This is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately. There is so much going on, so here is a run down of everything going on in my life right now!
The 9-5: HR at the Barbican & Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Them that ask no questions, isn't told a lie.
Freelance Work
Working with some great new clients is fun but also demanding.
PC Troubles
So Gigastudio was discontinued by Tascam which is pretty annoying for me as it was how my entire music set up was configured. Even more irritatingly lots of companies are saying they are still stocking it. I place an order and then I am told that it was discontinued a week later (this I knew dumbasses which I why I bought it from you). So now I have to switch to Yellow Tools Independence which looks pretty cool but is gonna require some new thinking and work to configure things, meanwhile my clients are waiting.
Duchess of Malfi
Just had a new award-winning lyricist come on board so I am psyched about that. Watch this space.
Gym
Operation 'Stop Being a Fat Bastard' continues and I am determined to get off the 170lbs plateau. I am also doing lots of weights. Am I seeing the benefits? No.
Horizon Oboe Concerto
Last week I finished my submission for the 2009 Fauxharmonic Orchestra Competition. This year's contest was to write a concerto. When I have made a good virtual recording I will do a special blog post and it will also go up on my website. Of course, that recording is pending resolution of computer issues.
Dot Com Development
Serious amounts of work has gone into overhauling www.xanderhough.co.uk so check it out! More work to come. I'm totally tweeted out, Last FM updated (buy my tracks!), Facebook linked, myspaced and so on. Self promotion is like a full time job!
Resolutions Update
- Get my new company, Fusions, set up with one of my fabulous friends/clients Jules Francis. Well, we have a business plan almost there and we have constructed a market research survey that will go live soon. We also have a website pretty much developed.
- Be a great uncle-slash-godfather to my friends' new twins. For one reason or another I have not seen the twins but a date is set for the May half term so here's hoping.
- Drop another two stones and/or get my body fat down to 12%. Body fat refuses to budge from a pesky 18% so there is still a long way to go on this.
- Complete a second musical and make some kind of reading/performance happen. New lyricist on board so this will move forward soon.
- Prepare to do something on Edinburgh Fringe in 2010. Yikes, have no idea what this will be!
- Get a new job on the West End or pretty damn close. The market is really slow at the moment, but we'll see what the next few months holds.
- Re-write my string orchestra piece, Stop All The Clocks. This is ongoing. I started, but need to finish this.
- Reorchestrate Dracula. Not even started - other things have to take priority.
- Finish my Piano Concerto - Phoenix. Haven't done any more work on this.
- Learn the saxophone. Jules still has my saxophone which needs servicing anyway.
- Reach my freelance income targets. Pretty much on track which is great.
- Spend more time with or contacting friends who I haven't seen for a while. Going well.
- Do what I say I am going to do - keep appointments and stop taking rainchecks all the time. Am getting better but I am still the rain check king. Some self discipline is required here.
- Finish my tuned percussion piece - Nexus. This is next on my list.
- Learn how to use a Mac so that I am not longer restricted to "being a PC" (I really hate those adverts) and so my Mac friends no longer make fun of me. Not sure how I can achieve this one considering I don't have a Mac. Hmmm.
- Stop spending money on things I don't need/going out. The budget is going well actually despite a bit of birthday self indulgence.
- Network more and start doing some hardcore self promotion. If this was on-line self promotion then I'd definitely be doing OK on this objective. I need to get out there a bit more.
- Get back to New York/Long Island. With my budget, not gonna happen but maybe someone will take me!
- Try to read a book every night before bed so I have read all the books people have bought me but also to relax. Doing really badly at this so will start today.
- Get a proper website set up. Done! Lots more to do on it though to make it as good as I want.
- Acquire some basic piano skills. There's a reason this is 21 on the list.
- Learn how to use Adobe Audition so I can record live performances of my work. Once I get the other computer issues out of the way and have some things to record, this will happen.
- See more theatre on the West End and London Fringe. Budget makes this tricky but luckily the Barbican and Guildhall School staff pass means I can see a lot of great work for nothing. Currently seeing more on the music side as it happens but have some great theatre booked in the next couple of weeks too.
- Write on my blog more. Guilty as charged m'lord.
