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It's been about six months since doing a "year-in-review" blog entry, in which I set out some goals for the next twelve months. Time to see how those are progressing:
- Bands: The Rescue Party is defunct, and the PKO mothballed until/unless Paula returns to record another album. I'm getting in two to three gigs a month with The Gobshites and the Beau Roland Band.
- Airplay: Hard to tell on this. I know that the track I did for the Grubstake album Dynamite and Other Inventions was played on Shred's "Boston Emissions" show on WBCN. And of course Joann plays my stuff on her WMFO show, but nepotism doesn't really count. Next good possibility may be the upcoming Gobshites CD.
- Passim's: Did this, with The Gobshites in August.
- 5-String Acoustic Fiddle: I now have TWO: an inexpensive one via eBay, and a really nice one by John Silakowski. The latter sounded really good in the recording studio in November.
- Bigger Venues: Played Harpers Ferry this month with the Beau Roland Band; and The Gobshites are supposed to be playing the Middle East Upstairs for St. Patrick's Day.
- Solo set: Not yet, but I've spoken to Lexi about playing a solo looping 10-15 minute set at her next Old Dogs/New Tricks show next week.
- Teaching: Not much time for it with all of the above, but I have managed to fit in a student.
So things are moving along. What would I like to add at this point?
- While it was fun doing the massive recording session in November, I could have wished that Pete had selected more publicly-presentable songs. I know he loves the punk-drinking-song genre and I went along with it for this album, but I'm hoping next time we get to do more of his original songs (and some of mine). If not, I may need to look for an additional band that plays hard but is less "potty-mouthed" (to quote Shred on hearing our Xmas cover).
- I was being relatively good about going to the gym for most of the summer and fall, but the never-ending-illness of November and a follow-on cold now have really stopped that (the gym members are so rabid about germs that we have to disinfect the machines after touching them at the best of times, so going in while I'm coughing wouldn't be popular). Hoping to find some way to get back to that in the next couple of weeks.
- While I've technically made half again as much income this year as last from music activities (though much of that is "imputed", as in I didn't actually get cash in hand from many gigs because it went right back into band $ for recording), I spent much more in gear acquisitions. For 2005 I can't see doing that much further buying, so it would be nice to present the IRS with something closer to an actual profit, to make them happy. It would help that to take on another student or two, and/or sell some of the excess instruments (I've got a decent viola available right now...).
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