- Life is busy, so you have to make time for your music or give up right now.
* Be innovative, but research a lot. Knowledge is a good catalyst for inspiration.
* Organize your files and samples, keep history of your progress and track versions.
* Do not give up. Take a break and compose when you compose yourself first.
* Mistakes should not discourage you if you simply try to avoid repeating them.
* Others might not always understand. If you are sure it is good, then it is good.
* Do not slave to equipment and software; it is an idea that you are hunting.
http://analogik.com/article_writing_electronic_music.asp
Quote:
* Life is busy, so you have to make time for your music or give up right now.
Okay. I QUIT!
D
Quote:
* Others might not always understand.
Which reminds me of Homer Simpson's quote:
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I dont' understand"
However has the most toys in the end wins.
PACO
And then there is this bit from the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Meditations, Book Eight, G. Long trans.):
Quote:
Lucilla saw Verus die, and then Lucilla died. Secunda saw Maximus
die, and then Secunda died. Epitynchanus saw Diotimus die, and Epitynchanus
died. Antoninus saw Faustina die, and then Antoninus died. Such is
everything. Celer saw Hadrian die, and then Celer died. And those
sharp-witted men, either seers or men inflated with pride, where are
they? For instance the sharp-witted men, Charax and Demetrius the
Platonist and Eudaemon, and any one else like them. All ephemeral,
dead long ago. Some indeed have not been remembered even for a short
time, and others have become the heroes of fables, and again others
have disappeared even from fables. Remember this then, that this little
compound, thyself, must either be dissolved, or thy poor breath must
be extinguished, or be removed and placed elsewhere.
And:
Quote:
Such as bathing appears to thee- oil, sweat, dirt, filthy water, all
things disgusting- so is every part of life and everything.
Oh what a happy fellow.
On a more serious note, I heartily second the very first point you made, Poppa - it’s amazing, 25 years ago I thought I had so much time…man oh man did I waste it… 
Useful advice indeed! I have been too busy for weeks to do anything with music. How fortunate that I just got fired and have 3 months with all the time I need
Now all I need is the inspiration which I’m sadly lacking at the moment
Hi Bruffie:
I believe you’re serious…
I think, I know you wouldn’t post it if you weren’t…
Does this reflect the economy conditions?
OR…
Has your contract run it’s course ?
Bill…
Quote: (woxnerw @ Aug. 03 2009, 4:00 AM)
Hi Bruffie:
I believe you're serious..
I think, I know you wouldn't post it if you weren't..
Does this reflect the economy conditions?
OR..
Has your contract run it's course
?Bill..
Hi Bill,
Yes....for once I am being serious. Not really a reflection of economic conditions. More a case of a stubborn Brit siding with his customers rather than his company (a long political story).
In the end, I chose to resign before they fired me and I'm now on 3 months "garden leave" until my official leaving date of October 31st.
Plenty of time for music but none in my head at the moment!
Best of luck to you Ian. I think I’ve come to know you well enough that you were trying to do the right thing and butted heads with your higher-ups. So good on ye’ mate!
D
Quote: (Diogesneez @ Aug. 03 2009, 8:47 AM)
Best of luck to you Ian. I think I've come to know you well enough that you were trying to do the right thing and butted heads with your higher-ups. So good on ye' mate!
D
Thanks D. I kinda hope that is the case. It's the way I see it and so, for me, it was the right thing. The one thing that gives me peace of mind is that 2 of my customers have offered me jobs and 3 others are looking for a job for me
If a man doesn’t stand on his principles, he’ll fall face first into a pile of male Bovine droppings! The fact that your customers are standing with you is a testament to staying true to those principles. I have had to butt heads with people before over “doing the right thing”. It’s uncomfortable and sometimes very lonely… but I can sleep at night! I often wonder if they can?
D
Hi Again Bruffie:
What tough news to hear and share…
I hope it’s O.K. for me to question this…
I assume that you’ll need/be forced or be required to leave the UAE… Or Dubi or the Arab Emerates…
Or whatever it’s called there…
Or…
Do you have any choice in the matter?
Could you manage to get alternate employment there before your official departure date ?
Bill…
Hey Ian - sorry to hear the news. But jesus (haysoos) isn’t that area
like made of gold? It’s not like in Michigan (US)- if
I were gonna have to tell my employer politely to go ESAD - Dubai’s the place
to do it. New opportunity is calling. Teach those rich f’s how to make some
good music - and charge em up the wazoo.
Thanks guys!
Bill, you’re right, you do need an employment visa to stay in the UAE, but I’ve been here 11 years, so I have enough local contacts to arrange a visa to stay if I need, but of course I need to earn I’ve had a couple of offers so I figure I’ll be ok. I have a solid offer in Qatar, so if I can’t get anything in Dubai in the next 3 months, I’ll go there.
Seven, you’re correct! There are a lot worse places to be looking for a job. The company I worked for is a huge global corporation, but this area is one of the only one’s making money this year.
Meanwhile… 3 months in the house playing
After 10-11 years there…
you’re pretty much settled-in…
There has been several musicians from this area that have been invited to preform in the hotel circuit over there… I don’t think you can work as a musician there, unless you’re invited to do-so…
They are on a pretty Short Leash while they are working there…
I don’t think you want to step beyond your bounds while visiting there…
There’s a story circulating in the papers where a woman has been found in defiance for waring slacks, as opposed to proper woman’s dress…
I don’t know the details…
but, she has been convicted of a crime…
She’s gonna get 40 lashes for the penalty…
Is that how the story has it ?
Bill…
Quote: (woxnerw @ Aug. 04 2009, 3:06 PM)
After 10-11 years there..
you're pretty much settled-in..
There has been several musicians from this area that have been invited to preform in the hotel circuit over there.. I don't think you can work as a musician there, unless you're invited to do-so..
They are on a pretty Short Leash while they are working there..
I don't think you want to step beyond your bounds while visiting there..
There's a story circulating in the papers where a woman has been found in defiance for waring slacks, as opposed to proper woman's dress..
I don't know the details..
but, she has been convicted of a crime..
She's gonna get 40 lashes for the penalty..
Is that how the story has it
?Bill..
No! You're off-beam there Bill. That story is from Sudan, which is a very hardline muslim country. That would never happen in Dubai. There are a lot of Canadian musicians working in Hotels here, but if they're in Dubai the leash they're on is not that short. You can drink 'til 3am every night of the week (the only restriction is that if you get drunk in public, and cause a problem because of it, you will spend the night in jail) Also, drink-driving is a big NO here, you don't usually get stopped and tested but if you have an accident while drunk, you'll be in jail for a few months and longer if anyone is hurt. On the plus side...taxis are very cheap
The only real restrictions for working here are that you can only work as what it says on your Visa. If you come into the country on a entertainers visa, that's the only work you can do and you cannot work part-time as anything else.
I'm not sure what visas the multitude of Chinese and Russian Hookers here enter the country on
Hi Bruffie:
Thanks for putting that in perspective…
Sorry…
I know very few of the customs in far-off countries…
When we read in our papers we find just what is in print is a view from the writer’s view-point…
Out on the strip here on Monday afternoon a woman got involved in not one…
but, two separate accidents…
One, a hit-and-run and the second causing death and seven injuries in a multi-car collision…
Here it is…
Wednesday morning and the cops have not laid any charges yet…
They can’t decide if she was under the influence yet…
She had her Grand kids in the car with her…
Nannies aren’t supposed to drink…
I think it’s law number 29.5 C…
Sorry…
Bill…