THE GOALS FOR 2009...

Last December, I said in 2008 I wanted to (1) record a new CD, (2) publish, (3) work with a performing band, (4) perform at Moograss, (5) perform at Wheeler and the Harvest Festival, (6) attend Pineyfest, (7) enter two more song contests, and (8) have a CD release party.

I didn’t do that well. 8 songs “in the can” for the CD (1), but I haven’t got back to southern Oregon to do the remaining five. The Harvest Festival was the only planned big gig I made (5), though I did have a few others I didn’t expect, and while I did work with the band Screamin’ Gulch (3), I stopped when I moved out of town. I didn’t win either of the song contests I entered, either (7). No Moograss, no Pineyfest, no CD release party. (Yeah, and no job, and no money, either.) Promotionally, 2008 was pretty much a dud.

Writing was good--I did write more good songs than I expected, and music to a lot more other people’s songs than I expected, and I expanded my versatility, too. Some jazzy stuff; some folk-rock; a rap (who’da thunk?)—and Norwegian Black/Death Metal. And I do get to play lead guitar pretty consistently, now, wherever I go. So it’s not all bad. It just hasn’t been all good.

So the Five-Year Plan says 2009 is going to be the Year of the Exposure. How do we do it? Where do I want to see myself at the end of 2009?

By this time next year, (1) I want to be better known. (2) I want to have the publishing company, and have somebody besides me as a client. (3) I want to have another CD out, and be selling it in more stores and also on line. (4) I want to go to Nashville again, and this time have a couple of “writer’s night” performances while I’m there. (5) I want to have more sophisticated recording equipment before another year is out. And (6) I want to be doing video.

So that means the Work List is going to look like:

PERFORM MORE—at least once a week. Open mikes if I don’t have a regular gig lined up. Help put on a couple of those festivals—one way to ensure I get to play.

The PUBLISHING COMPANY. Join BMI as writer and publisher, register with the Harry Fox Agency, buy local business license. Sign up a couple of my co-writers for a couple of their songs. Establish that contact list of regionally famous people looking for material.

The FIVE-DOLLAR ALBUM. With a dozen of the best home-studio recordings, including a couple of the co-writes (which is why we need the publishing Company).

The JOE WEBSITE & CD-BABY ACCOUNT. This allows the new album to be sold online as well as The Usual Retail Outlets. CDBaby sells the barcode for pretty cheap, too.

A WEEK IN NASHVILLE. Ideally, while Pineyfest 2009 is going on. Line up a couple of writer’s night appearances in advance.

FIND OR CREATE A BAND. To record the next album, and to play concerts. Work on assembling a cadre of “impromptu band” musicians, too.

SONG CONTESTS–four in 2009 would be good--concentrating as in the past on contests where “entry” entails performing on stage. Plan on one being out of the area—breaking into somewhere new.

UPGRADE THE RECORDING EQUIPMENT. I want something that will record more than 4 tracks, and more than one song at a time. Learn video, and interface it with the sound stuff.

Finish the SOUTHERN PIGFISH album. They can be my experiment at doing both video and a flash-drive album.

And STAY IN TOUCH WITH EVERYBODY. I know a lot of people in a lot of places now, and I don’t want to lose track of a single one of ‘em.

Same WRITING goals as before: I want to be doing an average of one good song a month, plus music for roughly a dozen other-people songs. And push the versatility envelope some more, too. Since I’ve managed to be pretty consistent at this, I may not need to “goal” it—but I’ll be upset with myself if I don’t meet it.

I guess I’m ready for 2009. Bring it on.

Joe