In the summer of 2007 (i think it was 2007), I hopped on a plane to Manchester with Tim so I could make an album.
We spent the week in the studio with Dave Jones (aka Zed Bias) and Sefton Mottley. Zed and Sefton had written the music and I would write the melody and lyrics. That was our agreement and it was a very clear conversation before we started collaborating, which I appreciated. zed's an honest business man. Clarifying the terms before we started working made it possible for each of us to give fully to the project.
Before we started working, he provided me with a contract that honored my equal participation as a co-creator. I hadn't seen a contract for work before and what I appreciated was that it was simple, clear and honest. A reconfirmation of great decision to collaborate.
We created 10 tracks (In & Out was created earlier that year during the RBMA Rome session) in that week.
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I'm a Patreon subscriber to Sarajane Case and her June video workshop really killed me. I still have to re-listen to it a few times, but here's what sticking:
"Where do you want to be in 6 months? Now is your time to stop, think about what's working, what's not working, make a plan to move forward or decide if you want to let something go.... Anything is fine, I just want you to choose it.
Where do you want to be in December? "What do I want my life to look and feel like on a regular basis?
What kind of projects are you working on? Eating? Fitness? How do you want to finish the year? Now is the opportunity to set the tone for that."
She suggests writing down 4 goals to achieve by December. Then setting markers at the halfway and monthly points.
This used to come naturally to me. Now it feels really tough, but here we go:
1. I don't want to be rushing or rushed.
2. I want to regularly exercise and reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption.
3. I want to have a real plan for my next album that insures it reaches a broad audience.
4. I want to have an artist residency in Nevada County.
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i saw an advertisement for the Huichica Music Festival. A group called (((folkYEAH!))) is presenting the festival and seems to regularly do things I like up and down the coast. They are featuring Linda Perhacs, who is a great artist, 73, with one other album that she did in her 20s I think. She came out with "The Soul of All Natural Things" in 2014 and I remember really being into her song Intensity then. I'm really appreciating Children right now.