustic duo (the bassist plays acoustic guitar as well) in the middle, then close out the show with the band again. I've got my landlord, a graphic artist, working on posters for that show.
Also yesterday, I reactivated my Sonicbids account so I can use that when contacting clubs. It's much nicer for talent buyers to review my act with this online press kit, than going through MySpace and dealing with all the poo on there!!! This took probably 2 hours, since I had to upload songs, photos, I streamlined & updated my bio (like I try to do almost every week), I had to fix all the old info, and I had to re-do some other stuff like my press page. It's done and it looks great: www.sonicbids.com/annieb
I logged in to LinkedIn and found a totally FABULOUS recommendation from S.U.M. bassist George Radai. What a great guy, that George!!! So, I had to use part of that quote in my SonicBids bio as well.
Also started gathering info so I can write the bio for my cover band, Unnatural Act. The guys in the band love to e-mail info about pending band projects lined with goofy comments and remarks to the whole group and each other during the day. I find when I get caught up in this, it gets to be too much fun and I don't get as much work done as I should.
Also continued research and contacting clubs in TX & KS. Bernie's in Giddings, TX is a no-go... I have a gig in Des Moines the day before the only possible Giddings date - that would not work since it would be an 11-hour drive!!! Danny's in Topeka, KS might happen... waiting to hear back from Jason, the talent buyer.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Day 1 (actually, Day 2)
Ok, it's actually Day 5706 on my way to winning a Grammy... which is one of my 5 major career goals. I promise to post blogs here until I win a Grammy, and when I do win a Grammy, YOU can say you followed me all the way there!
I will hopefully keep blogging here even after I win that Grammy, but I am now obligated to blog here until I do win one. I have made a public statement, and I will come through.
So, like I said, it's probably more like Day 5706 (somewhere between 15 & 16 years) since I wrote my first song that I actually kept and recorded, and considered myself to be a bona fide artist... (That song was called "Follow Your Heart," and I wrote it in the summer of 1993. I could probably still sing & play that song today if I needed to. I have since written well over 300 songs. Some of 'em are pretty good, some are great, and some are not so good and you will never, ever hear them.)
That's when it all began, when I first started dreaming of winning a Grammy, and having my other 4 career goals. Those would be (1) hearing my songs randomly on the radio, (2) headlining for an audience of 10,000 or more, (3) going on a world tour with a real tour bus and real riders and hotel rooms and all that stuff, (4) I actually forgot the other one, but I will let you know if I remember what it is. Those first few are the best indicators that I've "made it," I guess you could say. I have actually toured the U.S., but it was in my car and most nights I did not know where I would end up crashing. I crashed in my car a lot that year.
Perhaps I have already "made it," since I only play music for a living. Isn't that reason enough to celebrate??? I also get some hosting gigs, but that's also being in the spotlight, so it kind of counts. (Sorry about the narcissism/need for attention. Maybe I didn't get enough attention as a kid, being 5th out of 6?)
Anyhoo, so I'll call this Day 1, since it's Day 1 of Blogging 'Til I Win A Gammy. Even though it's really Day 2, since I'd like my "start date" to be March 1. That will make my life easier... to have Day 1 on the first day of the month.
So I'll be writing about the things I am doing to "make it." The little tasks I perform every day or every week, what I am doing to get bigger and better gigs, other things I am doing to move my career forward towards that Grammy and my 4 (today it's only 3) other goals.
It's kind of like getting a chance to be behind the scenes and say "I knew her when..." in case I really do make it to the "Big Time." Wait a minute! "In case"???? Nope. That stops right here. Half the way to success is attitude and believing in yourself. Actually, it's more than half.
So, WHEN I make it to the big time, you can say you knew me when I was on Day 1 of my Blogging 'Til I Win A Grammy"!!! How fun would that be????
OK, so let's get started...
What did I do today?
Well, I slept at a friend's place last night (still trying to decide if this guy is my boyfriend... ??????) and he had to be at work at 6:15 so I was up at 5:50 and home by 6:30am which is very unlike me. I did get a lot accomplished today and that's because I got a huge jump-start on the day.
I helped shovel snow and had a great breakfast (like I do every morning... not the shoveling part, the breakfast part!!!) Had to be at a producer friend's house to edit a promo for www.milwaukeeartbeat.com - Milwaukee Artbeat is a new artist showcase I am producing and hosting. Fun stuff. Please visit the website for more info.
Got done editing around 2pm but then I got a call from the place where my parents live regarding my pop. He's got dementia and that can lead to aggressive behavior for some. Oddly enough, the video producer I am working with (www.xfactafilms.com) is also a social worker so he knows all about it... we talked about stuff for almost an hour.
Then I headed over to Bukalou, our web people for Milwaukee Artbeat, so they could upload the video. Hopefully they'll be able to do that tomorrow or sometime this week.
Send me an e-mail when you see our trailer up at www.milwaukeeartbeat.com, will ya?
Got home around 4 and sent out a few e-mails. I am trying to get 88.9 and the local arts/entertainment papers to sponsor Milwaukee Artbeat so I left a few phone messages, too.
Ate a turkey sandwich. An exciting day so far!
Also waiting on word from the House of Bricks in Des Moines to see if I can open for G.B. Leighton when he comes through. I know, Des Moines is 5 hours away, but I am headed down to L.A. for a Shut Up Marie reunion show at the end of April, so I'm trying to make that part of my trip down.
Went to the bank, they let me sneak in right as they were closing.
E-mails, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Last.fm, and Eventful came next. How can people keep up with all the online networks you have to do these days? Bugsy and I agree - it's a 40-hour a week job!!! And guess what....... now I have ANOTHER thing to do online... my "Blogging 'Til I Win A Grammy" blog!!!!!!!!!
Next up will be laundry (that's a break for me - most of the evening I am at my computer). Then I need to create a cool loop for the trailer. We're trying to fix the audio on the trailer, and that's my opportunity to put in a different loop for the background music. I enjoy that stuff... actually doing MUSIC instead of promotion, e-mailing, press kits, and all that jazz.
Last thing is to make my "to do" list for tomorrow, and I'm trying to read a little from "The Prophet" before I hit the hay these nights.
UGH!!!! I forgot to get a Thank You card for Nick at Sunny 97.7 in Fond du Lac!!! He interviewed me on the station last Thursday morning. Thanks, Nick!!!!!!!!
Have a great night. See you again in a day or two!!!!!!!!
I will hopefully keep blogging here even after I win that Grammy, but I am now obligated to blog here until I do win one. I have made a public statement, and I will come through.
So, like I said, it's probably more like Day 5706 (somewhere between 15 & 16 years) since I wrote my first song that I actually kept and recorded, and considered myself to be a bona fide artist... (That song was called "Follow Your Heart," and I wrote it in the summer of 1993. I could probably still sing & play that song today if I needed to. I have since written well over 300 songs. Some of 'em are pretty good, some are great, and some are not so good and you will never, ever hear them.)
That's when it all began, when I first started dreaming of winning a Grammy, and having my other 4 career goals. Those would be (1) hearing my songs randomly on the radio, (2) headlining for an audience of 10,000 or more, (3) going on a world tour with a real tour bus and real riders and hotel rooms and all that stuff, (4) I actually forgot the other one, but I will let you know if I remember what it is. Those first few are the best indicators that I've "made it," I guess you could say. I have actually toured the U.S., but it was in my car and most nights I did not know where I would end up crashing. I crashed in my car a lot that year.
Perhaps I have already "made it," since I only play music for a living. Isn't that reason enough to celebrate??? I also get some hosting gigs, but that's also being in the spotlight, so it kind of counts. (Sorry about the narcissism/need for attention. Maybe I didn't get enough attention as a kid, being 5th out of 6?)
Anyhoo, so I'll call this Day 1, since it's Day 1 of Blogging 'Til I Win A Gammy. Even though it's really Day 2, since I'd like my "start date" to be March 1. That will make my life easier... to have Day 1 on the first day of the month.
So I'll be writing about the things I am doing to "make it." The little tasks I perform every day or every week, what I am doing to get bigger and better gigs, other things I am doing to move my career forward towards that Grammy and my 4 (today it's only 3) other goals.
It's kind of like getting a chance to be behind the scenes and say "I knew her when..." in case I really do make it to the "Big Time." Wait a minute! "In case"???? Nope. That stops right here. Half the way to success is attitude and believing in yourself. Actually, it's more than half.
So, WHEN I make it to the big time, you can say you knew me when I was on Day 1 of my Blogging 'Til I Win A Grammy"!!! How fun would that be????
OK, so let's get started...
What did I do today?
Well, I slept at a friend's place last night (still trying to decide if this guy is my boyfriend... ??????) and he had to be at work at 6:15 so I was up at 5:50 and home by 6:30am which is very unlike me. I did get a lot accomplished today and that's because I got a huge jump-start on the day.
I helped shovel snow and had a great breakfast (like I do every morning... not the shoveling part, the breakfast part!!!) Had to be at a producer friend's house to edit a promo for www.milwaukeeartbeat.com - Milwaukee Artbeat is a new artist showcase I am producing and hosting. Fun stuff. Please visit the website for more info.
Got done editing around 2pm but then I got a call from the place where my parents live regarding my pop. He's got dementia and that can lead to aggressive behavior for some. Oddly enough, the video producer I am working with (www.xfactafilms.com) is also a social worker so he knows all about it... we talked about stuff for almost an hour.
Then I headed over to Bukalou, our web people for Milwaukee Artbeat, so they could upload the video. Hopefully they'll be able to do that tomorrow or sometime this week.
Send me an e-mail when you see our trailer up at www.milwaukeeartbeat.com, will ya?
Got home around 4 and sent out a few e-mails. I am trying to get 88.9 and the local arts/entertainment papers to sponsor Milwaukee Artbeat so I left a few phone messages, too.
Ate a turkey sandwich. An exciting day so far!
Also waiting on word from the House of Bricks in Des Moines to see if I can open for G.B. Leighton when he comes through. I know, Des Moines is 5 hours away, but I am headed down to L.A. for a Shut Up Marie reunion show at the end of April, so I'm trying to make that part of my trip down.
Went to the bank, they let me sneak in right as they were closing.
E-mails, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Last.fm, and Eventful came next. How can people keep up with all the online networks you have to do these days? Bugsy and I agree - it's a 40-hour a week job!!! And guess what....... now I have ANOTHER thing to do online... my "Blogging 'Til I Win A Grammy" blog!!!!!!!!!
Next up will be laundry (that's a break for me - most of the evening I am at my computer). Then I need to create a cool loop for the trailer. We're trying to fix the audio on the trailer, and that's my opportunity to put in a different loop for the background music. I enjoy that stuff... actually doing MUSIC instead of promotion, e-mailing, press kits, and all that jazz.
Last thing is to make my "to do" list for tomorrow, and I'm trying to read a little from "The Prophet" before I hit the hay these nights.
UGH!!!! I forgot to get a Thank You card for Nick at Sunny 97.7 in Fond du Lac!!! He interviewed me on the station last Thursday morning. Thanks, Nick!!!!!!!!
Have a great night. See you again in a day or two!!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
