Phew! Long time no see! Better late than never, but also, bouncing back is better than never turning back.
Not sure if that last statement was as prolific as it sounded in my head, but anyway.
It’s 2023!
I’m back in the U.S. and, innately it seems, I’m in a period of deep reflection.
In a coffee shop nestled in a quaint neighborhood in the last city that housed me before I flew across the ocean, I jumped back on this blog to see if I’d jotted down my goals for the previous year.
Lo and behold,
NOTHING!
I remembered a few that I had adamantly instituted but much of what transpired mentally in 2022 got lost in the fray of me preparing to repatriate.
What I DID remember was:
Apply to two music libraries a week (104 total by the end of the year)
The stats for this goal ended up being:
I applied to two music libraries .. every so often but made up for lapses in time when possible. (74/104)
Not too bad!
But, if I take into account every opportunity that transpired this year, it would be:
was flown out to Australia as a speaker for a Game Audio event
was brought on to work as an arranger for a personal musical!
started a Youtube series that I thoroughly enjoy spending time on
got a cool gig using Twitter (project finished Dec of 2021 but music was released in 2022)
released a personal project I started in 2019! I created it when I first came to Vietnam and released it the year I left.
got brought on to write for a project that just might be the one that gains me some notoriety (funnily enough)
Got accepted to write for 3 music libraries (one that sends out consistent briefs and opportunities!)
Not sure if it was this year of the last, but I’m so happy about it that I have to mention it anyway: I WROTE FOR AN ANIMATED SERIES (that I actually really enjoy watching)!
And, MOST IMPORTANTLY:
I returned to the U.S. with the ability to heavily pursue music composition without having to focus on teaching as my main job.
Things can seriously only go up from here and I’m super proud of myself.
Am I content?
Absolutely not.
Am I looking forward to being tested and pushed to the point where I can say that I’m content?
ABSOLUTELY.
That being said, my focuses for this year are:
- Save up 10 months of rent going into 2024
- Get a music placement from a music library*
- Apply to 1 music trailer a week (4 - 5 tune portfolio)
- raise my rates to match my new minimum. Renting is for the birds and I want a house.*
- Obtain 3 - 4 new projects that pay me at my new minimum (composing and arranging)
It seems like too much to focus on but many of these co-inside and are also continuations of habits already built from last year.
I’M STOKED!