I’m really struggling to merge the more academic, artsy composition process I know with (what I perceive to be) the idiom and time demands of media work. How do y’all media composers do it, and so fast?
Chopin, vigil of the window
Felt really down on myself and my work yesterday, and I had a call scheduled with a friend to talk about the piece I’m working on. I was tempted to bow out, but keeping that appointment was quite healing.
What you love is only a part of what makes you happy. The majority comes from simple things: enough food, a chat with a friend, some movement.
When you’re an artist, it’s easy to want to make art your everything. The rest can seem like a distraction from art, or a betrayal—but it’s the fuel.
A compelling and detailed interpretation of WTC Book I from Kimiko Ishizaka! Wishlisted! #nowplaying #emlistens #bach
Successful session yesterday decluttering the orchestral arrangement of this little sketch I’ve been doing. Still unsure how I’m going to build a full piece around it though.
I’m resolved to only post things of value here on micro.blog. This has led me to tamp down on many frivolous thoughts I used to post to social media, which I think is healthy.
But I’ve also curbed the little human updates: here’s what I’m doing; here’s where I am. Do these have value? I’m pondering.
[Music] more orchestration in progress 2024.09.25
Another treatment of the sketch I’ve been playing with. Trumpet-led, heroic. (Playback by NotePerformer)
People don’t bother to unfollow everyone when they jump ship. If you’re still on Twitter, you’re probably posting to a ghost town.
If you weren’t going to leave because of the safety issues, at least consider that it’s not really worth it to stay. That follower count you’re holding onto isn’t real.
Happy birthday today to Dmitri Shostakovich!!! 💜💜💜
What may be artistically obvious to you, may be quite fresh to the audience. Don’t fret too much over innovating—commit to being effective.
More jaunty Balkan music for afternoon listening #nowplaying #emlistens
Morning soundtrack #nowplaying #emlistens
[Music] sketch in progress 2024.09.22
Listen to this little snippet of music I’ve been toying with this week =)
(I’m still figuring out how to format this correctly in micro.blog so that the social media crossposts work okay)
Tried to share some music in progress today but micro.blog had trouble uploading the audio. Tomorrow maybe ;)
Take your meds and drink water today!
The quest for great latte art means that when I fail, I forget sometimes that I still made myself a tasty cup of coffee. I get worked up, down on myself, obsessed with improvements.
Striving for mastery is worthwhile and a meaningful part of how I live my life, but it can obscure the joy of why I started in the first place. The story I tell myself about success and failure gets in the way.
That story starts to lose its power when I remind myself what it is that I did, at its simplest level. “I made some messed up latte art” can become “I made some latte art,” can become “I made some coffee.” Or even “I had a hot drink.” One layer at a time, my obsession melts, and I relax.
Marcus Aurelius (a prominent Stoic philosopher) calls this ‘stripping away the legend.’ He advises us to strip away the legend of luxuries and misfortunes, to make room in our hearts for what really matters in life. That $100 steak is just some cooked meat; the awful new policy announcement at work is just an email.
There are all sorts of little things in our day we get worked up in knots over, that get in the way of contentment. The good news is, that means we’ll never run out of opportunities to practice. Find a knot in your day today to untie with this technique, and see what you find. In the meantime, I’m gonna make another cup of coffee.
Old harmful patterns are usually still there, under the surface. They don’t have antidotes. To live differently requires choosing differently, over and over and over again.
Backsliding doesn’t mean you’ve made no progress—only that the old self is still there to fall back on, for better or worse.
Hidden guitar
Being an artist means your taste will always exceed your ability. Being a professional means keeping sane despite being an artist.