Happy New Year
14/01/12 14:52 Filed under: Personal
Apologies for the slightly late "Happy New Year" message, I've been caught up in various states of marking, hustling, writing and being hungover. And now I finally find a day to myself to update this site (notice the new "shows" link up there? Seems I might be doing a few of them over the coming months, so do check back often for updates if you're interested in that sort of thing) and take a moment to pause and reflect on 2011, what was a pretty intense year.
Anyone who knows me personally, or follows me on twitter or Facebook, might have noticed that I worked my butt off last year (larger projects of note including the David Bowie tribute EP 'You Can't Hide Beat', the feature length soundtrack for 'Attack of the Herbals' and of course Feather Hammer), and those people also might be aware that towards the end of 2011 I had a bit of personal upheaval, breaking up with my partner of nearly 9 years and moving out of my home. It's been a very weird experience, going through all that emotional muck whilst at the same time Feather Hammer was taking off and so many good things were happening for me, music-wise. Now at the start of 2012, it feels like life has stabilised a little bit and more than anything I want to keep the productivity level up because there's so many things I want to do! A full length acapella vocal album! Finish the dang string quartet! More piano things! Looping saxophones! A polyphonic/polyrhythmic purely electronic math-rock monstrosity! More performances! And, it seems, I want to collaborate with every interesting person that I meet. I'm set for a busy time.
Speaking of busy, it's been suggested that I try and aim to have my PhD finished and submitted by early summer. I'm going to give it a shot, even though the mere thought of all that writing up, on top of everything else I want to be doing, gives me the fear. I know I've been stalling a bit, I always have this idea that my portfolio will be "complete" once my latest crazy musical ideas are done, but people are telling me I have enough music now to write the thing up and be finished with it. Part of me will really miss being a PhD student, in the sense that it's a very convenient excuse to indulge in some intellectual wankery now and then. That, and I'll sorely miss my mentors, and being able to run to them in my frequent moments of doubt.
So, in summary, 2011 was indeed the best of times and the worst of times; I got a lot of stuff done, at the expense of lost sleep and personal relationships, but I am excited and optimistic about what 2012 holds in store. I hope you are, too. x
******
P.S. - In the next few weeks I will be moving back in my Bedford house to prepare it for sale. Anyone out there looking to buy a quaint 3-bed end of terrace in the Castle Rd area of Bedford? (worth a shot)
Anyone who knows me personally, or follows me on twitter or Facebook, might have noticed that I worked my butt off last year (larger projects of note including the David Bowie tribute EP 'You Can't Hide Beat', the feature length soundtrack for 'Attack of the Herbals' and of course Feather Hammer), and those people also might be aware that towards the end of 2011 I had a bit of personal upheaval, breaking up with my partner of nearly 9 years and moving out of my home. It's been a very weird experience, going through all that emotional muck whilst at the same time Feather Hammer was taking off and so many good things were happening for me, music-wise. Now at the start of 2012, it feels like life has stabilised a little bit and more than anything I want to keep the productivity level up because there's so many things I want to do! A full length acapella vocal album! Finish the dang string quartet! More piano things! Looping saxophones! A polyphonic/polyrhythmic purely electronic math-rock monstrosity! More performances! And, it seems, I want to collaborate with every interesting person that I meet. I'm set for a busy time.
Speaking of busy, it's been suggested that I try and aim to have my PhD finished and submitted by early summer. I'm going to give it a shot, even though the mere thought of all that writing up, on top of everything else I want to be doing, gives me the fear. I know I've been stalling a bit, I always have this idea that my portfolio will be "complete" once my latest crazy musical ideas are done, but people are telling me I have enough music now to write the thing up and be finished with it. Part of me will really miss being a PhD student, in the sense that it's a very convenient excuse to indulge in some intellectual wankery now and then. That, and I'll sorely miss my mentors, and being able to run to them in my frequent moments of doubt.
So, in summary, 2011 was indeed the best of times and the worst of times; I got a lot of stuff done, at the expense of lost sleep and personal relationships, but I am excited and optimistic about what 2012 holds in store. I hope you are, too. x
******
P.S. - In the next few weeks I will be moving back in my Bedford house to prepare it for sale. Anyone out there looking to buy a quaint 3-bed end of terrace in the Castle Rd area of Bedford? (worth a shot)